The 5 Best Farm Pond Bass Lures

In ponds, chatterbaits can be fished from top to bottom, through any type of cover, in warm water and cold. (Photo by Joe Balog)

Most of us learned to fish on farm ponds. And even after years of chasing bigger opportunities on more expansive waters, plenty of experienced anglers still enjoy going back to a good pond. The quality of fish produced on some ponds can be incredible, but a few hours on even an average pond when the fish are biting is almost guaranteed to be a good time.

The best bass fishing lake I’ve ever fished was a small private pond in Florida. A close second was a tiny, permit-only lake 100 miles away. Both offered unparalleled opportunities for giant largemouths.

When I was a kid in the Midwest, golf course ponds were the place to be, particularly after dark. Some ponds that were rarely fished would produce 100 bass in a night.

A Texas-rigged, 7-inch ribbon-tailed worm is mandatory equipment for fishing a farm pond. Pair it with weights ranging from 1/16 to 1/4 ounce. (Photo by Joe Balog)

While a special few ponds offer fantastic fishing and aggressive fish that are willing to bite just about anything, most of them see a heavy amount of concentrated fishing pressure. It can take a refined approach to fool pond bass that see lots of baits.

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Choosing the right tackle takes forethought. With most angling done on foot, we simply can’t drag a bass boat full of gear to small waters. We must choose wisely and reduce the load.

I’ve got a box loaded with everything you’ll need. Take a look.

Even the most experienced anglers still enjoy fishing a farm pond, where the quality of fish is often incredible. (Phot by Realtree)

1.) Original Floating Rapala

The first-ever “jerkbait” is still the best. Or is it a topwater? The secret behind a Floating Rapala minnow is its ability to cover multiple needs. Twitched on the surface, the Floating Rapala is a deadly topwater, especially around the spawn. Fishing aggressively beneath turns the Rapala into a dynamite clear-water jerkbait. And slow, steady retrieves are tops in cold water. The Floating Rapala allows you to immediately reduce your tackle selection without ever missing the additional lures. And it’s the best hard-lure, ever, for heavily-pressured bass. Why? Because a Floating Rapala is the only lipped-lure that swims horizontally, like a real fish.

2.) Plastic worms, lizards, and stickbaits

You’ll need a variety of plastic lures to thoroughly fish a pond. A standard 7” ribbon-tailed worm is mandatory equipment; most of them should be Texas-rigged and paired with weights ranging from 1/16 to 1/4 ounce. But don’t overlook plastic lizards, as they can be productive pond-fishing lures when rigged weightless or nearly so. A lizard falls horizontally and appeals to pressured bass, the bane of pond fishing. A stickbait works here, too, and can be fished on the same wide-gap hook. And don’t leave out specialty worms: large, sickle-tail models work great when retrieved across vegetative slop, while straight-tailed, hand-poured worms excel in water temps below 50 degrees. A few hooks and weights, coupled with a sandwich-bag full of plastics, will go the distance.

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Spinnerbaits are a great choice for ponds with lots of vegetation. They are especially effective for fishing around reeds. (Photo by Joe Balog)

3.) Spinnerbaits

We referenced night-fishing earlier. If that’s your plan, you’ll need a black spinnerbait. Stick to Colorado blades and a bulky trailer to create a big profile, and slow-roll the bait with a steady retrieve. Hang on. For daytime tactics, choose small, 1/8- or 1/4-ounce models in shad colors. Spinnerbaits excel in ponds with lots of vegetation where the fish spread out. They make fabulous lures for fishing around reeds, especially if you can wade out and fish shallow to deep. And if your chosen pond has nutrient-rich, muddy water, spinnerbaits are a favorite around shallow cover. This especially applies to newly-flooded impoundments.

4.) Chatterbaits

I’m a die-hard spinner-baiter, so it hurts my pride to recommend a Chatterbait — but the lure just plain works. In ponds, Chatterbaits can do what no other lure can: be fished from top to bottom, through any type of cover, in warm water and cold. Choose lighter models in dark finishes for pond fishing and fish on fluorocarbon line instead of braid. This will help with pressured fish. Also, don’t shy away from a lift-and-drop retrieve; it works. Oftentimes, in ponds, retrieves that make contact with the bottom are best, as open-water baitfish are limited and the forage base revolves around panfish and crawfish.

Shallow-running and topwater baits excel in the tight spots encountered when farm pond fishing. (Photo by Joe Balog)

5.) Topwaters

True old-school bassers will steer you toward a Jitterbug for pond fishing. I can validate the recommendation, as the lure remains one of the best topwaters available for these small waters. I’ve never understood the reason why, but a Jitterbug just draws strikes from big bass in ponds. Perhaps there are more terrestrial prey species in and around ponds than elsewhere. But there are other good topwater options. Don’t leave out prop baits, as they’re great in spring and again on summer evenings. Anytime a pond is glassy calm and the air feels thick, a prop bait will catch a bass. Buzzbaits can be a sleeper lure when fishing ponds, too, as the bass living there will either avoid them or blast them. You’ll know quick which type of fish you’re dealing with, as some may have never heard the squeaky intruder.

The above baits will function as basic stock in your pond-fishing arsenal and won’t take up much space. This will keep you light and able to move, which is the key to all pond fishing.

Just like big lakes, ponds have areas that always produce best. Corners, weed edges, submerged stumps, and spillways should get the first casts. Pond hopping is just the ticket for a short trip or a little nostalgia. But don’t judge a waterbody by its size; ponds are often the pathway to a personal best bass when you least expect it.