I'm am gonna work a small pond for the rest of this fall/winter that I've fished in the past. This pond must be only an acre or so big and according to the owner has a 15ft hole. This pond has produced for me in the past with my PB largemouth coming out of there at 5.5 pounds (yeah I know don't laugh) so there are fish there and I'm sure a few that could push the 7 pound mark.

 

Anyway I want to use one of two methods I have been meaning to work more on - large swimbaits (6in) or jigs. I'm just not sure which one to settle on to use. My PB came on a jig but I was sight fishing and think she was on a bed so I was kinda cheating with the jig. 

 

What do yall recommend I use based on fishing a small pond situation this time of year? BTW I'm estimating the water temp to be upper 40's low to mid 50's right now and I'll be fishing from the bank.

Use both.

 

The jig is your bottom contact bait that can be slowly crept along the bottom, stopped and shook near good areas, and fished in heavy cover. The swimbait is your slow horizontal presentation that can be fished along edges, points, and near cover. Both are very good big fish baits in cold water. 

10 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Use both.

 

The jig is your bottom contact bait that can be slowly crept along the bottom, stopped and shook near good areas, and fished in heavy cover. The swimbait is your slow horizontal presentation that can be fished along edges, points, and near cover. Both are very good big fish baits in cold water. 

Ok thanks. Should I hop and pause or drag the jig? And Too many weeds (I'm assuming) to use football jigs so should I use casting jigs or flipping jigs?

You could nearly stand in 1 place and fish a 1 acre pound during the cold water period.

How many big bass can a 1 acre pond have? The answer is another question; how abundant is a renewable food source? Without food the bass will starve.

Before you select a lure you need to determine what those pond bass are eating to grow  big, because your lure should represent that type of prey. Crawdads are good protein but the bass would eat all of them is a short time period unless there is a stream running through this pond. Bluegill are common pond prey so a bluegill swimbait would be good, if this pond has a bluegill population.

During cold water period the bass will still roam the pond shoreline perimeter because terrestrial prey like mice and rats are a year around food source.

Jigs, big soft plastic worms and bluegill swimbait and rat wake bait should cover all the options.

Tom

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

You could nearly stand in 1 place and fish a 1 acre pound during the cold water period.

How many big bass can a 1 acre pond have? The answer is another question; how abundant is a renewable food source? Without food the bass will starve.

Before you select a lure you need to determine what those pond bass are eating to grow  big, because your lure should represent that type of prey. Crawdads are good protein but the bass would eat all of them is a short time period unless there is a stream running through this pond. Bluegill are common pond prey so a bluegill swimbait would be good, if this pond has a bluegill population.

During cold water period the bass will still roam the pond shoreline perimeter because terrestrial prey like mice and rats are a year around food source.

Jigs, big soft plastic worms and bluegill swimbait and rat wake bait should cover all the options.

Tom

Thanks Tom. Yes there are supposed gills in there according to the owner although I have never seen one. Not sure if there are any craws in there again I've never seen one plus it has a sandy bottom. I don't think there is a stream running into the pond but I could be wrong. As far as the size of the pond, I'm a city boy and I could be wrong about it being only one acre.  Those bass have been in there for years because I first started fishing there something like 12 or 13 years ago.

Drop shot would work with that sandy bottom. But keep the weight and lure closer, power shot is what I hear they are calling it. I fish a small pond, texas rig senkos work, slow presentation. Also, try a small swimbait, 2-3 inches, to search and locate the bass. If you can, borrow a kayak and get on the water. 

A football field including the end zones and side lines is about 1 acre, use that as an estimate to judge pond size.

When the water temps drop below 45 degrees the bass become very inactive and don't eat often, the metabolism is very low, but they do need to eat something. Slow in the face lure presentations are critical and the bass are suspended off the bottom. A slow sink hard bluegill swimbait is ideal. Slip shot finesse rig with 6" to 10" floating worms dragged along the bottom should catch bass in your pond year around. Jigs, 1/4 to 3/8 oz stand up style head with a 4" Chigger Craw type trailer that has some action at slower drop speeds and shaked dead sticked would be a good choice.

You need to try different presentations until something works.

Tom

5 hours ago, Caliyak said:

Drop shot would work with that sandy bottom. But keep the weight and lure closer, power shot is what I hear they are calling it. I fish a small pond, texas rig senkos work, slow presentation. Also, try a small swimbait, 2-3 inches, to search and locate the bass. If you can, borrow a kayak and get on the water. 

I've never drop shotted before and that is on my list of things to try/learn this season. I might give it a go a little later. Gonna wait to see if Santa brings me a float tube since I sold my last one like a fool. 

4 hours ago, WRB said:

A football field including the end zones and side lines is about 1 acre, use that as an estimate to judge pond size.

When the water temps drop below 45 degrees the bass become very inactive and don't eat often, the metabolism is very low, but they do need to eat something. Slow in the face lure presentations are critical and the bass are suspended off the bottom. A slow sink hard bluegill swimbait is ideal. Slip shot finesse rig with 6" to 10" floating worms dragged along the bottom should catch bass in your pond year around. Jigs, 1/4 to 3/8 oz stand up style head with a 4" Chigger Craw type trailer that has some action at slower drop speeds and shaked dead sticked would be a good choice.

You need to try different presentations until something works.

Tom

Ok thanks. Then I'd say 1.5 acres still small but with reportedly gills on the large size.