http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obxs7QK2ids

If you are fortunate enough to live in an area that has small ponds around the corner with public access, fish them. Where I live there are quite a few of them. They aren’t exactly major lakes so it’s easy to think they don’t hold big fish. Well, even the small ones can be a lot of fun to catch, if you can catch a lot of them. It can be done in the evening after work without having to drag out a boat. Lots of fun without the hassle, and your still catching fish. Plus another opportunity to hone your skills as a fisherman. Just be sure to practice catch and release. Last year, I caught big fish in my small pond haunts. One thing missing was…….the small fish. I have fished some of these ponds for at least 2 decades and never had a problem catching numerous small fish. Till last year. I can only come up with one explanation for this. That being, people didn’t practice catch and release. I always look at it from the stand point of, “once a bass reaches a pound, they grow a pound a year”. So a 5 lb is 6 next year, a 6 lb is 7, a 7 lb is 8 next year. I caught three 7 pounders last year. All were released. Catching one of those this year will be an 8 pounder. I have yet to break 8 pounds. This could be the year. 

Shore fishing and boat fishing don’t always translate. Mostly due to what you can see. Being on the shore you can tell the depth of the water. I have fished what looked “fishy” from my yak and check it later to find that is was to shallow to hold any fish. But that’s still just a matter of learning the water your fishing. Probably this biggest thing difference is learning to fish thoroughly. Being able to pick a spot and fish it till your sure its either holding fish or not holding fish and when. I’ve fished with people that have boats and they do what I and some others call, “run and gun”. Fish a spot fast and if theres no bite, you motor off to another spot. Not always a bad thing. If you can determine a pattern. But the pattern may be slow and methodical. Put me in a boat with a 225 and I will probably do the same thing. Its always easy to say the grass is greener on the other side.

For the video posted, I fished for about 2 hours with no bites. What I do know is, if there are no minnows in the shallows at my feet, Im not going to catch a bass. It would have been easy to have gone home long ago. But knowing I have had bites late, and when I saw minnows in the shallows, I keep fishing.  A little secret to my success, pay attention to the little things. May be the minnows or wind direction or what ever, but it all matters. Learn the conditions that either waste your time or maximize your time, and go with it. Juggling time with work, family, and what ever, if you can find the time, go during the times that have the best chance of success. 

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