Pond Fishing For Bass: 5 Tips To Catch More Fish!

Tim has spent more than 30 years fishing ponds for bass! He grew up in the country, fishing every pond he could find. Over the years he's developed a handful of confidence baits that he relies on to consistently catch fish. He also has a method of covering water to quickly determine if a pond is worth continuing to fish. 

The 3 factors Tim takes into consideration when approaching a new pond are... water clarity, types and quantity of vegetation (grass), and what kind of dam the pond has. With these 3 questions answered he can quickly assess what type of pond this is and exactly how fish should be positioning. As a general rule of thumb, you should start your search near the dam, along the edges of the deepest water. 

When approaching a new pond Tim uses a "top down" approach. He begins with topwater, then switches to reaction baits, then bottom contact, then finally to a weightless presentation. This stepped method allows him to quickly identify the overall mood of the pond, the quality and quantity of fish in the pond, and whether or not this is somewhere he should continue to fish in the future. 

Below you'll find links to the exact baits and presentations he recommends using for this method. We've included links to the exact baits, including colors, sizes, and best rigging components. We've also included some great budget rod and reel combos for pond fishing. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 


Topwater... 

-Whopper Plopper (75 or 90): http://bit.ly/2bsPbQV

Colors: Bluegill, Munky Butt, Loon

-Spro Bronzeye Poppin Frog 60: http://bit.ly/2hKsO0g

Colors: Sunfish, Killer Gill, Leopard

-Zoom Horny Toad: http://bit.ly/2aY5lBt

Colors: White, Bullfrog, Green Pumpkin Pearl


Swimbait... 

Bait- Keitech 4.3"-4.8" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Colors: SunGill, Copperfield

Hook- Owner Flashy Swimmer 5/0: http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Style: Gold Colorado Blade


Soft jerkbait...  

Bait- Zoom Super Fluke: http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

Colors: Green Pumpkin, Baby Bass

Hook- Gamakatsu EWG 4/0: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG


Creature Bait... 

Bait- Reaction Innovations Man Bear Pig: http://bit.ly/2s51oIV

Colors: Flora Bama, Magic Craw Red

Weight- Swagger Tungsten Vader 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2NjDYtV

Hook- Owner Offset Shank 2/0: http://bit.ly/2D9Pmj0


Senko... 

Bait- Yamamoto 5" Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Colors: Green Pumpkin, Electric Shad, Baby Bass

Hook- Owner Twist Lock 2/0: http://bit.ly/2ZlkuLl


Glide Bait... 

S-Waver 168 (Bluegill): http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh


Budget-Friendly Combo (Frog/Flashy Swimmer/Glide)... 

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Power Pro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b


Budget-Friendly Combo (Soft Jerkbait/Creature/Senko)... 

Rod- St. Croix Bass X 7'1" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Sunline 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm


Budget Topwater Combo... 

Rod- Shimano SLX 7'2" Medium: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 XT: http://bit.ly/2BRTYL8

Line- Power Pro 30 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b


Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

How To Find Fish On Any Lake! (Beginner to Advanced Maps and Electronics)

Its easy! You can find fish on ANY lake with these simple tricks! Its all about eliminating water quickly and searching for high percentage water. Come along as we look at the fastest way to find fish with a lake map, then take an in-depth look at how to break down a lake with advanced sonar mapping. 

Step one to breaking down any lake is deciding if you want a short term breakdown or an in-depth breakdown. If the goal is short term (day or weekend trip, week long vacation, etc) then the goal is to locate the single spot on the lake that has the highest odds of holding fish and focusing all of your attention in that one area. If your goal is to truly understand a lake (long term, in-depth) we'll divide the lake into sections and begin building repeatable patterns. 

The key to breaking down any lake is quality mapping. Whether you accomplish this with high end electronics, a map card, or a quality paper map, just depends on how much time you want to put in to the project. Below are links to the equipment we use, the most reliable map cards on the market, and the best paper maps of the most popular lakes around the country. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Related Videos... 

Google Earth Video- https://youtu.be/_ZgGGBWbyEs

How To Read Lake Maps Video (Circa 2011): https://youtu.be/Xo5ADb6Tgoc

Fishing Chickamauga in 2019 Video- https://youtu.be/gvBwBkjlwmA

Paper Maps... 

-Fishing Hotspots Maps: https://bit.ly/2FgBWHi

-Fish-N-Maps: https://bit.ly/2QXY5gt

Map Cards... 

-LakeMaster Plus Digital Charts (What we use): http://bit.ly/2Dk5Erc

-Navionics Hot Maps: http://bit.ly/2ZitTiR

Our Electronics... 

-Humminbird Solix 12 G2: http://bit.ly/2AE2YDB

-Humminbird Solix 15 G2: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Mapping web.jpg

Finding Secret Fishing Spots With Google Earth! (Actual Favorite Waypoints Shown!)

