20 Pond Fishing Tips to Catch More Fish

Pond fishing is a great outdoor activity that can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of their skill level. It’s great place to take kids, those new to fishing or is just a great way to get out and do some fishing.

Whether you are fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, catch fish or some other species there are certain things you can do to increase your chances of catching fish.

To help you take advantage of the great pond fishing opportunities near you. I’ve put together the following list of 25 pond fishing tips that will increase your odds at catching more fish and will ensure you have a great time.

20 Pond Fishing Tips to Help You Catch More Fish

Be Stealthy

A common mistake made by many anglers is that they make too much noise and aren’t careful enough when approaching their fishing spots.

Even the slightest noise, shadow or disruption can spook a fish, which can result in some missed fishing opportunities. If they know your there, you’ll have a hard time getting bites.

It may be more difficult to be stealthy while fishing with young anglers. But if you can be as quiet and stealthy as much as possible. It will go a long ways and increase your chances of having success.

Fish Different Depths

Experimenting with fishing at different depths is another great pond fishing tip that can help you find fish and get more bites.

There are three main areas you should focus on. This will also be dependent on what species you are targeting, but in general stick to these three parts of the water column.

Surface
Mid Column
Bottom

First choose a water column to start with and select the right baits. For example, if you are fishing in the early morning for bass try throwing top water lures that cover the surface well.

If you don’t have any luck, try throwing a spinnerbait in the middle of the water column or drag a jig on the bottom.

The point is to use different baits and lures that will target the different areas of the water column. This will allow you to adapt and adjust to where the fish may be holding on a given day.

Choose the Right Baits

Whether you are catching bass, bluegill, trout, catfish or some other species. One thing is for sure, having the right bait or lure for the job at hand is absolutely critical. After all you aren’t going to catch many fish if at all with the wrong baits.

Here are some resources that will help you select the right bait or lure for your targeted specie(s):

Use Scent

Adding some extra scent or attractant your baits and lures can be a great way to get more bites and catch more fish. Scents like garlic, crawfish, night crawler and others can help draw more fish in as well as mask negative unnatural odors.

Another benefit to adding scent is that fish will generally hold onto your bait for a longer period of time. This will allow you to get a better hook set and increase your odds at catching and landing more fish.

If you are having a hard time catching fish or just want to start off on the right foot, add some scent to your presentation. It can make a big difference.

Figure Out the Forage

Another excellent way to catch more fish while fishing at ponds is “matching the hatch”. In other words, if you can figure out what your targeted fish are feeding on and imitate it. You’ll dramatically increase your odds at catching fish.

How can you match the hatch? Try doing some online research, there are plenty of great fishing sites that can tell you what each species commonly eats and what kind of forage may live in your local pond.

Mix It Up

Don’t make the mistake of sticking with a particular bait or lure for too long. It’s important that you mix up your presentations until you can find what is working.

Fish are always on the move and prefer to eat different things depending on the conditions, so it’s important to mix up your spots, baits and the lures you are using.

Try Different Retrieval Speeds

Can you cast your moving baits such as spinners, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and catch fish on a straight retrieve? Absolutely. However, a tip that will dramatically increase your odds at catching more fish is mixing up your retrieval speeds.

Fish are opportunistic predators and love to take advantage of easy meals. If they see your crankbait swimming along and all of a sudden it stops as it deflects off some wood, they can’t help but come over and strike.

Try different retrieval speeds each cast and add a few twitches or pauses and you’ll be surprised by how many more fish you will end up catching.

Make Long Casts

A simple, yet effective way to increase your chances at catching fish is to make long casts. If you are bait fishing, longer cast will allow you to reach important areas and get to where the fish may be located.

If you are tossing lures, long cast will allow your bait to be in the strike zone longer which can dramatically increase your odds at getting bit.

Also make sure to cast far past you intended target. If you cast right at it, you may spook your fish and you might have a hard time finding any takers.

Find Shade

Another pond fishing tip that you can utilize to help you catch more fish during the day is finding shade. Shaded areas are places where the fish love to hang out, especially in the summer.

In the early morning most fish will roam around which can make finding them more difficult.

However, during the day when the sun is high, fish will look to get out of the sun and head for shade and structure.

This can present anglers with some great fishing opportunities. If you can find the shaded areas, you’ll be able to find and catch fish.

Chose the Right Bait Color

Throwing the right color of bait or lure can make a big difference in your overall fishing success. There are three main things to consider when deciding on what color of bait or lure you should use. Light penetration, water clarity and fish forage.

Whenever possible use colors and blades that closely resemble the forage of the species you are targeting. For example, if you are fishing for bass and there are crawdads or bluegill in your pond. Use browns, purples and green colored baits to match the forage.

As far as water clarity goes. The best colors for stained or muddy water are going to be bright colors like chartreuse or dark colors like black and blue. These colors will help make your bait stand out.

When fishing in clear water. Natural colored lures that resemble the natural forage of your fish are going to perform better and help you catch more fish.

Light penetration is another factor to consider when selecting a lure color. In low light conditions (early morning, at night or on cloudy days) bright colored lures are ideal. When there is high light penetration (bright blue bird skies) flashy colors like silver are great options as they will reflect the light to trigger more strikes.

