So I've been fishing this pond my family owns for quite some time... and lately the past few months the bite has been SLOW... like MAYBE 5-6 fish a piece on an EXCELLENT day out there. The size of the fish is great, probably average 2.5 pounds at least, with at least a 4-5 pounder or two on a good day. 

 

I've tried worms, creature baits, spinner baits, crankbaits, senkos.....of different variety with no better luck. Now we have taken out plenty of fish out there so the little ones don't take over... but its a 14 acre pond and I KNOW we have plenty of fish out there. There is loads of structure out there as well. I am currently considering buying a fish finder so I can map out the pond a little better as I forget where we had originally put all of the structure in the middle of the pond. 

 

Anyone have ANY ideas or recommendations, things to try? As a sidenote, its not just me not catching many fish either..... many have gone out with me and otherwise and still.... the bite is very slow. 

5-6 good size fish...be happy.

5-6 good size fish...be happy.

 

Thats on like, the BEST day of fishing there though. Over a period of about 6 hours.

On average, I'd say 3 fish over about 5 hours

Jig & Pig on the structure or Chatterbait w/ trailer!

How long as it been slow like you describe?

I guess around April. The only thing I can attribute it to is putting pond fertilizer in shortly before I noticed. Just doesn't make sense to me that it would screw up the fishing

Try fishing Finesse techniques like drop shot rigs,tubes,Wacky rigs etc.

April?? Wheres your location? Did you fertilize it right after ice out? Possible you had a big winterkill and you dont have as many fish now??? Theres an explanation for it... either ur just not catching as many as usual or there are not as many fish present...

In my secret pond that I tear-em-up in...the weeds are super thick now. I've been doing really well on a weightless Senko and top frogs. Both fished very slowly.

I caught a crap ton on a Live Target mini mouse too.

A guy I talked to at bps was buying 3" dark purple grubs, 1/4 oz jig heads, and jig spinners to make his own version of a beetle spin. He said if they don't bite on that at his pond, they ain't biting.

April?? Wheres your location? Did you fertilize it right after ice out? Possible you had a big winterkill and you dont have as many fish now??? Theres an explanation for it... either ur just not catching as many as usual or there are not as many fish present...

 

I'm in GA. 

Lol ok then no ice out... idk??? Maybe take a aqua veiw type camera if the waters clear enough and try to determine if the fish are still present.. from what u describe i would say the fish population has declined wether it be the bass or maybe a forage species has increased and they are not as hungry as they have been in the past...

Lol ok then no ice out... idk??? Maybe take a aqua veiw type camera if the waters clear enough and try to determine if the fish are still present.. from what u describe i would say the fish population has declined wether it be the bass or maybe a forage species has increased and they are not as hungry as they have been in the past...

 

I think that may be part of the problem. There are TONS of baitfish in that pond, walking along the banks you see tons of minnows. Shad schooling all over the pond all day. Fishing off the dock for bream you will catch one as fast as you drop a line in. 

Fish are smart animals. They probably got use to the artificial bait and are better at telling what is fake. Have you tried to go out and use live bait this year?

Fish are smart animals. They probably got use to the artificial bait and are better at telling what is fake. Have you tried to go out and use live bait this year?

 

Haven't tried live bait. Never tried with bass before

Take some worms and minnows out next time you go and see if that makes a difference