When it starts to get so hot that you start thinking about calling it a day around 10am because the bite is slow even at daybreak, it's officially the start of the dog days of summer. Yes, you can slowly dangle and twitch a four-inch watermelon-red flake worm through the grass and get some bites or drag a jig or G.Y. Ika through the deepest spots of the pond, but I'm here to tell you that you have other options, such as ULTRA finesse hardbait fishing. ULTRA finesse?!!? What I consider ultra-finesse are baits that you need 2 lb test and and a ultra light trout or a crappie jig rod to throw. My approach is similar to a "milk run" strategy where I plan out where the shaded areas are around the pond. Earlier in the morning, I usually start along the bank and the small breaks that are usually about 9 feet out where you can see a color change from light to dark and then concentrate around grass and go deeper as the day progresses. I move around rather quickly--no more than 10 minutes per spot--and make many casts with different tiny lures to figure out what the fish want. The overall approach is simple but here are some tips when the bite is slow.
TIP 1: Use very light line to avoid creating large vibrations in the water that scare bass away. I'm convinced that when bass are heavily pressured, they rely on sight, sound, and pick up on the vibrations that are around your lure that are transmitted through your line.
TIP 2: Even though you may get some strikes near the bank, cast out as a far as you can. Here are the reasons why:
Many times the fish lazily follow your tiny bait out of curiosity and then commit to it in the shallows. So, if you just cast around the bank, you might be missing out on a school of fish hanging out towards to middle of the pond.
When you cast far, the bass that are holding tight in a shaded areas behind rock piles in the shallows won't get spooked by the sound of your lure hitting the water. They just see your tiny lure swimming by and strike out of reaction.
TIP 3: Have a net ready and once the fish is within reach, net it right away. Try not to "over-fight" the fish until exhaustion. Even with 2lb test, with a soft rod, you should be able to bring in a small to average size pond bass rather quickly. High water temps mean less oxygen in the water, so please keep in mind the health of the fish. Get the fish in. Take a quick pic. Put the fish back in the water and let it swim away when it's ready.
TIP 4: Be ready for catfish, carp, and turtles. Predators can't seem to pass up a tasty looking morsel swimming through a pond. Use your best judgement when your drag all the sudden starts screaming and something big is charging across the pond, peeling your line. When I was younger, I would accept the challenge of a powerful channel cat or a fat carp, but these days, I care more about my $12.00 lure and loosen my drag and hope the fish shakes it off.
Ultra-finesse pond fishing is great way to keep the fun going when the weather gets super hot or when the fishing is tough in general. These days there's a huge variety of lures that fall under the category of what I would consider to be ultra-finesse. Below are some of the ultra finesse lures that I use to catch pond fish. I will add more videos and pics soon. All the lures can all be found at I Love Hard Bait.