There are so many Google Earth Tricks fishermen don't know how to use! With our cross country move we've been spending a ton of time on the computer preparing to explore new lakes. We've found a bunch of new spots using this method and today we're showing you how to do the same. Come along to some of our favorite fisheries and see our best spots as you learn the methods! (If you're a California angler, get ready to write down some coordinates!)

Every angler knows you can jump on google maps and get a good idea of what a lake looks like before you arrive. But few anglers know how to remove distortion from the map, jump between different water levels and times of year, drop waypoints, and export all of it to the electronics on your boat. Its amazing how far technology has come and if you're not progressing, you're falling behind. 

Google Earth is just one of the tools you have available as an angler today. Modern electronics have seen huge advancements as have the mapping cards that we use with those units. Google Earth is a free program that any angler with a computer can use. We combine that program with a few different electronics to maximize our time on the water. Below you'll find links to a few of our favorite items from different brands to help maximize your time on the water. 

Our Electronics and Mapping... 

-Humminbird Solix 15 CHIRP G2 Depth Finder: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

-Lakemaster Plus Digital Charts: http://bit.ly/2Dk5Erc

Budget Alternatives... 

Humminbird- Helix 7 CHIRP G3 Sonar: http://bit.ly/2SoFl8a

Lowrance- Elite 7 Ti2 Fishfinder: https://bit.ly/3aY4m4S

Alternative Mapping... 

Navionics Hot Maps Platinum: http://bit.ly/2ZitTiR

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

google earth web.jpg

Pond Fishing For Bass - Best Baits and Techniques

Want to fish a pond? These tips will make it much easier! Ponds can be some of the best bass fishing of your entire life if you know what to look for and which baits to throw. Keep it simple this year and use Tim's proven method to break down the water in steps. Don't get caught throwing just your favorite lure over and over again, its time to take your pond fishing to the next level. 

It doesn't matter if you're bank fishing or in a boat, this method will help you maximize your time on the pond. Start by covering water with fast moving baits or topwater to gauge how many fish there are and if they're in a feeding mood. Next, switch to slower moving reaction baits to pick off the remainder of the aggressive bass. Finally, wrap it up with finesse baits to catch as many fish as possible. 

Not all lures are created equal. Unfortunately there is a lot of junk and hype on the market today. Below you'll find an exhaustive list of baits we have confidence in for both pond and lake fishing. If you're looking to fill a particular category, these are lures we trust. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of every item. 

Creature Baits... 

-Reaction Innovations Man Bear Pig: http://bit.ly/2s51oIV

-Zoom Brush Hog: http://bit.ly/2bnpCRx

Texas Rigging... 

Tungsten Worm Weight- Swagger Vader 3/8 oz: https://bit.ly/3c28mks

Bobber Stop- 6th Sense Peg X: http://bit.ly/2bHjowk

Offset Hook- Gamakatsu EWG Wide Gap 3/0: http://bit.ly/2d07gvp

Fast Topwater... 

Buzzbait- D&M Slow Roller Buzz: http://bit.ly/2t7BMKt

Whopper Plopper- Silent Plopper 110: http://bit.ly/2bsPbQV

Toad- Strike King Rage Toad: http://bit.ly/2dekwdd

Toad- Zoom Horny Toad: http://bit.ly/2aY5lBt

Slow Topwater... 

Popper- Rio Rico: http://bit.ly/2f7gink

Popper- Bubble Popper: http://bit.ly/2yxP2ZQ

Frog- Spro Bronzeye Poppin Frog: http://bit.ly/2HsyqIJ

Subsurface Reaction Baits... 

Swimbait- 4.8" Keitech (Sungill): http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Hook- 1/4 oz Owner Flashy Swimmer 5/0: http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Swim Jig- California Swim Jig 3/8 oz (Alabama Bream): http://bit.ly/2auXfmx

Bladed Jig- Chatterbait Custom 3/8 oz (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2Ix71mI

Bladed Jig- Evergreen JackHammer 3/8 oz (BHite Delight): http://bit.ly/2popvj6

Trailer- Hog Farmer Spunk Shad (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2UFkCD7

Soft Jerkbait- Zoom Super Fluke (Electric Shad): http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

Worms... 

Stick Bait- Big Bite Baits Wacky Stick (Watermelon Red): http://bit.ly/2rrNT6g

Stick bait- Yum Dinger (Green Pumpkin Purple): http://bit.ly/2J8nMrF 

Stick Bait- Yamamoto Senko 5" (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Worm- Netbait T-Mac Worm: http://bit.ly/2jndwj9

Tim's All-Around Pond Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'2" MH: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- 40 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 15 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Pond Combo... 

Rod- Denali Attax 7' Medium heavy: http://bit.ly/2tDsOa0

Reel- Caius B 150 HG: http://bit.ly/2O3Dvuw

Line- 15 lb Sunline Assassin Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Topwater web.jpg