Hey All,

 

I am pretty new to bass fishing and my experience is solely on lakes in Georgia, but I definitely have the fishing bug.  Next week, I am heading out to Phoenix, AZ to visit some family out there.  They live on a golf course and my father has told me that there is a couple acre pond that people fish and he was told there are 6-8 pound bass and big catfish in it.

 

We plan to fish the pond when we are out there and I am going to send out some cheap Ugly Sticks for me and kids to use and keep out there.  I have a couple questions:

 

1.  What type of tackle and/or fishing techniques would you recommend?  We will be fishing from the shore.  I was thinking about worms and soft plastic swim baits.  Maybe some cranks and spinners to experiment.

2.  Is there an easy (and relatively cheap) way to buy tackle - like a starter package - or should I just go to tackle warehouse or bass pro shops and order worms, hooks, spinners, etc?

 

I thought about taking a small tackle bag with me, but I can only assume that my wife will be annoyed by that. Also, it will be nice to keep some equipment out there.

 

Any advice on pond fishing, tackle, techniques, etc. is appreciated.  Most of my bass fishing has been done on a couple 100 acre lake from a boat or a dock.  No bank fishing experience.

 

Thanks in advance!

I'd fish soft plastics (worms), and would fish them wacky style. So easy to set up, easy for kids to rig, and quite productive. Use standard colors like watermelon, green pumpkin, I like those with black and gold flakes, personally.

 

Bass Pro does have starter packages, as does Walmart if you're looking to buy the stuff in Phoenix as opposed to hauling it with you.

 

Also consider some floats (bobbers) and some catfish bait. If your kids land a cat, it'll be a fun fight. All this stuff can be had on the cheap at Walmart.

i wouldn't look at it any different really than your normal fishing except you will be focusing mainly on the shoreline structure.  Spinnerbaits are always nice because you can cover lots of water and they are easy for kids to learn too since they just have to cast and reel in, keeps them active.

 

I would also go with the soft plastics and even grab a tub of nightcrawlers and some hooks and bobbers and chuck it out here.  Might make it more fun for everyone because if there are big bass & catfish in there you could either catch some sunnies or the bass and catfish too.