Pond Vs Big Lake Or Reservoir

[CTGalloway21]

no comparing pond fishing to public river/lake fishing.  In a big lake, you have to locate fish, understand the water temps and conditions.  In a pond such as mine, I can cast toward the down tree anytime of the year and catch a fish.  

[lmbfisherman]

no comparing pond fishing to public river/lake fishing.  In a big lake, you have to locate fish, understand the water temps and conditions.  In a pond such as mine, I can cast toward the down tree anytime of the year and catch a fish.  

That last comment was for the other posters regarding private vs public.

 

Sorry to confuse or maybe I'm confused!  The ponds around me are a bit different...I can throw in those areas, but it maybe pike or bass.  I guess where you are, you don't have to worry much about the toothy critter!

[DaveT63]

I don't care whether it's a pond or a lake.  I just enjoy catching bass.  The more, and the bigger, the better.

[Master Bait'r]

The size of the body of water doesn't matter to me as much as it's remoteness or difficulty of access.  The harder it is to get to the more I want to fish it and the more challenge there is to get to it to even attempt to fish it.  I'm always down to drag the kayak through a half mile of brush to get to a pristine spot that looks promising and sometimes they are pretty darn big bodies of water too.  I've had so much fun discovering new places to go, and the fishing is always the best where the least amount of people go IMO- not just for the sake of catching big or plentiful fish, but more enjoying the day.  (The fish are always bigger and more plentiful too though)

 

 

Some of my favorite spots are barely visible from any road (or not at all), and are a heck of a bushwack to get to- but they always deliver.  I like being the only person who goes someplace for a lot of reasons.  I've spent countless hours on Google Maps too, calling DCR about this pond, that pond...  I've got a huge list going, and hardly any of these lakes are even really accessible by common standards so it's easy for people to say yes when you ask them.    

 

 

So yes and no.  It can be harder to fish a large body of water- but the access to said body of water can play into my pride factor as well.  If I dragged my kayak through a half mile of uphill brush and bagged a 5lber, you're darn skippy I'm happy with that.     

[RoLo]

So yall mean to tell me, If yall caught a 10 pounder in a farm pond yall wouldn't get all jacked up?? That's just crazy. I've caught big fish in lakes, rivers and farm ponds and with the exception of catching a giant on tournament day, they all get my blood pumping the same way. I have to admit, catching a big fish on tournament day is a little more exciting.

 

I don't know any bass angler who wouldn't be jacked-up by a trophy bass, in fact, that's a good reason right there to target private ponds 

However, the original poster wisely removed the 'joy' of catching a trophy bass from the equation.

The question raised was whether a 5 lber from a pond involves the same 'level of achievement' as one from a large reservoir.

I believe the answer hinges more on Private vs. Public, rather than Small vs. Large. In keeping with my reply above,

if a small pond is heavily fished by many anglers, it might be harder to find a 5-pounder there, versus a big sprawling lake.

The greater the lake's surface area and the heavier its cover, the more fishing pressure it can absorb (think Kissimmee & Okeechobee)

 

Roger

[primetime]

I find that Really Big Bass, and in Florida, I would consider that any Fish over 7lbs or over 23" to be more of an accomplishment in small ponds that are loaded with bait regardless if they get fishing pressure. I have several ponds I have found on Google Earth that are Full of Giant Shiners, Gizzard Shad, Crawfish, and Bluegills, and they all contain legit 10lb bass. I know I can toss in a giant 12" Shiner and catch a Lunker with ease, but to get a Large Bass to hit an artificial when so much bait is available is not as easy as I once thought it was. I can Catch all the 2-5lb fish with worms, jigs etc...But to get a fish over 7lbs is skill, feels great, and is an accomplishment in any body of water....half the battle is getting the fish to the shore which can be more challenging in a small 2 acre pond than in a boat where you have leverage and mobility and casting angles on your side.....Having to pitch a jig around bends and over obstacles to get a big fish to strike and then landed is a blast.

 

I often feel lost on big waters and I can understand why some would find farm ponds and retention pond fishing not as fulfilling. However, when a Giant breaks water, is on your line, you forget where you are at that moment and it feels great no matter where you are.....And the best part about a pond is that fact you can go back in a year and the fish are bigger.....Drives me nuts to fish for 2 hours without any big fish, then throw on a shiner and catch a monster within 30 seconds in the same water.....