Just had to exchange a reel due to manufacture defect and had another one that I hung up at the very end of my last trip and had to break off. I find myself tying on two lures without knowing when I will be out again. I've done this multiple times this winter as we have had intermittent nice weekends allowing me unexpected trips out. I tend to take 3-4 rods from the truck with me on the walk to the pond. I've noticed something. Many of my favorite lures are remarkably...the same, despite their differences. Bear in mind, the ponds I typically fish have issues with the snot-style moss just a few feet below the surface and very little structure or cover. As such, crankbaits, squarebills, even jerkbaits, depending on the time of the year, are simply non-starters due to being slime-salad wrapped almost instantly. Lipless crankbaits are ok as long as I keep them moving.

 

I find I tend to often pre-tie:

LCB

Fluke

H2O Express swimbaits

Chatterbait

Jerkbait

 

All of these lures do have their obvious differences, yet, they present a very similar profile of a shad. As I look through my tacklebox, I realize most of it is the same. I haven't been throwing a spinnerbait as often this year, but, really, it's the same. Some of them, like the H2O Express swimbaits, the jerkbait and the fluke, the difference is quite minor. Two are hard-body and the other soft, but even the movements are reminiscent of each other.

 

It really makes me question if I have been as thorough in my efforts as I should be. I have started taking a ned rig out lately. I have avoided that and senko/dropshot/worms/jigs due to no obvious structure/cover to target and I don't know the ponds well enough to go that slow and have much success.

 

Am I missing some obvious variety I should be adding?

How do you select a variety that you pre-tie, thinking you may start out with if you don't have the water mapped out and you're bank fishing?

On a pond I will always start with a weightless senko. You don't need cover to fish it weightless. Make some long cast with a c rig and you might be surprised with what you find.

The problem is, the casts would be completely random. The retrieve would have to be very slow. For me to have any chance a finding them, it would have to be considerably lucky or an all day event with the one bait. At least that's the way it felt when I first started out at one of these ponds. Senko was precisely the first bait I threw at the first of the three ponds I frequent. I just wasn't able to stick with it, due to how slowly I was covering water with no luck.

I think the frog is my favorite slimy or weedy pond lure. But I understand your frustration, the pond on my parents land is just like the slime you described, I threw a fluke in it for a year and now am just tired of them

Top water, frogs and buzzbaits excel in ponds. Depending on how close to the surface your "slime" problem is you could also try a spook/topwater walking bait. As long as the treblea don't snag that gunk you might be surprised how aggressively the bass will attack them, makes for a fun day. And don't be afraid to stick with one bait all day. I do it all the time. Sometimes committing to a certain presentation can pay huge dividends. The trick is knowing when enough is enough

4 hours ago, Czorn said:

On a pond I will always start with a weightless senko. You don't need cover to fish it weightless. Make some long cast with a c rig and you might be surprised with what you find.

May I add you make it a "wacky Senko" and throw it everywhere.

The "slime" tends to be about 2-5 feet below the surface. Topwater would not have an issue with it. However,  I've only been hitting these ponds since about September. I learned of them in possibly the reverse order I would like.

 

First pond - high traffic, in a park with a lot of activities, e.g. softball/basketball/jogging/etc.

Second - big and secluded, but, seemingly low population of bass

Third - Actually two ponds side by side, one small and one in between size of the first two and practically untouched. Residential ponds treated and a very odd dark blue water from the chemicals (I catch and release only).

 

The third pond has definitely produced more and I have been fishing it like two months less than the other two. Which means I discovered it around November. The time of the year just hasn't seemed right to throw topwater. On the first and second ponds, I did try whopper-plopper and buzzbaits due to it still being (late) fall.

 

Now, I have heard on ponds that do not have significant depth, topwater can work year-round. Maybe I should commit more to it.

Im not sure what everyone else has found but really in ponds, I can catch them on top water year round. They don't seem to conform to the natural seasonal patterns as much as lake bass

8 hours ago, bowhunter22 said:

Im not sure what everyone else has found but really in ponds, I can catch them on top water year round. They don't seem to conform to the natural seasonal patterns as much as lake bass

How cold do your ponds get in the winter? What temp is it now? They don't freeze over?

5 hours ago, All Day Fishing said:

How cold do your ponds get in the winter? What temp is it now? They don't freeze over?

Yeah I'm in iowa and they freeze over, the top water bite slows way down. So I guess I should have said I can catch them on frogs when ever the water is open

There is video of bass cracking ice striking at topwater... pretty telling