By Lee McClellan
Kentucky Afield
An aerial view of Kentucky will show many circular pods of water scattered across the landscape. Some have trails made by cattle coming to them for a drink, some are ringed with large trees, some have a four-plank wooden fence surrounding them to keep out valuable thoroughbreds.
Farm ponds come in all shapes and sizes and many hold impressive largemouth bass. Because farm ponds run much shallower than a big reservoir, they are among the first waters to heat up from spring sunshine. Many anglers think of farm ponds as a spring bass destination or a place to fish topwaters at low light periods or at night in the summer.
Not as many anglers consider them fall bass fishing destinations, but they are one of the best places to try, especially during the months of October and November. Plus, in fall, many would-be anglers are chasing deer or following their fantasy football teams. The bass in farm ponds may not have seen much fishing pressure for a spell.
Consider downsizing for bass in fall. Tim Slone caught this chunky bass in a farm pond by using a small crappie jig. (Photo from KDFWR)
Some ponds have little cover and look like a cereal bowl filled with water while others have weedlines and trees lining the banks. Avoid farm ponds with the banks beaten into hamburger by cow hooves. Ponds used heavily as watering holes for cattle don’t hold as many fish as those left undisturbed. Some ponds like this do not have any fish at all.
Fall is typically the driest time of year in Kentucky, clearing the water in farm ponds. Downsizing lures from what you normally throw for largemouth bass in big reservoirs helps produce strikes. Farm ponds also allow for bank fishing, great for simplicity and also provides productive fishing for those without a boat.
Smaller, one-quarter-ounce spinnerbaits with a large silver and a small gold willow leaf blade with a white skirt draw strikes. Thread a fat-bodied 3-inch shad-colored swimbait on the hook of the spinnerbait and work the presentation along the edge of the weeds that often ring a farm pond. The swimbait’s tail adds some thump to the lure and helps slow its fall through the water column, enticing largemouth bass.
A ¼-ounce lipless crankbait in chrome with blue back, firetiger or red craw also works great in a farm pond. Cast this lure as far out in the pond as possible and commence with a medium speed retrieve. Lipless crankbaits sink quickly, so a high rod tip and decent retrieve speed keeps the lure in the mid-depths instead of getting hung on the bottom. Farm pond largemouth crush lipless crankbaits.
If the bass don’t want a faster moving bait such as a spinnerbait or lipless crankbait, try a 4-inch Senko style soft plastic jerkbait fished weightless. You can use a 3/0 wide gap worm hook and rig the Senko weedless. The weightless presentation falls tantalizingly slow, often triggering a reluctant bass to strike.
Farm pond bass sometimes are grumpy, just like their brethren in large reservoirs. Rick Hill, staff artist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, does not always throw traditional bass lures in the central Kentucky farm ponds he often fishes.
“If they are not interested in a big bait, I drop down to a crappie jig,” Hill explained. “One of the reasons I like using them is you might catch anything.”
Hill uses 2-inch chartreuse with gold flake curly-tailed grubs and routinely catches big largemouth bass. He also catches large bluegill, crappie and even an occasional channel catfish.
“In murky water, which does not happen often in fall, I use a lighter color such as white,” Hill said.
Largemouth bass in ponds hit topwater lures during fall. A chugger, floating/diving minnow lure or a Whopper Plopper style topwater all draw strikes. However, some of the best sport is using a 7 or 8-weight fly rod and throwing frog imitating topwater flies.
A yellow and green spun deer hair popper in size 2, a yellow and green with black accents Dancing Frog in size 2 and a size 1/0 black cork popper all draw strikes. The more subtle nature of a fly versus a larger, noisier lure used with baitcasting or spinning equipment helps trigger strikes in the usually clear water of fall.
Few things are as fun as the explosion of a nice largemouth bass crushing a topwater fly and fighting it on fly fishing gear. Bring several of each of these flies. Hungry largemouth bass tear these lures to shreds, especially the cork poppers.
Work these lures along weed lines, near any woody cover or brush or over the deeper water by the dam of the pond. A stop and go retrieve works well. Largemouth bass often hit the lure while motionless.
Try a farm pond this fall for excellent largemouth bass fishing. Be willing to downsize if the bite is off and choose ponds that aren’t overly used by cattle.
Lee McClellan is a nationally award-winning associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.
