Sometimes We Outsmart Ourselves - Pond Bass

[mic]

When I was a kid, I fished with an ole Zebco 33 and bait I dug up in the yard or the simplest of lures. Then someone showed me a purple worm. Like most of us, I upgraded my gear and bought specialized lures again and again over the years. So the other day I'm out at a farm pond and not doing all that great (blaming it on the cold weather). I'm going through my tackle box and see a Panther Martin 1/8 oz I bought for fishing in the trout parks. I remember that I had one of those a long, long time ago. I decide, what the hell. All of a suden the bite was on, and I'm catching one, then two, then three. Being a smart guy, I decide to try my favorite lure "because the bite is on". No fish. Hell that can't be. So I put the inline back on, the fish start biting again. Now I'm curious, so I try another lure, no bite. Inline back on, they are biting again. Because I'm so smart I decide it is the pond or the day. Next time out, different day and pond... put the ole Panther on, its on again. Another day, and yet another pond, same result.

Some times, at least for pond bass, I think we out think ourselves. Now the only question... is it an early spring lure. I'll let you know, because I just ordered bunch of new Panthers and they are only 6 for $18.

Later Boys,

Tight Lines,

MIC

[Justin Spencer]

I did the exact same thing yesterday after losing an ineffective $8 rapala.

[fishinwrench]

In my experience, yeah that is pretty much a reliable early Spring pond pattern.

A #2 Mepps was always the first good "bite" of the year in the strip pits I grew up fishing in. My buddy and I kept the pegs at the local tackle shop and wal-mart bare of them every year.

When we started fishing bigger lakes we couldn't understand why they "didn't work anymore".

It's a pond thing.

We tried all the available inlines we could get our hands on but the #2 Mepps is IMO the hands down winner.

[mic]

Thanks for the info... I'm planning on hitting a few strip pits this spring.

In my experience, yeah that is pretty much a reliable early Spring pond pattern.
A #2 Mepps was always the first good "bite" of the year in the strip pits I grew up fishing in. My buddy and I kept the pegs at the local tackle shop and wal-mart bare of them every year.
When we started fishing bigger lakes we couldn't understand why they "didn't work anymore".
It's a pond thing.

We tried all the available inlines we could get our hands on but the #2 Mepps is IMO the hands down winner.

[Wayne SW/MO]

We always did real well with Roostertails on smallies. I don't throw them anymore, but like you I have no idea why? The fish could be color specific at times, but it was still white, black, or yellow and not hard to pattern.

[Flysmallie]

I still throw a rooster from time to time and throw a Mepps 2 or 3 quite a bit. They will catch fish on the big lakes too.

[WakenLake]

Caught crappie on them at Springfield lake.

The only thing they were bitin when it was bitter cold. Weird.