How-To

Elite pros share small water secrets

Find out the go-to lures for these Elite Series pros when they target small waters.

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<p>Keith Poche relies on these three baits when he heads to a pond for some fun fishing. They include his signature KP Power Spinner from Humdinger, a Netbait Baby Paca Craw and a Humdinger 1/4-ounce spinnerbait.</p>
Keith Poche relies on these three baits when he heads to a pond for some fun fishing. They include his signature KP Power Spinner from Humdinger, a Netbait Baby Paca Craw and a Humdinger 1/4-ounce spinnerbait.
<p>Poche inserted his signature KP Power Spinner into the end of sinking worm to make a strong run at winning the 2012 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River. He claims that it is just as deadly in ponds.</p>
Poche inserted his signature KP Power Spinner into the end of sinking worm to make a strong run at winning the 2012 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River. He claims that it is just as deadly in ponds.
<p>The low profile of a 1/4-ounce Humdinger spinnerbait is just the thing for pond bass, claims Poche.</p>
The low profile of a 1/4-ounce Humdinger spinnerbait is just the thing for pond bass, claims Poche.
<p>Downsizing to the Netbait Baby Paca Craw will get more bites when fishing ponds, Poche points out. “I’ll Texas rig it or fish it on a Carolina rig,” he says.</p>
Downsizing to the Netbait Baby Paca Craw will get more bites when fishing ponds, Poche points out. “I’ll Texas rig it or fish it on a Carolina rig,” he says.
<p>Jami Fralick is no stranger to pond fishing. He scores big on little waters with a Mann’s Baby 1-Minus, a 1/4-ounce Talon Jig and a Power Team Sick Stick.</p>
Jami Fralick is no stranger to pond fishing. He scores big on little waters with a Mann’s Baby 1-Minus, a 1/4-ounce Talon Jig and a Power Team Sick Stick.
<p>“You can fish the Baby 1-Minus around shallow grass and other cover you typically find in ponds,” Fralick says.</p>
“You can fish the Baby 1-Minus around shallow grass and other cover you typically find in ponds,” Fralick says.
<p>Fralick matches the 1/4-ounce Talon jig with a Power Team Craw D’oeuvre to present pond bass with a small profile meal.</p>
Fralick matches the 1/4-ounce Talon jig with a Power Team Craw D’oeuvre to present pond bass with a small profile meal.
<p>“Fish the Sick Stick wacky style or Texas rig it without a weight,” Fralick says. “Pond bass really go for it when you fish it with a slow sink.”</p>
“Fish the Sick Stick wacky style or Texas rig it without a weight,” Fralick says. “Pond bass really go for it when you fish it with a slow sink.”
<p>When he’s pond fishing, Josh Bertrand likes to mix it up with a Strike King KVD 1.5 crankbait, a Pepper Custom Baits Fred Roumbanis Swim Jig and a Yellow Magic Popper.</p>
When he’s pond fishing, Josh Bertrand likes to mix it up with a Strike King KVD 1.5 crankbait, a Pepper Custom Baits Fred Roumbanis Swim Jig and a Yellow Magic Popper.
<p>Ponds typically have shallow bass and small baitfish, points out Bertrand. The little KVD 1.5 cranker runs right in the strike zone and dances over snags.</p>
Ponds typically have shallow bass and small baitfish, points out Bertrand. The little KVD 1.5 cranker runs right in the strike zone and dances over snags.
<p>Bertrand works the Yellow Magic popper over a pond’s surface early and late in the day.</p>
Bertrand works the Yellow Magic popper over a pond’s surface early and late in the day.
<p>Many ponds grow heavy bass. When Bertrand is looking for a big bite he ties on a Pepper Custom Baits Fred Roumbanis Swim Jig dressed with a paddle tail swimbait in a bluegill color.</p>
Many ponds grow heavy bass. When Bertrand is looking for a big bite he ties on a Pepper Custom Baits Fred Roumbanis Swim Jig dressed with a paddle tail swimbait in a bluegill color.
<p>Kenyon Hill with a handful of his pond bass killers, which include the Heddon Zara Spook, Zoom Trick Worm and a Zoom Finesse Worm.</p>
Kenyon Hill with a handful of his pond bass killers, which include the Heddon Zara Spook, Zoom Trick Worm and a Zoom Finesse Worm.
<p>“If there’s a big one swimming in the pond you’re fishing, you’ll catch it on a Zara Spook,” Hill says.</p>
