Recently, I was privileged to go out bass fishing ponds with Nick Sommer @sommerbassin. He taught me some invaluable lessons about catching bass out of ponds in the summer. Including things like the best baits to throw, and how to judge if a pond is worth your effort or not. Here are some things he relayed to me to help get you “Kraken” a few bass out of the local ponds in your area.

 
 
 
 

Bass Fishing Ponds

 
Finding a place to catch a bass  close to home before or after work can be a challenge. One of the best places to go is to your local pond. You can fish them relatively quick, and you might be blown away about what type of bass can be found in them. Nick Sommer took me out to hop a few local ponds, and he gave me some great suggestions of what baits to use to call the bass out of them. Plus, he relayed some info on what you should look for to know if there are even bass to catch out of the pond you are fishing.
 

Best Pond Bass Fishing Baits:

 
I asked Nick what his favorite baits were for bass fishing ponds, and here is the list of his top 3 baits to get those pond bass to bite.

Buzzbait:

Nick said, “I’ve caught bass out of a pond in January on a buzzbait.” The buzzbait of choice for him is anything black. He has found a 3/8oz black bladed and black skirted buzzbait seems to catch more fish than a lot of other colors. Primarily because a lot of ponds have really dingy dark water. The buzz on the top from the blade, and the dark contrast of the black helps those pond bass dial in on your bait and smack it.
 

Frog:

A frog, especially in summertime, can call up some big bass in your local pond. Ponds usually have frogs all around their banks, so it is a natural fit that pond bass would munch them. Nick’s frog of choice is the Jackall Iobee Frog. Nick said, “I like this frog because you can get it to walk really easily and nautrally across the water.” He likes to work his frog fast dancing from side to side. When I asked him why the fast retrieve? He said, “have you’ve ever seen a frog spooked in the water? When a frog hops in, they are moving all the time. I like to do the same on my retrieves.”
 

Jig:

Nick has caught a ton of bass on a 3/8 oz black and blue jig. He has caught so many he gets sick of fishing with it. He uses black and blue with a black and blue matching trailer. Ponds typically have dirty & stained water clarity, so black and blue is a really dark color to help those bass locate your jig. Nick also prefers an arkie head on his jig. The arkie head is the best of both worlds for pitching and going threw grass and brush. Plus, it works decent for crawling along the small rocks  fond in ponds. Throw your jig to were you think those bass are holding, and crawl it back to you along the bottom to get one to eat it.
 

Finding Ponds with Bass

Here are a couple things Nick taught me about knowing whether your pond has bass in it or not. The last thing anyone wants to do is spend there precious fishing hours chucking lures to an empty body of water. Hopefully these tricks can get you onto some secret honey holes quicker and closer to your home.
 

1. Move Fast!

I asked Nick how he decides whether there are fish in a particular pond or not. He said,”typically I only make 5 or 6 casts, and if I don’t get bit, see a swirl, or any type of activity I move on.” It’s easy to get sucked into throwing the kitchen sink at these small bodies of water. If they are there, they will bite. Move fast to locate fish, and if nothing happens then you move on.
 

2. Do Homework

There are a few different methods of doing homework on your local pond to see if it contains bass. Typically cities will stock urban fisheries with bass because they do so well in warmer water. Look up online your local division of wildlife, and see what they have listed. This list is a great place to start finding bass next to your home.

Another way to find bass is to look at google earth. If you know there is a lake that contains bass, look for canals, and other pools of water close by. Water flows in mysterious ways, and small bass fry can wind up anywhere in those little ponds of water. Try a few casts on these places, and if you don’t get hit move on.

Networking with other local anglers is an awesome way to find some bass. Talk to the people you see on the bank of the ponds, and ask them questions about the pond you are at. Such as, “what are you targeting?” Or, “what have you caught?” Ask people in the neighborhood if anyone has caught any fish in the lake next to them. It’s amazing what you can discover. Sometimes word of mouth can help you find some epic spots.

My pond hopping experience with Nick went something like this. Nick handed me his rod with a black buzzbait on it, and said make a few casts along here. I did and we busted a solid 2.5 pound bass out of this small pond. It was awesome. We landed 3 bass and had about 5 other strikes we missed. All in a short morning of fishing before work. He has those bass on speed dial. His tips and tricks truly worked for us.
 

 
Hopefully this get’s you stoked to go out and try some of your local ponds. Special thanks to Nick Sommer for taking me out early in the morning before work to crush a few bass, and giving us some knowledge to get “Kraken” bass. He has got the local ponds dialed. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog for more great tips on bass fishing, and give this post a share to help your friends catch some bass.

As Always,

Stay Stoked!
 
 
 

Gear to Use:

The following links are affiliate links were you can pick up baits, rod’s, reels, line, and everything else you would need to “Krak” some bass out of your local ponds. Krakenbass receives a small percentage of the sales through these links. I only use links to baits, and gear I have personally used and know work. I put these links to make them helpful for you, and not for the small amount I make for the sale of the products. I hope these products can help you “krak” some bass! Thank you for your support.

Baits, Gear & Tackle: