- Grandito
- Sep 6, 2008
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Does anyone have any tips for fishing in suburban ponds?
I'm in Texas and trying to get back in to fishing, haven't done it much since I was a kid. There are some ponds near me in public parks that the state stocks with catfish and some supposedly have bass and sunfish as well.
Went out a few weekends in a row to try and catch a catfish, because I thought it was supposed to be idiot proof. Put some Magic Bait balls on a hook, with and without a weight, and was never able to get so much as a bite. I tried a couple locations and tried both morning and evening. (My mornings admittedly started at like 9am.) I'm just using the $30 shakespeare rod and spinning reel combo from Academy for now, but afaik it should be fine.
What do I have to do to get some sort of fish on the line in this environment? I just want to prove I can at this point.
Edit: I know there are actually fish in the water because I've seen other fishermen out there. One showed me a picture of a bass he caught, but I don't think I've seen anyone else pull in a fish while I was there.
Grandito fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Oct 20, 2020
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Oct 20, 2020 22:48
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Apr 25, 2024 23:22
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- Grandito
- Sep 6, 2008
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Hello fellow texas fisherman, and hello thread I didn't know existed.
I have fished in Texas/Oklahoma my entire life. What part of Texas are you in? I live in the DFW area and generally the ponds in the suburbs are what you would mostly call "highly pressured", meaning they get fished a lot. They are also small enough that the pond running out of fish is definitely a thing. Don't despair, if there is fish in those ponds, I can tell you how to catch them.
Live bait is the best and is generally really easy to find. Nightcrawlers from Walmart or gas stations that sell bait is a great choice. You can also refrigerate worms that you don't use. I would NOT use dead shad or the "stink" bait that is generally advertised as catfish bait in those stores. They suck, are extremely messy to deal with, and you basically have to throw away what you dont use right away. You can also go to your nearest lake and catch bait with a cast net for both fun and free bait, but this is generally something you shouldn't dive into right away unless you like the thought of it.
I find the simplest method to start out with is the old fashion bobber method. I put a bobber stop on my line, then a slip bobber, a very light bullet weight (or called a slip sinker) that is 1/16 or 1/32 ounce , another bobber stop a leaving plenty of space bellow the bobber, and then a hook.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bullet-Weights-USBW116-24-Ultra-Steel-Bullet-Weight-Size-1-16-oz-15-Fishing-Sinkers-per-Bag/16889118
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Unique-Bargains-6pcs-Black-Cylindrical-Shaped-Fishing-Float-Stoppers-Sinker-Floater-Bobber/702122622
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Thill-Fish-N-Foam-Floats-Cigar-Slip-Peg-Fishing-Lure-Float-Red-White/17127127
The only caveats is that the bobber has to be big enough for the weight and the hook so it doesn't sink, while also not being too big to make it awkward. This setup is also light enough to be easily castable by your shakespear spinning rod/reel.
The hook is also a big decision as it could lead to a few different outcomes. The smaller the hook, the less bait you can use and the small fish you leave yourself open to catching. Sometimes going smaller is better for city ponds as smaller things are what fish are use to foraging on. So using a smaller hook and pinching off parts of the nighcrawler to put on it means you are doing to catch more but sometimes smaller fish. Its just plain effective.
Going bigger with the hooks means you need use more bait and also means that you might rule out a lot of the fish that are in the pond. It will also mean that you can handle larger fish much easier when you finally get one on the other end though where a small hook might bend or they shake off easer. Its all a balance.
Using a bobber also means that you need to deal with the wind. When you cast out your bobber and the wind is blowing the opposite direction, you are probably going to have to recast a lot. The best part of catfishing is sitting on your rear end and not doing a lot of work, so finding the side of the pond to cast the bobber out so the wind is blowing it out is usually a better time. If the day is calm, it doesn't matter.
Once you actually start catching fish, then its time to switch things up to catch bigger fish or to target catfish more specifically. Its better to crawl before you walk though. It also builds confidence in catching fish of a lot of species vs not catching anything while trying to target one.
Hope this helps!
Thanks. I actually am in DFW, and have mostly been trying to fish at Oak Point/Bob Woodruff parks.
The high pressure is I think what I'm not used to dealing with. I grew up in a rural area and would catch bass in farm ponds and it was never that tricky to do, I even thought I was good at it.
I tried again right before daylight savings using nightcrawlers instead of the store bought bait as you and someone up thread suggested, but no luck yet again. I'm planning to give it one more go this weekend, though.
Would I have a better shot of getting something on a hook by taking a trip out to one of the lakes and bank fishing? I hate that it feels frustrating instead of fun and relaxing like I remembered.
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Nov 9, 2020 20:34
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- Grandito
- Sep 6, 2008
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I posted a couple months ago about my failures getting fish in the north texas ponds. I decided to try again now that the weather is nice and I've finally got the hang of it. The trick was realizing I've got a co-worker who's a competitive bass fisherman.
He suggested using some short chartreuse worms from Z-Man attached to one of their jigheads, and working it along the bottom. I think it's called a "Ned rig," and I was able to pull in a few medium size bass out of the park pond with it.
It was a lot more fun fishing with someone who knows what they're doing, and also actually catching things.
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Mar 25, 2021 19:34
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- Grandito
- Sep 6, 2008
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Ned rig is easy to fish and because its very small, can get bit all year. Its basically the only soft plastics I throw for bass anymore.
Zman also makes a small soft plastic to put on it to cover basically anything you would want. Shad, crawdad, worm, and whatever else. Basically a one size fits all style of fishing I really like.
I also tried using one of the craws, and got a few bites. It really does look like a pissed off live crawdad with the claws trying to float up, it's pretty funny.
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Mar 25, 2021 19:47
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Oct 20, 2020 22:48
