Fishing Challenge: What would you do?

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

OK, the challenge is a one acre pond. No idea what kind fish are in there, looks like there are some large carp, some minnows and another fish about 6" to 12"+ that slowly follow my bait but will not bite.

The hard part of this is you can only fish it at 5am 11am and 3pm. What would you take with you, how would you rig it, and when would you go. I want to catch these dang fish. The pink and green in the photo below are where the lily pads are. There is limited bank access around it due to tree cover. The first photo is what I was using yesterday afternoon.

Pond is is South Carolina

 

[Captain Ahab]

I assume that the pond is in SC?

Because LM Bass are very common in any permanent body of water (ie one that does not dry up) in this area i will do the following:

1. Determine depth of water - use a sensitive rod with a 1 oz weight and gauge fall time. Also, drag the weight to find structure like downed trees and such;

2. Use topwater in the early am and then go down the water column as the times get later in the day. Wacky rigged 4" senko is a killer on smaller bass and I would fish that hard around the weed edges and edges of the pond;

3. For the afternoon sessions i woudl start with suspending jerk baits and keep my eyes open for any tell tale signs of fish, swirls, bait and evidence of sunfish;

3. Stop fishing and start looking - slowly walk the pond looking for any signs of spawn beds and swimming fish. Concentrate on those areas;

4. Try a 'float and fly" using a 2.5" fin-s on a 1/16 oz jig head under a weighted float. Vary depth and motion (jig, slow retrieve and just casting and letting it sit). Again, this is not a normal lunker lure but will catch just about anything that swims so you get an idea on species. Do the same thing with a size 1 octopus hook and a slim wacky rigged soft plastic worm. Bass love it!


Also, carp are great fun - chum an area with corn several days in a row until they start feeding there then use a small weight and size 6 or 8 hook with a few kernals in the midst of the chum. Hang on as they really fight well

 

[brmurray]

telephone box and wire to shock'um up! LOL :LOL2:

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

So lunch time today 11:00am to 12:00pm I tried using honeybun with grass to test the carp theory on a #8 I think it was. I forgot and left my moldy wheat bread at my desk.

I ran into another fellow out there today and he had crickets. No luck for this fellow either. He heard there where some bass in there from some guy and thought he would check it out on his way to work. I work next door to this and this is the first sign on life I have seen over there on 2 legs walking upright.

So next comes the 3pm hour. Going to toss a frog in the lilly pads. I am running light 4# or 6# line on a small spinner 4.5' pole so what ever it is, is going to be fun.

The looks in the office today walking out at lunch with a fishing poll where priceless.

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

I'd try a natural color weightless worm

have a few ponds like that around here and the bass wont even think about touching it if it doesnt look 100% like what their used to eating

 

[KMixson]

I would use Georgia wigglers on a bobber setup and use a small hook at 11AM.

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

I would use Georgia wigglers on a bobber setup and use a small hook at 11AM.

please explain...

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

pond

 

[KMixson]

I would use Georgia wigglers on a bobber setup and use a small hook at 11AM.

please explain...

Georgia wigglers(aka red wigglers) are small worms that squirms like crazy when hooked. Bait them on a small hook and place a bobber on the line. Cast it out and wait. That will give the fish some movement and the smell of food. It will also give them some time to make up their mind if they are going to bite it or not. A lot of types of fish eat worms like bass, bream, catfish, and others. That way you can tell what is in the pond.

As for the time, I like early morning but 5AM is a little too early for that type of fishing for my preference. You can catch fish at that time but sunup seems to be when they come alive from my experience. I also like the time just before sundown in larger bodies of water. Dawn and dusk are my favorites. 11AM seems to be a good time since the water has not heated up too high as of yet. The temp. in a 1 acre pond can rise quickly in the summer heat.

 

[sum-kina]

that things gotta hold some fish! atleast a buck bass....
i know theres some bream and minnows in there, its gotta hold a bass for sure!
is there a creek fillin it?
does it ever get low when theres no rain?

