I fish a lot in my neighborhood pond and catch a good amount of bass but how can I maximize the amount and size of bass going into summer? 

Senko

What size and color?

numbers? a senko. quality? throw a large bluegill imitator

1 hour ago, Seth flowers said:

What size and color?

5”. #956

7 hours ago, EWREX said:

numbers? a senko. quality? throw a large bluegill imitator

What he said

describe the pond .

I think I’d take a solid black 5” senko anywhere. 

On 5/19/2022 at 2:40 PM, EWREX said:

numbers? a senko. quality? throw a large bluegill imitator

Agreed.  For numbers, you can't really beat a senko, but I catch most of my bigger fish on other baits.  10" PowerWorm is one of them.  6" Magdraft Freestyle another.  Savage Gear pulsetail works great.  A big frog.  A jig.

 

If I had to use one to catch a big fish or my life is on the line it'd be the magdraft during the summer

8 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I think I’d take a solid black 5” senko anywhere. 

I’ve used a lot of Senkos in various colors, but never black. Strange, as a blackberry Jelly Worm is a good producer. I am going to have to get some black Senkos. 

Since the OP didn't give any details about the pond, i.e. the type of forage, vegetation ect.

I'll toss this in here. If you have bluegill that are the bass mainstay, a small bluegill lure such as the Mattlures gill will produce.

I've had very good luck using them in my local ponds for years.

6 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

I am going to have to get some black Senkos

#1 bait for size last year. Kind of unfair though because I often threw them in a muddy farm pond (profile pic) that holds small numbers of very nice bass. Black is their favorite color senko in that pond.  But I’ve used black senkos in anywhere from crystal clear to muddy. They work really really good. Favorite color of senko. 

2 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

#1 bait for size last year. Kind of unfair though because I often threw them in a muddy farm pond (profile pic) that holds small numbers of very nice bass. Black is their favorite color senko in that pond.  But I’ve used black senkos in anywhere from crystal clear to muddy. They work really really good. Favorite color of senko. 

I’m anxious to try them. I catch bass on many Senko colors, but in my pond, #956 is tops by far. Yet that blackberry Jelly Worm (which is black) is a great producer as well. What’s your best presentation? Texas rig (weightless or weighted), wacky rig or other? 

34 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

What’s your best presentation? Texas rig (weightless or weighted), wacky rig or other? 

Weightless Texas rig pretty much always. The hook used seems to make a difference. Most of the time I seem to do better on a lighter hook. I like the 3/0 owner twistlocks that were kinda designed for senkos. 
 

I fish them roadwarrior style, referencing his “guaranteed to catch bass”. I just don’t fish them quite as slow. Slow rod lift once on bottom, and then slack line fall. Pauses for anywhere between 3-4 seconds and 30 seconds. 

This is what is working for me right now:

 

Rage Structure Bug

Rage Baby Craw

GYCB Kreature

If you have Bluegill/Bream/ Punpkinseed on beds...these 3 baits get hammered often in ponds I fish during that period. No specialized gear needed. A HF rod rated to 1 1/2ozs and a reel spooled with 20lb Berkeley Big Game mono will do the trick quite nicely.

 

Black Dog Baits Shellcracker G2

Jackall Gantarel Jr.

Beast Coast Miyagi Swimmer/ Owner Beast Hook 1/4oz Weighted.

 

 

 

6" grape colored, weightless, straight tail plastic worm.

13 hours ago, PhishLI said:

If you have Bluegill/Bream/ Punpkinseed on beds...these 3 baits get hammered often in ponds I fish during that period. No specialized gear needed. A HF rod rated to 1 1/2ozs and a reel spooled with 20lb Berkeley Big Game mono will do the trick quite nicely.

 

Black Dog Baits Shellcracker G2

Jackall Gantarel Jr.

Beast Coast Miyagi Swimmer/ Owner Beast Hook 1/4oz Weighted.

 

 

 

That’s a great recommendation. Gotta say, I’m saving this post. 

Thanks for all the feedback, sorry for not describing vegetation, algae isn’t horrible but it’s not great right now..

7 minutes ago, Seth flowers said:

Thanks for all the feedback, sorry for not describing vegetation, algae isn’t horrible but it’s not great right now..

The Gambler Big EZ is a more weedless swimbait option. I have some in Forty-Niner (gold) because we have shiners. But they have several bluegill colors if you prefer.

A GP or Blugill colored swimjig work really well for the bigger fish when they start to guard fry.  

Top small waters baits for me in texas summers, for big fish. In no particular order

-Senko, slowwww. On outside weed edges and near wood.

-Chatterbait, especially in the evenings, slow rolled just over the bottom.

-Buzzbait

-And this thing, which is by livetarget so it isn't supposed to work but, it does. Specifically in the 3.5" version. I think it matches the hatch really well. 

 

 

And a 3.8" Keitech in bluegill flash on an owner 3/0 flashy swimmer underspin if you just want to catch fish. Weedless, can drag across mats, fish it on the bottom like a worm, etc. 

 

Popper, 5" senko whacky rigged, frog....pretty much covers everything.  Most ponds have bream as forage, these should work well.

When it comes to bass fishing nothing beats catching a big bass on a topwater.

On 5/21/2022 at 1:40 AM, Hammer 4 said:

Since the OP didn't give any details about the pond, i.e. the type of forage, vegetation ect.

I'll toss this in here. If you have bluegill that are the bass mainstay, a small bluegill lure such as the Mattlures gill will produce.

I've had very good luck using them in my local ponds for years.

There is vegetation, there used to be a ton on the top but now there’s a good amount on the bottom. I’m pretty sure there’s no shad in it so I’m assuming they probably feed off bluegill because I know they’re in there but I’m not sure. The water is kind of stained but not quite muddy, if that helps with anything. Thanks!

On 5/21/2022 at 1:40 AM, Hammer 4 said:

Since the OP didn't give any details about the pond, i.e. the type of forage, vegetation ect.

I'll toss this in here. If you have bluegill that are the bass mainstay, a small bluegill lure such as the Mattlures gill will produce.

I've had very good luck using them in my local ponds for years.

There is vegetation, there used to be a ton on the top but now there’s a good amount on the bottom. I’m pretty sure there’s no shad in it so I’m assuming they probably feed off bluegill because I know they’re in there but I’m not sure. The water is kind of stained but not quite muddy, if that helps with anything. Thanks!

On 5/19/2022 at 9:43 PM, scaleface said:

describe the pond .

There is vegetation, there used to be a ton on the top but now there’s a good amount on the bottom. I’m pretty sure there’s no shad in it so I’m assuming they probably feed off bluegill because I know they’re in there but I’m not sure. The water is kind of stained but not quite muddy, if that helps with anything. Thanks!