Part 2: Techniques and Tactics:
One thing I have noticed in reading numerous magazine articles is the lack of time given to fishing from docks, banks, and ponds. In this article, I hope to share some of the tips I have learned from fishing ponds and docks.
Ponds:
I have a great affection for farm ponds because that is where I learned how to fish. I remember many mornings or evenings spent with my father watching a red bobber catching sunfish. As I got older, I learned what a beetle spin was. Ponds offer such a great variety of fishing opportunities and are often overlooked by many.
So what should you use in a pond? Well one thing to remember is what the fish are used to eating. In many ponds, the baitfish populations are very small so the large water boiling baits used by tournament fisherman are not your best bet. Small spinner baits, curly tails grubs, minnows, night crawlers, or grasshoppers are you best bet for catching plenty of fish in ponds. Chartreuse is always a good color, yellow works well in locations where the main fish forage are insects, and white works well in clearer water.
Most ponds have good bank access to fish. Always fish visible cover, trees, stick-ups, lily pads, or cattails because those are often the only structure in ponds for baitfish to hide and thus attract their predators. The dams of ponds are another key area to focus on in ponds. Generally, the deepest area of the pond often draws schools of crappie and if the landowner will allow you to place some brush it will hold fish most of the year.
Docks:
Across the nation, most lakes have docks that are accessible to fisherman and are known for holding crappie. Now fishing these docks is different than fishing from the bank. Generally, the docks are positioned over brush or other forms of structure and so you are fishing on top of brush. Rather than casting and retrieving as you would from the bank, you would use a couple of tactics mentioned in my earlier post dipping and pitching. You want to keep the jig just above or beside the brush. One mistake that many people make jig fishing is moving the jig too much. Once you put your jig by the bush, hold it as still as possible then slowly move the jig horizontally in front of the brush.
Even if you do not have a boat, there are still many ways to catch fish without spending a lot of money on specialized equipment.
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