For more information, here are few articles that will help ensure you pick the right color of bait or lure:

Move Around

Another common mistake that I see many anglers make is that they stick in one spot for far too long. If you aren’t having any luck at a particular spot on the pond don’t be afraid to move around until you get some bites.

If it’s been over 30 minutes and you haven’t had any luck, it’s time to move on and try something different. Try fishing deeper, shallower or on the other side, just anything that’s different. Then once you catch a couple, you can slow down and pick apart the area.

Fish the Conditions

Everyone one has their favorite baits and lures that they feel confident in. But it’s important to stay present and fish the conditions.

If you are just out there to have some fun and catch some fish with kids and newer anglers, it might not matter as much and you may be limited on what kinds of baits and lures you can use.

However, to give yourself the best chance at catching fish at ponds you need to be able to adapt and modify where and how you fish based on the current conditions.

Here is a quick guide that will help you adapt your fishing style to the different weather conditions you may face.

Windy – Wind gives us anglers many advantages. Fish become more active in the wind, making moving baits, like spinnerbaits, crankbaits, spinners ideal for catching these more active fish. Try and locate banks where the wind is blowing towards the shore. These are prime fishing spots.

Cloudy – Much like the wind, when its cloudy fish tend to roam around and become more active. Moving baits, top water lures are great for these type of conditions.

Sunny – When it’s hot and sunny fish will head for the shade and cover. In these conditions slow moving baits are the best for catching these lazy fish.

Cold Fronts & Finicky Fish – If you are faced with a cold front or you can’t find any active fish slower presentations and live bait are your best bet. Also make sure you downsize your lure size if you don’t have any luck.

Mix Up Your Casting Angles

While out fishing there have been several times I have made a cast and not caught anything but as soon casted at my target from a different angle I caught a fish.

We may not know how a fish is positioned on a piece of structure, so it’s important to try different casting angles to give yourself the best chance as putting your lure in just the right place.

Before leaving a spot or target make sure to give the fish different looks by your casting angle and you’ll have a lot more success.

Target High Percentage Areas

To give yourself the best chance of catching fish at your local pond is to target high percentage areas. What I mean by that is identify the parts of your pond that are the most likely to hold the fish you are targeting.

Here are typically some of the best fishing areas to target at ponds:

High Percentage Fishing Areas

Points
Secondary Points
Docks
River/Creek Channels
Hard Cover
Windy Banks
Grass Lines
Other Types of Structure

Make Multiple Casts

Mixing up your casting angles as we mentioned before is super important. But it’s also worth point out that making multiple casts at high percentage areas is also key.

At times fish can be finicky especially in highly pressured ponds. It may take several cast in the same area to finally convenience a fish to take your bait.

If you find a spot or area you think should hold fish don’t be afraid to make multiple casts at different angles. You may just catch a monster on your 2 or 3^rd cast.

Pack Light

When fishing from the bank at a pond it’s important that you pack light so that you can easily move around and locate active fish.

Packing light and bringing only a couple of versatile rods and baits will help keep you agile while still allowing you to fish effectively. Don’t bring unnecessary gear or tackle it will just slow you down and get in the way.

Fish in Low Light Periods

Another important pond fishing tip is to go fishing during the best hours of the day. In most cases the times that are going to give you the best chance to catch a lot of fish is going to be low light periods.

Early in the morning, at dusk or when its cloudy are generally going to be prime time fishing hours when the fish are most active. If you can take advantage of this and plan your fishing adventures around these, you’ll have a better chance of success.

For information about when the prime time fishing times are, check out this article: When is the Best Time to Go Fishing?

Find Vegetation & Structure

There are three fundamental things every fish needs to be able to survive. The right oxygen levels, nutrients (food) and somewhere to hide.

There are certain areas at your pond that will have all three of these. These are the areas that are going to be the most productive and where you will catch the most fish.

If you can find vegetation like grass, tullys and lily pads, you can bet there are fish stack in and around these type of areas.

Start Fast

If you are fishing with live bait or powerbait this tip doesn’t really apply to you. However, if you are using soft plastic baits, jigs and other moving baits for species like bass. Pay attention.

When I get to the pond, I always start of throwing reaction style baits. They allow me to cover a lot of water and figure out where the active fish are at. Then, if I do catch something. I’ll slow down and pick apart that area.

If you start out fishing slow, you may be fishing in unproductive parts of the pond where there aren’t any fish. By starting fast and then going slow you’ll be able to be more efficient and you’ll catch more fish.

Have Fun & Learn Each Time

Perhaps one of the most important fishing tips of all is to make sure you have fun and that you learn something new each time you go out.

Fishing is all about spending time with others, making memories and enjoying the great outdoors. Always remember to keep that in mind regardless of how many fish you catch or not. You’ll have a lot more fun and will end up making a lot of valuable memories.

Final Thoughts

Fishing in ponds can be a lot of fun and there a great place to take kids, those new to fishing or can be a convenient, easy way to catch some fish.

If you follow these key pond fishing tips you’ll have a lot of success and fun out on the water regardless of what ponds you are fishing and the species you’re targeting.

I would encourage you to re-read and study this article again and use these fishing tips we discussed in this article and I guarantee you’ll have a lot more success and fun out there.