Pond Basics
Most of us have grown up fishing local neighborhood ponds growing up as kids. I remember riding my bike to the closest nearby pond in pursuit of a fish. I have always had a strong passion for the sport of fishing, it’s who I am. There are thousands of fishing opportunities across the country to explore. Pond fishing offers easy access and good fishing. Most ponds across the Midwest offer fishing for bass, catfish, panfish, and carp. Typically ponds are stocked by the state DNR depending on the location. Many ponds are usually man made to control runoff water that builds up in communities during storms. Neighborhood ponds are usually enjoyed by everyone, not just for fishing purposes.
Pond Residents
Residents are usually the ones paying for these ponds to be stocked and maintained. Property owners usually have rights to control who is allowed to fish ponds within there community and who isn’t. When entering a pond you have never fished before it’s important to determine if the pond is private property or not. Some landlords take trespassing their property ponds very seriously and may call authority in some situations. Most of the time resident won’t mind you fishing their community pond, but it’s good to be safe. Most ponds you fish across the Midwest range from around ten to fifteen feet of water. These ponds are usually created my man, with artificial structure added to the ponds for fish to hide in.
Rigs
It’s common to see many ponds with manmade structures such as gravel and rock shorelines and submerged Christmas trees; these can be places to expect to find large concentrations of pond fish stacked up. Fish such as bass, bluegills and crappie use structure like this to feed. Pond fishing offers easy fishing for anyone to enjoy. One of my favorite ways to fish a small pond is simply a light action spinning rod and a wacky worm. I like to rig up a six-foot spinning rod rigged with eight-pound test line to a number four hook and worm. Going back to the basics can be highly effective when targeting pond specimens and these fish are usually willing biters. Always be sure to check your local fishing regulations before fishing a new pond. Pond fishing can be easy and exciting for those that are just looking to have a good time on the water!