To say I haven’t hooked a thing on a Ned rig would be untrue. I’ve probably hooked about 975 lbs of muck. Is a Ned rig basically incompatible with ponds? 

I think you’ll have to keep it off bottom. I don’t use a “ned rig” proper but I put worms on jigheads. Also, I’ve probably not fished many ponds like the one you fish in, I thought I remembered you saying it was only 7 feet deep?? About the only pond I fish is a rock quarry that is “????” deep but worms on jigheads work well there.  I imagine a pond only 7 feet deep is full on junk, if you insist on the ned you’ll have to swim it along constantly. I would just offerings that are more weedless, shakey head could possibly work but I would fish something like that with a weedless plastic worm without a sinker 

If you fish it on the bottom it is incompatible with most wood and soft cover.  With a light head and a crank-n-glide retrieve, you can fish it most anywhere.  For me the limiting factor is the mid-column cover, I fish the Ned on light tackle and have to be careful around spots where a bass can bury itself before I can move it out and up.  

You can minimize the amount snagging grass by using the lightest weight possible and or using ewg ned heads with the smallest hook possible. 

I almost always swim it and keep it off bottom..minimizes the weed contact.

51 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I think you’ll have to keep it off bottom. I don’t use a “ned rig” proper but I put worms on jigheads. Also, I’ve probably not fished many ponds like the one you fish in, I thought I remembered you saying it was only 7 feet deep?? About the only pond I fish is a rock quarry that is “????” deep but worms on jigheads work well there.  I imagine a pond only 7 feet deep is full on junk, if you insist on the ned you’ll have to swim it along constantly. I would just offerings that are more weedless, shakey head could possibly work but I would fish something like that with a weedless plastic worm without a sinker 

7’ about it. Even a shakey head gets fouled quick. Weightless TR or a small 1/8 or 3/16 tungsten bullet weight can be fished without getting too much junk. Anything bigger and it’s a disaster. 
 

My success this year has dropped like a rock compared to last year and I’m trying to use new presentations. But it’s a chore keeping the baits clear. I fished a swim jig (no bites though) this evening without a problem. Jigs on the bottom is a fool’s errand. 

Use a 1/15-1/20oz ShroomZ head. Don't use 1/10 or larger. It will sink too fast and get mucked up. Shake, glide, swim, and retrieve it all at once. Basically just fast enough to keep it from touching bottom. This will take practice but once you get it you'll be glad you did. It's one of my top producers in shallow mucky ponds. 

I mostly fish ponds because it’s easier for me to read and obviously cover in my kayak. Just stick with the good old GYCB senko WR. It’s a tough bait to beat in ponds. 

1/8oz is a massive Ned head in my box. 

 

1/16oz and don't let it hit bottom. They work great in ponds provided there isn't tons of moss or thick vegetation. I fish mine around wood all the time with no weedguard and few hangups. 

40 minutes ago, David 7 said:

Just stick with the good old GYCB senko WR. It’s a tough bait to beat in ponds. 

Even that has slacked off a lot. And that’s a surprise. 

2 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Even that has slacked off a lot. And that’s a surprise. 

I hear ya, we’re in the dog days of summer. But fall is coming soon! There’s always night crawlers when all else fails ? 

Nah. That’s nothing but turtle bait!

1 hour ago, David 7 said:

I mostly fish ponds because it’s easier for me to read and obviously cover in my kayak. Just stick with the good old GYCB senko WR. It’s a tough bait to beat in ponds. 

 

27 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Even that has slacked off a lot. And that’s a surprise. 

I fish some ponds that Senkos don't work at all, period. The Senko has been over fished for years and the bass have learned better.

Lighter weedless head should help. Or fish a fluke.

 

7 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

7’ about it. Even a shakey head gets fouled quick. Weightless TR or a small 1/8 or 3/16 tungsten bullet weight can be fished without getting too much junk. Anything bigger and it’s a disaster. 
 

My success this year has dropped like a rock compared to last year and I’m trying to use new presentations. But it’s a chore keeping the baits clear. I fished a swim jig (no bites though) this evening without a problem. Jigs on the bottom is a fool’s errand. 

Do you have to fish the same pond all the time? 

Ned kills it in ponds around here, especially if you are creative with rigging and retrieve options. Caught over 50 this past week walking ponds in 3 trips, all on Ned. The advice to go lighter in jighead weight is solid - I almost never go more than 1/16 oz. in ponds unless I know I’ve got clean bottom. 

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Do you have to fish the same pond all the time? 

