best 13 bass lures for pond fishing – Sarasota Fishing Charters

Best 13 Bass Fishing Lures in Ponds This article will list the best 13 bass lures for pond fishing. Ponds require a slight change in tactics. While the same basic styles of lures produce, successful anglers scale down their offerings a bit. Bass are usually a bit spookier in smaller waters. Lighter baits result in a more delicate and quiet presentation. Here are the best 13 bass fishing lures in ponds; 4” Yamamoto Senko Johnson Beetlespin Arbogast Hula Popper Mister Twister grub Rapala X-Rap Extreme Action Slashbait Johnson Silver Minnow Heddon Tiny Torpedo Worden's Rooster Tail Z-Man Chatter bait Booyah Buzzbait 7” Zoom Trick Worm Live Target frog Strike King KVD 1.5 Squarebill crankbait Most bass fishing lures fall into three categories; soft plastics, plugs, and bladed baits. All of these are well represented in the list of best pond fishing lures for bass. Where possible, both color and size will be offered. However, there really is not one color or size that fits every application. The list does include proven, established pond baits. One rule of thumb regarding color that holds up is as follows. Light colors such as white, light green, and silver work well in clear water. Dark colors such as black, dark green, and purple do well in dark waters. Hot pink will be seen in very muddy water. Chartreuse is an excellent all round color that produces in most situations. Anglers can read a comprehensive article on the best bass fishing lures for beginners here. 1) 4" green pumpkin Yamamoto Senko Click to shop Amazon for Senko lures “Fishing Lido Key is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” The Yamamoto Senko in 4” length and green pumpkin pattern is a terrific bait. It is number one on the list of the best 13 bass lures for pond fishing. Plastic worms have been catching bass is the 1960s. They have come a long way since then. The Senko is a very soft and supple bait with a ton of action. The 4 inch model in green pumpkin is an excellent all round size and color pattern. This bait can be rigged in several ways, just as any other plastic worm. It is in the family of what most anglers would call a finesse bait. The Senko does not have a lot of built in action, nor does it need. It works best when naturally moving in the water. One very popular method is to rig it wacky style. With this rig the hook goes through the middle and the bait undulates as it drifts through the water column. The Senko can also be rigged weedless Texas style or on a jig head 2) 1/4 ounce black Johnson Beetlespin Click to shop Amazon for Beetle Spin lures The Johnson Beetlespin is an excellent pond fishing lure for bass. It is smaller than a lot of other spinnerbaits, once again keeping true to the downsize theory of pond fishing. It is a simple spinner bait with a single Colorado blade and a small grub body. The 1/4 ounce size with a silver blade and black grub is an excellent combination. Dark colors seem to work best. This lure is very easy to work. It is simply cast out, allowed to sink to the desired depth, then reeled back in using a steady retrieve. The angler really does not need to give it any action. The flash and vibration of the blade along with the bulk of the grub body is all that is required. It is relatively weedless works great when knocked up against stumps and pulled over top of submerged vegetation. 3) Fred Arbogast Hula Popper Click to shop Amazon for Hula Popper lures The Hula Popper is a legendary topwater bait. It is number three on the list of best 13 bass lures for pond fishing. This lure floats on the surface and has a concave face and rubber legs trailing behind. When twitched sharply, the face digs into the water, producing a popping sound. Meanwhile, the rubber legs dance seductively on the surface. This is an excellent lure early and late in the day around weed edges and other cover. The Hula Popper comes in one size. While there are a few color patterns, color really does not matter that much when it comes to top water baits. Frog is a good all-around pattern. One mistake some anglers make is fishing the bait too quickly. As the bait sits there motionless, rubber legs undulating very subtly, it will drive bass nuts and they will strike it. 4) 3" chartreuse Mister Twister grub Click to shop Amazon for Mister Twister lures Mister Twister lures hit the fishing scene in the late 1970s. The action produced by the simple design of the curly tail was incredible! It is number four on the list of the best 13 bass lures for pond fishing. It comes in different sizes and many different colors. The 3 inch size in chartreuse on a 1/8 ounce jig head is an excellent combination for catching bass in ponds. These lures can be worked in a variety of ways. The simplest and easiest is to simply cast it out and retrieve it back in slow and steady. It is fished very similar to a swim bait. The tail will put out plenty of vibration. Anglers can also work it back in a hopping motion near the bottom or over the top of weed beds. Finally, it can be crawled very slowly across the bottom. Lighter colors such as chartreuse and white imitate bait fish, while darker colors such as green and brown mimic crayfish and other crustaceans. 5) #8 Silver/black Rapala X-Rap Extreme Action Slashbait Click to shop Amazon for Rapala X-Raps The Rapala X-Rap is a hard body plug in the family of baits known as jerk baits. They get this name by the erratic manner in which they are retrieved. This bait floats on the surface at rest, then dives down to to 3 feet upon retrieve. It is an excellent bait to use when bass are active and feeding. This is a modern version of the famous Rapala Floating Minnow. The best retrieve when using an X Rap is a hard twitch followed by a pause. The lure is cast out and the line is reeled tight. The angler then twitches the rod tip sharply once or twice then points the rod tip right at the bait. This will put slack in the line which will allow the lure to hang there motionless. This simulates a wounded and helpless bait fish and will draw strikes from a largemouth bass. 6) 1/4 ounce gold Johnson Silver Minnow spoon Click to shop Amazon for Johnson Silver Minnow spoons The Johnson Silver Minnow spoon has been around a very long time. It is a weedless spoon that rides with the hook up and has a weed guard. It is virtually weedless, though will get loaded up with snotty type weeds. Most anglers opt for the1/4 ounce model in gold finish. It has a lot of flash and vibration. This is an excellent bait to use in lily pad fields, which many ponds have. It can be worked on top of the pads, then allowed to flutter down in the holes. It also works well with a steady retrieve through and over other types of vegetation. Many anglers add a soft plastic trailer for more action and a larger profile. 