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

that things gotta hold some fish! atleast a buck bass....
i know theres some bream and minnows in there, its gotta hold a bass for sure!
is there a creek fillin it?
does it ever get low when theres no rain?

There is a small stream. more of a trickle at the moment. Water level never gets much lower then it is now. If the depth of the pond is based on the depth of the earthen dam then 15' minimum. The damn goes down about 25' there is an overflow to the side that feeds into a larger creek, there is still water in it so there must still be enough water coming in.

This may at one time have been a stocked pond, non of us are sure, the land was donated to the local college by a man who cut his family out of his will, there is a dock, and a small island, there are remnants of what might of at one time been no hunting or fishing signs around the pond. In the past the only access to this would have been his driveway, and a walking trail to his company near by. No one would have never known it was there.

There are carp, I heard the buggers sucking the surface while there for the 2 hours this afternoon. Used a 4" pumpkin lizard with a swivel and a hook, no weight. Had 2 BIG HARD STRIKES but nothing more afterwards. I also witnessed large wake from something hitting near the shore. Heard the splash but never seen it.

I will get something out of here. I am just for the sake of fishing it going to start putting some corn on the water at 11am to see if I can get them used to feeding, the carp anyway. I witnessed something VERY large swim across the pond on the shallow end. Left a trail of small ripples as it made it's pass into the Lillie's.

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

I would use Georgia wigglers on a bobber setup and use a small hook at 11AM.

please explain...

Georgia wigglers(aka red wigglers) are small worms that squirms like crazy when hooked. Bait them on a small hook and place a bobber on the line. Cast it out and wait. That will give the fish some movement and the smell of food. It will also give them some time to make up their mind if they are going to bite it or not. A lot of types of fish eat worms like bass, bream, catfish, and others. That way you can tell what is in the pond.

As for the time, I like early morning but 5AM is a little too early for that type of fishing for my preference. You can catch fish at that time but sunup seems to be when they come alive from my experience. I also like the time just before sundown in larger bodies of water. Dawn and dusk are my favorites. 11AM seems to be a good time since the water has not heated up too high as of yet. The temp. in a 1 acre pond can rise quickly in the summer heat.

Red worms, will try them Thursday, that way I can keep them alive for the weekend. 5am is a little early for me so might not get out there much around that time till the sun starts coming up a little earlier. Kinda spooky out there at that hour.

 

[BaitCaster]

Worm and bobber!

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

Today I seeded with corn for the carps. Getting some red worms tonight since I will be over by the bait shop. Red worms will be used on Thursdays lunch excursion.

I have a small 7" snake in my freezer wonder if that would work. :lol:

 

[riverrat]

Tie on a wacky worm and catch some bass.

Forget about the carp :LOL2: .

 

[tony302]

During the hours of darkness I would use a black jointed or non jointed Arbogast jitterbug. If there's bass in there, this lure will find them. During daylight hours keep it simple by using a white Berkley powerbait 2" power grub at various lengths under a weighted bobber. You'll definately find the pan fish with that set-up. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

So far we are not fairing to well. Still have not caught a fish. Although I have managed to break my fishing pole right in the middle Thursday. Rigged it back together with some fishing line. It held up for friday but snapped again yesterday after being out there 5 minutes. I brought my baitcaster today, as long as the rain holds out I will be back out there again.

 

[jkbirocz]

May I ask why you have a 7" snake in your freezer? or is that something I just wouldn't want to know :?

 

[ihavenoideawhattoput]

May I ask why you have a 7" snake in your freezer? or is that something I just wouldn't want to know :?

My 3 year old ran over it in the driveway with his wiggle car

So we put it in a ziplock and stuck it in the shop freezer to use as bait for something oneday.

 

[nathanielrthomas]

May I ask why you have a 7" snake in your freezer? or is that something I just wouldn't want to know :?

My 3 year old ran over it in the driveway with his wiggle car

So we put it in a ziplock and stuck it in the shop freezer to use as bait for something oneday.

Gotta love the south....you'd fit right in in Alabama where Im from.. 8)