Press Release March 7, 2005

Contact: Lee McClellan (800) 852-0942.330

Farm Ponds Offer Best Early Spring Fishing

Frankfort, KY, (March 7, 2005) - Farm ponds are trophy fish waters. From 1987 to 2005, farm ponds produced numerous trophy fish awards for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife's (KDFWR) Trophy Fish/Master Angler Awards program.

Because of their small size and shallow depth, farm ponds warm earlier in spring than other bodies of water and provide the best fishing in early spring.

The third day after a warm front in March when the air temperature breaks 60 degrees is an opportune time to fish. Another good time to fish is during periods of unstable weather that produce rain and an occasional thunderstorm. Unstable weather disorients prey and predators take advantage. Warm spring rains raise the water temperature in farm ponds and cause fish to aggressively feed.

Largemouth bass come to the banks during warm trends and after rains cloud the water in early spring. If you are bank fishing during this type of weather trend, walk softly along the bank. Shallow fish feel the vibrations caused your feet striking the ground. Pond anglers walking along the bank have often seen "v" shaped wakes of spooked fish heading out to the deeper water. Stealth is important.

Cast a shallow running white and chartreuse crankbait parallel to the bank and retrieve it slowly. Largemouth bass up against the bank swim out of their hide and crush a brightly colored crankbait in early spring. A double Colorado blade white spinnerbait is also an excellent choice to work in the same manner, especially in cloudy water.

If the water is hog pen muddy, you may want to go old school and jig for your bass. Using a stout rod and fairly heavy line, tie on a large hook and impale as many wiggling nightcrawlers as you can on the hook. Dip the gob of wiggling nightcrawlers into any little cut, grass outcropping or unusual feature along the bank. Large female bass come up extremely shallow when the water turns muddy in early spring in a farm pond and this method of catching them has worked for decades. Old-timers used a treble hook for this approach, but the trebles hang up too easily in cover. An angler can also use a heavy black and blue jig for this style of fishing as well.

Bluegills also get active early in spring in farm ponds. A white or chartreuse 1/32-ounce feather jig tipped with a wax or meal worm draws strikes from bluegill. In stained to cloudy water, this rig works best cast toward brush, a downed tree along the bank or near the dam and retrieved at a steady rate. In clear water, this rig may work best under a bobber away from the bank.

A small, 1/16-ounce in-line or safety pin type spinner works well for large bluegill in early spring as do small tube jigs slowly dragged along the bottom. If they won't bite anything else, try bits of nightcrawler, red worms or small minnows fished on the bottom.

Channel catfish also bite well in early spring in farm ponds. The best situation is when the upper end of the pond receives an influx of warm rain run-off. This draws channel catfish looking to gorge on worms flushed into the pond. A nightcrawler cast into these areas draws strikes from hungry catfish.

If the pond is stable and clear, a live or freshly dead minnow fished on the bottom works as do chicken livers. Some anglers like to smash dead minnows up with their fingers to broadcast more scent for catfish to pick up. Get out to a farm pond this March and cast for a hungry bass, bluegill or catfish. The weather may not be consistent from one day to the next, but the fishing can be.

-30-

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment. KDFWR, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, has an economic impact to the state of $4.8 billion annually. For more information on KDFWR, visit our web site at http://fw.ky.gov. 

Click Here To Return To The Previous Page