7) Heddon Tiny Torpedo Click to shop Amazon for Tiny Torpedo lures The Heddon Tiny Torpedo in another topwater bait. It is quite a bit smaller than most other surface plugs. A propeller on the rear provides a lot of splash and commotion. It has a cone shaped face. This is another old-school bait that still produces to this day. It is an undersized bait, perfect for pond fishing. The Tiny Torpedo is very easy to use sand has a lot of built in action. The lure is cast out neat structure or a weed line and allowed to settle. It is then twitched sharply. The propeller will dig into the water, attracting the attention of a bass. This is repeated several times, then reeled back in. The bait is usually not worked all the way back in. 8) 1/4 ounce Worden's Original Roostetail Click to shop Amazon for Rooster Tail spinners The Original Worden's Rooster tail is an inline spinner. While these are very popular with trout and panfish anglers, many bass fishermen overlook it. It is number 8 on the list of best 13 bass lures for pond fishing. After all, largemouth bass are really just big sunfish! Rooster tails come in a wide variety of colors and many sizes. Bright colors seem to work best. One great thing about this lure is how easy it is to use. All that is required is for it to be cast out and reeled in, usually the slower the better. The blade will spin and flash at very low speeds. It is an excellent, subtle bait for pond fishing for bass. It will grab every weed it comes close to, though, and is a better choice in fairly open water. 9) 3/8 ounce Z Man Chatterbait Click to shop Amazon for Z Man Chatterbait lures The Z man Chatterbait is a relative newcomer to the fishing world. It sort of combines a jig and a spinnerbait in one compact lure. Many anglers refer to them as “bladed jigs”. The blade in the front puts out a steady vibration. Darker colors seem to work best. The smaller size works well when bass fishing in ponds. This lure is very easy to use. It is simple cast out and reeled back in. A steady, moderate retrieve usually works best. It is excellent around and over weeds and submerged grass. It will load up in very heavy vegetation. 10) 1/4 ounce Booyah Buzz Bait Click to shop Amazon for Booyah buzz bait lures Buzzbaits are odd looking lures. However, they are very effective bass fishing pond lures. Buzz baits are excellent “search” baits that allow anglers to cover a lot of water. They run on the surface, blades churning. The commotion aggravates or excites bass into hitting it. For whatever reason, they also tend to catch larger fish. Buzzbaits are extremely easy to use. They are cast out and as soon as they hit the water, the retrieve is started. It is important to determine the best speed that puts out the right gurgling sound. Bites are very exciting! They are best fished over vegetation. Chartreuse/white is a good color choice. 11) 7" Zoom Trick Worm Click to shop Amazon for Zoom Trick worms The Zoom Trick worm is a larger bait. However, it is worked in a slow, subtle manner, it really is a kind of finesse bait. It is 7 inches long. black/red glitter is a great all round color for pond fishing. Most anglers pond fishing for bass fish it with little or no weight. Anglers can rig the Trick work several different ways. Swimming it with a weedless or open hook through open water works well. The bait can be rigged weedless on a light swimbait hook as well. In both presentations, very slowly swimming the worm works best. Finally, it can be rigged Texas style and crawled on the bottom. 12) Livetarget Frog Click to shop Amazon for LiveTarget frog lures Every angler bass fishing in ponds needs a frog in his or her tackle box. The Livetarget frog is an excellent bait to use. Frog fishing has become popular of late, and for good reason. These baits work on top of vegetation and algae blooms and draw some terrific strikes. The Livetarget Frog is worked on the surface. This is usually done on or over some type of aquatic vegetation. The bait is weedless and can be slithered onto and over most minor obstructions. The bass will miss it often, but that just adds to the excitement! 13) Strike King KVD 1.5 Square bill crankbait Click to shop Amazon for KVD squarebill crankbaits Last, but certainly not least, on the list of best 13 bass lures for pond fishing is the Strike King KVS 1.5 square bill crankbait. This is a terrific bait in larger ponds that have shad. It also mimics bluegill and other panfish. The bait had a wide profile and the bill gives it a unique wobble and action. This bait is the most effective when worked in fairly open water and around fallen trees. Knocking the bait off a tree limb and allowing it float up is an extremely effective retrieve. It can also be worked along shorelines and weed edges. Bonus; Fly fishing for pond bass Ponds are excellent waters to fly fish for bass. In most cases, a popper is the best choice and is great fun to fish. This is an excellent opportunity for anglers new to fly fishing to give it a try. Long casts are not required and the entry level tackle is not expensive. Anglers fly fishing for largemouth bass in ponds will do well with an 8wt outfit with a floating line. Shorter leaders, 6 feet or so, will help when cast large wind resistant bugs and poppers. Click the link to read this article by Capt Jim on fly fishing for bass The technique is pretty straightforward. The popper is cast out to the edge of cover or vegetation. It is allowed to settle then the bug is sharply twitched. This will produce a disturbance that will attract bass to the fly. Subsurface flies such as a Clouser Minnow can be used as well. In conclusion, this article on the best 13 bass lures for pond fishing will help anglers catch more fish in smaller waters.