Farm Ponds

The country at night is incredibly quiet and dark. You can hear a frog rippling the surface and the tiniest mouse move along the bank. A feeding bass will make your heart skip, particularly if it’s feeding on your Jitterbug. Because ponds are so quiet at night, lures that land on the surface of the water attract the attention of fish nearby, including hungry largemouth bass.

Cast a prop bait or chugger into the shallows and let it sit until the splash rings have dissipated. Then let it sit some more. If a bass hasn’t taken it by then, twitch it a few times. If nothing happens, pop the lure across the surface, flicking the rod tip and making the lure dart forward a few inches, making an audible pop or gurgle that sends bubbles flying.

Then let it sit again. Continue the popping and splashing along the shoreline. Cast into deeper water and repeat the retrieve. It won’t be long before a bass attacks.

With a Jitterbug, start wiggling it a few times to create a surface wake. If that doesn’t produce a strike, try retrieving it rapidly for a yard or so, making it “jitter” across the surface. The idea is to get the bass’s attention. Make the bass want the lure, then increase retrieve speed so the bass thinks escape is eminent. Be ready for a heart-stopping hit.

Another deadly nighttime lure is a 9- to 10-inch floating plastic worm with the hook embedded Texas-style, but with no weight. This lure resembles a baby snake swimming across the water in the darkness, an irresistible trigger, at times. Think snake as you retrieve the worm, and make it swim as seductively as possible, parallel and over logs or other cover. When a bass grabs it, wait to feel the fish’s weight, then set the hook hard and hang on. Buzzbaits are effective at night if retrieved fast enough to make the blades sputter loudly, creating a trail of bubbles in the water.

Find and get permission to fish forgotten farm ponds and you’ll wish you’d tried it 20 years ago. The farm pond owner may ask you to release all bass, or he may want a couple for a meal. If you’re after a trophy for the wall, get permission to kill one in advance, or release it and order a replica. Obtain permission to fish a number of nearby farm ponds to avoid overfishing one particular pond. After a few seasons, you’ll find activity trends that will help you choose the best one for tomorrow.

*Tom Keith, is a freelance writer from Bennett, Nebraska.