Fair question. There’s over 40 ponds I can fish in my area, and while I haven’t fished them all, this one is the best I’ve fished by far. I was doing great all last year up in 2021 up until May, then it really slowed. A bad day of 3 bass is now a good day. Lake Conroe is about 25 minutes away but my inflatable is a little small for a big lake. Lake Raven is over 200 ac and about an hour away. I may have to try there.  

8 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Fair question. There’s over 40 ponds I can fish in my area, and while I haven’t fished them all, this one is the best I’ve fished by far. I was doing great all last year up in 2021 up until May, then it really slowed. A bad day of 3 bass is now a good day. Lake Conroe is about 25 minutes away but my inflatable is a little small for a big lake. Lake Raven is over 200 ac and about an hour away. I may have to try there.  

I get in a rut sometimes of fishing my local pond just because its close and convenient. Also it usually produces at least a few...don't think I've been skunked since March or April. That said its still good experience different bodies of water and stretch your legs so to speak. A few weeks back I got a good report from a buddy about a pond 30ish minutes from my door. My local was tough so I went to that other pond and had a good morning. Since then I've changed my approach on my local pond..and have had a couple very productive mornings.

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

Fair question. There’s over 40 ponds I can fish in my area, and while I haven’t fished them all, this one is the best I’ve fished by far. I was doing great all last year up in 2021 up until May, then it really slowed. A bad day of 3 bass is now a good day. Lake Conroe is about 25 minutes away but my inflatable is a little small for a big lake. Lake Raven is over 200 ac and about an hour away. I may have to try there.  

 

52 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

I get in a rut sometimes of fishing my local pond just because its close and convenient. Also it usually produces at least a few...don't think I've been skunked since March or April. That said its still good experience different bodies of water and stretch your legs so to speak. A few weeks back I got a good report from a buddy about a pond 30ish minutes from my door. My local was tough so I went to that other pond and had a good morning. Since then I've changed my approach on my local pond..and have had a couple very productive mornings.

I should probably just stop reading and commenting on these pond threads because we literally have nothing like what you guys are describing anywhere near my area. There aren’t many ponds around here and there are very close to zero ponds that are open to the public for fishing

 

The only ponds I’ve ever fished in my entire life were buddies cow ponds or on a golf course and golf course talk is a no no on here 

2 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

I get in a rut sometimes of fishing my local pond just because its close and convenien

That’s probably me to a tee. The temp gauge doesn’t even move a mm from my driveway to the pond. 
 

It just stinks that until recently, I was killing it there. I regularly caught 2, 3 and 4 lb’ers, a 5 every now and then and my PB between 6 and 7 lbs. Now it’s Dink Central, and even that is maybe 2-3 bass in five or six hours. It’s all C&R so the numbers aren’t being depleted, and I’d say pressure is less this year than last. It’s definitely a puzzle. 

How has the weather been there rain wise? Is the pond higher or lower than normal? The reason I ask is we have been in a drought for over a year...the ponds and River are maybe the lowest I've ever seen. This completely changes my approach.

Had a lot of rain and high water in late spring. Lately the water level has dropped, but maybe only 6” or so. 

19 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

Jigs on the bottom is a fool’s errand. 

 

Maryland marsh ponds are easily 75% of my fishing, so muck bottoms are all I know.  If you have not already, try a DS rig with a very short dropper line, like 9-12".  From the bank the plastic will either skim the bottom or be an inch or two above it.  A t-rigged 6" Robo and a 1/8 to 3/16oz weight will cast well on heavier line but will be light enough to not get fouled too badly.  I fish it cast-n-crank, stopping to shake when I hit something solid or snag the weight.  

 

The best part of this presentation is that sometimes the weight snags and while I am shanking/pulling to try and free it, a helpful bass will swim over and do the job for me.  

2 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

 

Maryland marsh ponds are easily 75% of my fishing, so muck bottoms are all I know.  If you have not already, try a DS rig with a very short dropper line, like 9-12".  From the bank the plastic will either skim the bottom or be an inch or two above it.  A t-rigged 6" Robo and a 1/8 to 3/16oz weight will cast well on heavier line but will be light enough to not get fouled too badly.  I fish it cast-n-crank, stopping to shake when I hit something solid or snag the weight.  

 

The best part of this presentation is that sometimes the weight snags and while I am shanking/pulling to try and free it, a helpful bass will swim over and do the job for me.  

This sounds like something a fish wizard would do 

I like a ned on rock bottom. If that soft I'd throw a Texas rigged whatever.