Kevin Van Dam Forums

The pond behind my house features a flat that ranges anywhere from 1 foot of water to 4 feet of water. This area has a fountain put in by my neighbor that floats on top of the water and is about 3 feet wide (its circular). The only other form of structure is a drainage sewer that sits where the water is about 3-4 feet deep. The bottom is mostly sand with some shells, as well as some submerged weeds but it isn’t clear where they end in the water even after feeling the bottom with jigs.

I’ve had a ton of success in this area fishing jigs, any soft bait Texas rigged and even top waters. I just can’t seem to get any hits with cranks.

Should I focus on those two structures or should I just crank into the bottom and try to find holes for a reaction bite? im really at a loss of any new ideas. I’ve seen bass actively feeding on baitfish and can’t get them to swallow cranks.

It’s stained water so I figure i should match the hatch and use chartreuse from time to time as well. I even vary sizes.

Any ideas would be much appreciated, or tips that helped you. Trying to learn how to use every possible technique available and cranking has been hard for me.

Thanks in advance guys!

I used to fish a pond like that. I used square bills and tried to keep them up off the bottom. The bomber square a, the 1/4oz one- chart with blue back. It always seemed to produce. Never had any luck cranking into the bottom, I can remember a few flatheads I caught out of that pond doing that, but cant remember any bass.

Noted. Really appreciate that. Just so happens bass pro has them on sale now, might check them out.

They are my favorite square bill. Close second is the H20 ones from academy, I really like their bluegill patterns for fishing clearer water. In dirty water I’ll be throwing a bomber square A in the 1/4 and 3/8… always chart blue back or the chart with olive/brown back.

Shallow water and grass…...throw a lipless crank at a decent retreive. Pop it free from grass and pause it on the retreive from time-to-time also. Also look at throwing a green pumpkin senko with about 1/4 inch of the tail dipped in chartreuse Spike-It.

twitch,

how’d you rig the senko?  wacky?  texas? 

Smash

Smash - 03 April 2012 11:06 PM

twitch,

how’d you rig the senko?  wacky?  texas? 

Smash

Right now, I rig it texas. later in the year I rig it wacky with a smalll split shot next to the hook. a wacky rigged senko with a small weight is a great way to fish deep in the summer.

BBK - 03 April 2012 09:45 PM

They are my favorite square bill. Close second is the H20 ones from academy, I really like their bluegill patterns for fishing clearer water. In dirty water I’ll be throwing a bomber square A in the 1/4 and 3/8… always chart blue back or the chart with olive/brown back.

Square As are great.  I love the Shallow wee-R too.  Have you fished any of the KVD 1.5s and such cranks?  If so, how do they stack up to the square A and wee-R?  I’ve always been very picky on shallow cranks and I haven’t tried the KVD cranks yet as I don’t like the look of em.  Maybe I’m just being old fashioned.

Ill wacky rig it around docks or with other vertical presentations. When Im fishing grass or heavier wood cover, Ill texas rig it. Ill use the bullet weight to keep the bait down if the wind is blowing or if the water is deeper then 3ft or so.