Location: Northern California, Small Pond

Air Temperature: 50-55

Water Clarity: Clear

Sunny

 

The grass does not come all the way to the top of the water column. The pond is not very big at all. 

 

 

Thanks!!

maybe a punch bait?

20 minutes ago, fantasy19 said:

Location: Northern California, Small Pond

Air Temperature: 50-55

Water Clarity: Clear

Sunny

 

The grass does not come all the way to the top of the water column. The pond is not very big at all. 

 

 

Thanks!!

If you're going from shore, I'd probably overthink it and throw a drop shot/power shot on a baitcaster with braided main line, smaller offset hook, small buoyant plastic like a zman streakz. 

 

I'd probably also have a slender profile plastic t-rigged with a non-pegged bullet weight. As light as could get away with in cold water. T-rigged tube, 3-4" stick bait or similar that minimizes hangups.

 

In the cold, from shore, if the water temp is at least in the high 40s, I personally love slowly hopping a weedless 3.3 - 3.8 paddle tail on 1/0 Owner flashy swimmer.

 

Wish it was from a boat in warm water. Just flip a jig, swim a jig, punch a t-rig, or frog ?

A-Jay

7 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

maybe a punch bait?

 

I had the same thought today, but stuck with the bladed jig too long. Will probably give this a shot the next time I go. Thank you!

 

3 minutes ago, Fat Ika said:

If you're going from shore, I'd probably overthink it and throw a drop shot/power shot on a baitcaster with braided main line, smaller offset hook, small buoyant plastic like a zman streakz. 

 

I'd probably also have a slender profile plastic t-rigged with a non-pegged bullet weight. As light as could get away with in cold water. T-rigged tube, 3-4" stick bait or similar that minimizes hangups.

 

In the cold, from shore, if the water temp is at least in the high 40s, I personally love slowly hopping a weedless 3.3 - 3.8 paddle tail on 1/0 Owner flashy swimmer.

 

Wish it was from a boat in warm water. Just flip a jig, swim a jig, punch a t-rig, or frog ?

 

I am fishing from a dock. I tried drop shotting with my ML but it's just not efficient as it gets stuck a lot. Power Shot would be a great presentation to make sure the plastic gets to the bottom. I could do this on my MH easily. I like the light T-rig and paddle tail suggestion as well. I need to pick up some flashy swimmers because I do have different size Keitechs to do this with. Thanks!!

 

8 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

A-Jay

 

I have some punch rigs from @Siebert Outdoors that look similar to this and is definitely worth a shot. Thanks!!

T-Rigged worm or beaver type bait. 

I fish a tiny pond that fills up with grass like that in the spring.  It can really limit what you can use unless you want to pick your bait clean at the end of every cast.  T rigged plastics and swim jigs will come through it pretty well.  Just go with the lightest weight you can. 

Water temp?

Topwater, wakebait, weightless plastic, small casting jig or a swim jig.

2 hours ago, T-Billy said:

T-Rigged worm or beaver type bait. 

 

Thanks!!

 

2 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I fish a tiny pond that fills up with grass like that in the spring.  It can really limit what you can use unless you want to pick your bait clean at the end of every cast.  T rigged plastics and swim jigs will come through it pretty well.  Just go with the lightest weight you can. 

 

Thanks!!

 

2 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Water temp?

 

I'm not sure. I should probably purchase a thermometer so I have an idea. I've seen 1Rod do that fishing from the bank. 

 

1 hour ago, Bankbeater said:

Topwater, wakebait, weightless plastic, small casting jig or a swim jig.

 

Thanks!!

My first choice in nearly every pond I fish is either Ned or wacky finesse worm. Especially at first, I just want to get bit or see fish. These two baits will do that for me, then I can adjust from there. Next approach from the look of it would be finesse jig (Bitsy, Boo or Mango).

Weightless or near weightless paddletail or fluke and fish it like a quick jerkbait skimming the tops of the grass if you wanted to try something non punching. 

1/8 or 3/16 oz bullet weight unpegged 

 

3/0 straight shank round bend hook

 

Zoom's Ultravibe Speed Worm, watermelon neon 

 

Tail dipped in Chartreuse Garlic 

 

Don't force it through the grass, finesse it through the grass!

 

Spoon with a single hook

Zoom Fluke

Start off with a fluke to see if you get bit otherwise a Texas Rig worm with 1/8oz bullet sinker. Try not to rip the veg. It’s a finesse thing like many above me posted.

No need for long casts here either. You really don’t want your bait too horizontal.

 

EDIT: Captain Phil you beat me to it. ?

I would fish a fluke style soft bait rigged weedless and jerk it over the tops and down in the stuff. Also a floating worm might be good but swimming something like a SK Cut'r work could be effective because of the slim profile.

I would throw a weightless plastic for sure. Some type of worm or craw or beaver bait.

@A-Jay got it. I also throw a balsa crank and a t rigged worm. And a light t rigged almost Ned rig. I also throw a very light t rigged paddle tail on extremely light tackle to stay in a specific depth in the water column. I don’t know the place you are, but for me color selection on paddle tails in these types of situations makes a huge difference.

A Zoom Trick Worm or Finesse Worm. Maybe with a 1/16 oz bullet weight.

Welcome to the BR site.

The photo looks like the clumps of aquatic plants (Coontail?) are dying back. Dying plants use up dissolved oxygen so avoid this and target the darkest green plant areas. There lots of open water space between the clumps so I would use a wacky rigged 5” #301 or 330 Senko using 0wner Weedless Wacky jungle hook size 1. Slip shot rig with Roboworm MM111, drop shot wacky rig Jackall 4.8 watermelon candy Flick Shake worm and Catts 3/16 oz sliding  bullet weight T-rig. Might also give a buzz bait a try in the afternoon or+waking a floating jointed 5” J13 silver-black Rapala Minnow.

Tom

I fish a spot very similar to that. I normally start by throwing a topwater - either a Pompadour or a Whooper Plopper. If that doesn’t work I throw a weightless Fluke and/or paddle tail. Then I’ll go with either a drop shot or free rig. If all that fails I’ll toss a light punch rig. So basically I start from the top and work to the bottom, hiding the hook point in anything I’m throwing down in the muck to keep it weedless.  

Jerk bait... Something not deep like rapala or LC 78. 

Tokyo rig dragged across the top of it,

id tick the top of the grass with a weightless fluke style bait