hello all..great forum!

i have a question..i found several ponds that are VERY, VERY hard to get to and you need a SMALL boat to fish them (my 14ft is TOO BIG) or the bank..well, i started using the bank and have spotty luck in the fish i have caught..mostly 1-2 lb smallies BUT i am told there are some BIG FISH in these ponds and some BIG LARGEMOUTHS as well..any suggestion how to fish for them effectively from the bank and what lures?

since i am fishing from the bank, a top water, buzzbait, VERY SHALLOW crank or spinner seems to be in order..from this forum, i saw that the jitterbug in black was a "go to" for many people and it seemed to be a bait for this type of fishing so i bought one and my first time out, i caught 8 bass in various size in the 2.5 range..a big step up and i was VERY, VERY impressed!

the water varies from 2-15 feet (some areas drop straight down) and from SLOP around the edges out a good ways to clear water with heavy undergrowth of hydrillia (about a foot under the water top)..

any and all suggestions will be tried!

can't believe i waited this long to be a bass fisherman!

thanks..

Get off the bank with a float tube.  

i am in south carolina and the two 12 foot gators i saw, said the same thing... hmmmm

Welcome aboard!

I would not fish there by myself. You need a partner to fish remote areas, especially when you know there are gators and probably lots of snakes.

Regarding fishing the pond: I would fish the entire pond until you determine that some parts are just never productive. As you fish them over time, you will learn more about the underwater structure and specific spots that are particularly interesting. I fish parallel to the bank, near or in (on) structure and cover. I generally fish out from the bank five to 15 yards where bass may be staging throughout the day. Soft plastics are my forte, specifically Fat Ika (weightless), Senko (weightless) and Gitzits (T-rigged).

Gators AND smallies. Wow. I'd stick to spinnerbaits and worms. Topwaters in the morning, evening, and anytime it looks like there's a topwater bite going on regardless of the time of day.

Prog

i am in south carolina and the two 12 foot gators i saw, said the same thing... hmmmm

Yeah, float tubes aren't selling too well down here either... ;D

Then don 't get a float tube.

Get a canoe.... ;D

Also get some senkos, creatures, cabin fever, and uh..spinnerbait.

First WELCOME ABOARD 8-)Second get a float tube and put a depth charger on the back that may help with the gators!!!!!!!!

  Try some weedless and weightless texas rigged worms and lizards works in the ponds up here in NE PA

smallies in that kind of a pond sounds weird to me.  ive never seen that.  i didnt think that smallmouth could survive in very smal, warm ponds.  anyhow in the ponds i fish in va similar to that RW is dead on.  senkos and fat ikas are the ticket.  good luck

matt