Throughout my senior 12 months of school, three of my buddies and I made a decision to have a month-long bass fishing match. The foundations had been easy: Two vs. two, and the crew with the heaviest bag of 5 fish after 30 days wins. However there was a kicker: Anglers weren’t allowed to enterprise farther than a 50-mile radius of our residence.
The purpose was to push our fishing abilities to the brink and suppose exterior the field. This meant that Google Earth and pond hopping would play a serious function in success. My buddy Jeff and I hit the plain spots first, however it wasn’t till we had been down by three kilos that we checked a muddy, choked-out canal in a city park. When my frog lure hit the weed mat, a 3-pound 8-ounce largemouth exploded from beneath. We had discovered our honey gap.
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To today, that disgusting-looking canal is considered one of my favourite fishing spots. It’s hiding in plain sight in a suburb of central New York and I wouldn’t quit that location for something. That’s the fantastic thing about pond hopping. You don’t want a bass boat, world-class lake, or 15 rods to catch a trophy fish. A few rods, a backpack with some sort out, entry to Google Earth, and a willingness to suppose otherwise will put you on the trail to catching extra bass. Listed here are 5 ideas that will help you discover extra bass ponds to fish this summer time.
1. Use Google Earth to Scout for Ponds with Huge Bass
These days, nearly each kind of fishing or looking journey begins on Google Earth. Pond hopping for bass isn’t any totally different, and you might be stunned how a lot you are able to do with this software. Find a place to begin, which can almost definitely be your house, and start to zoom out. As your area of view widens it’s best to begin to discover some ponds and totally different our bodies of water. In fact, that is all relative to your area or state.
“I grew up pond hopping in Western New York, and it’s nonetheless considered one of my favourite methods to bass fish,” says former collegiate bass angler Jimmy Zaccagnino. “Google Earth has turn out to be my best software at figuring out ponds to focus on.”
Start to filter by these spots and decide a pond to deal with. Zoom in and begin on the lookout for key options. Do you discover any construction? Are weeds seen on the map? Are there different our bodies of water that join? These questions ought to begin to generate some concepts. I typically wish to deal with ponds which have adjoining our bodies of water. This supplies choices and provides you extra to work with when fishing.
Subsequent, use the Google Earth function that permits you to filter the map by 12 months. That is one thing that always will get neglected by anglers and may present essential information. Click on the “present historic imagery” tab on the prime of Google earth and you’ll filter by 12 months. Under is a 2018 Google Earth picture of considered one of Zaccagnino’s favourite spots with notes marked subsequent to the pin.
Under is a 1995 aerial picture of the identical two ponds. This info permits Zaccagnino to know that if there are fish right here, there’s a good likelihood they’re naturally reproducing with some mature bass.
“I’ve discovered that the older the pond the higher it can fish,” Zaccagnino says. “The chances of an older pond having extra mature fish is bigger than a just lately dug pond. This isn’t at all times true, however older ponds have produced some huge bass for me.”
2. Don’t Ignore Nasty-Trying Water
Anglers develop concepts of what “good water” ought to seem like, and a few spots simply don’t look as “fishy” as others. However in the case of ponds, creeks, small our bodies of water, and bass—don’t knock it till you attempt it. You’ll be stunned the place bass can stay.
Earlier than I ever fished what we now name the Frog Spot, my group of fishing buddies all referred to it as sewage water due to horrible readability and the truth that it was fully choked out in weeds. However because it turned out, we had been flawed. Catching three and four-pounders constantly put us and every part we thought we knew about “unhealthy water” in our place.
Don’t quit on a spot simply because it appears unhealthy. Throw a couple of casts and work totally different areas of the pond earlier than you progress on fully. It solely takes one huge chunk for a spot to go from terrible to superb.
3. Use onX Hunt to…Fish
Should you hunt, then you realize concerning the GPS mapping software onX Hunt. Though onX is closely marketed in direction of hunters, I’ve discovered it extraordinarily helpful for my fishing adventures, particularly pond hopping. The key draw back of Google Earth is that it doesn’t point out if a pond is public or personal, present you property traces, or provide the identify of the house owners. However onX offers you all of that intel, which is essential becasue a number of the finest ponds are sometimes personal and realizing who to ask is essential to gaining permission.
In addition to property boundaries and landowner info, onX has a bunch of different helpful options for pond anglers. One among which is the color-coded pins. In case you are a severe pond fisherman and have a variety of spots in shut proximity then it may be onerous to recollect what fish had been caught the place. I color-code my huge catches so I do know precisely the place I caught my fish. I’ll mark 3-pounders with pink pins and 4-pounders with yellow pins.
You may as well measure distances and observe your self as you’re employed a pond so you know the way lengthy it took and the place you discovered probably the most bites. Utilizing onX has turn out to be a essential scouting software for me. The mobile-friendly app modifications the sport after I’m out fish or sitting in my automotive attempting to determine what ponds are public.
4. Fish Golf Course Ponds (After Asking for Permission)
This wouldn’t be a real pond hopping article if I didn’t discuss golf-course ponds. They’re big-bass magnets. The one subject, after all, is that these ponds are personal. I’m not about recommend you sneak onto the course and trespass. As an alternative, go to the clubhouse and politely ask who it’s best to communicate to about getting permission to fish the course. Listed here are a couple of ideas you possibly can attempt to enhance your odds of gaining entry:
- Don’t stroll into a elaborate clubhouse along with your fortunate fishing hat, soiled backpack, and three fishing rods. You’ll be thrown out earlier than you get to say your identify. Gown just a little nicer, and make your self presentable.
- I discover I’ve higher luck going to the workplace later within the day when there are fewer golfers and the clubhouse isn’t as busy.
- Ask for those who can speak to the supervisor about fishing the course and if that’s the case, what time of day they would favor you to be there. You’ll be stunned by what number of programs admire you asking and provides entry.
The identical goes for getting access to any personal pond whether or not or not it’s a golf course, residence constructing, or personal enterprise. Be pleasant and if somebody does offer you entry, it’s by no means a nasty concept to go away bagels or a present as a thanks—particularly if the pond holds huge bass.
5. The Finest Bass Deal with for Pond-Hopping
I’ve a selected pond-hopping arsenal at all times able to go. I like to hold three rods. I often have a frogging rod at all times rigged, one other baitcaster for almost all of my fishing, and a spinning rod for finesse conditions.
In the case of lures and baits, crucial factor whereas pond hopping is versatility. It’s good to be sure to’re prepared for any scenario. I carry a backpack with three or 4 bins full of every part from smooth plastics and chatterbaits to frogs and crankbaits. You could must get a bait down 10 toes after which throw a frog an hour later at a distinct pond. Have not less than two of each lure in your field.
Versatility and mobility are the secret when pond hopping. Don’t rush, but in addition don’t spend hours at a useless pond. Hop within the automotive and examine the subsequent pin in your map. Should you aren’t checking new spots then your fishing buddies would possibly beat you there and also you’ll be listening to a couple of 5-pounder caught on a frog in some nasty-looking water for years.