“If there’s a big one swimming in the pond you’re fishing, you’ll catch it on a Zara Spook,” Hill says.
<p>When Hill wants to catch numbers of pond bass, he twitches a merthiolate Zoom Trick work rigged Texas style on a 3/0 hook without a weight. He adds a barrel swivel 10-inches above the worm to eliminate line twist and add casting weight.</p>
When Hill wants to catch numbers of pond bass, he twitches a merthiolate Zoom Trick work rigged Texas style on a 3/0 hook without a weight. He adds a barrel swivel 10-inches above the worm to eliminate line twist and add casting weight.
<p>Drop shotting a 4 1/2-inch Zoom Finesse is Hill’s ultimate pond bait for hammering bass. Since many ponds have mucky bottoms, a drop shot rig keeps the worm from gunking up.</p>
Drop shotting a 4 1/2-inch Zoom Finesse is Hill’s ultimate pond bait for hammering bass. Since many ponds have mucky bottoms, a drop shot rig keeps the worm from gunking up.
<p>When he’s not casting for cash, Todd Faircloth enjoys catching bass in ponds and small lakes with three Strike King lures. They are the KVD 1.0 crankbait, a 5-inch Ocho and the KVD Perfect Plastic Swim'n Caffeine Shad.</p>
When he’s not casting for cash, Todd Faircloth enjoys catching bass in ponds and small lakes with three Strike King lures. They are the KVD 1.0 crankbait, a 5-inch Ocho and the KVD Perfect Plastic Swim’n Caffeine Shad.
<p>The little KVD 1.0 runs shallow and ticks over cover. “It gets a lot of bites in ponds that have small bass.”</p>
The little KVD 1.0 runs shallow and ticks over cover. “It gets a lot of bites in ponds that have small bass.”
<p>The KVD Perfect Plastic Swim'n Caffeine Shad is the bait Faircloth used to win the Elite Series tournament on the Sabine River earlier this year. It also does the trick for him when pond fishing. He Texas rigs it with a pegged 1/16- or 1/8-ounce bullet sinker and retrieves it as you would a spinnerbait.</p>
The KVD Perfect Plastic Swim’n Caffeine Shad is the bait Faircloth used to win the Elite Series tournament on the Sabine River earlier this year. It also does the trick for him when pond fishing. He Texas rigs it with a pegged 1/16- or 1/8-ounce bullet sinker and retrieves it as you would a spinnerbait.
<p>Faircloth Texas rigs the Ocho without a weight, casts it to shallow pond banks and lets it slowly wiggle its way to the bottom. Because he fishes it without a weight, it doesn’t pick up much bottom gunk.</p>
Faircloth Texas rigs the Ocho without a weight, casts it to shallow pond banks and lets it slowly wiggle its way to the bottom. Because he fishes it without a weight, it doesn’t pick up much bottom gunk.
<p>Clark Reehm displays the contents of his “oh crap!” box. He uses the little baits when bites are tough in tournaments and when pond fishing.</p>
Clark Reehm displays the contents of his “oh crap!” box. He uses the little baits when bites are tough in tournaments and when pond fishing.
<p>A key player in Reehm’s oh crap!/pond fishing box is Duo’s Realis Crank SR 1.5, which runs only 6 inches deep. “It doesn't dig down into shallow pond vegetation and has a wide wobble,” Reehm says. “You can also retrieve it as a topwater wakebait by holding your rod high.</p>
A key player in Reehm’s oh crap!/pond fishing box is Duo’s Realis Crank SR 1.5, which runs only 6 inches deep. “It doesn’t dig down into shallow pond vegetation and has a wide wobble,” Reehm says. “You can also retrieve it as a topwater wakebait by holding your rod high.
<p>Duo’s Realis Minnow 80SP is a suspending jerkbait that dives only 8 inches deep. “The nose slowly angles up when you pause,” Reehm says. “Bass can’t stand that.”</p>
Duo’s Realis Minnow 80SP is a suspending jerkbait that dives only 8 inches deep. “The nose slowly angles up when you pause,” Reehm says. “Bass can’t stand that.”
<p>The old floating #9 Rapala has been catching pond bass for Reehm since he was a tad. He twitches it on the surface. This also pays off for him in tournaments when bass ignore larger topwater baits.</p>
The old floating #9 Rapala has been catching pond bass for Reehm since he was a tad. He twitches it on the surface. This also pays off for him in tournaments when bass ignore larger topwater baits.

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