Hey everyone, hoping for some help. I've been fishing since I was about three, started tying my own flies when I was about 11, I'm no newbie to fishing, but for some reason, I never really got into swimbaits. I've always done well bassin on most everything else so I never really felt the need to go to something new, however... I've become good friends with a family that owns a HUGE ranch, two creeks, a resevoir, six ponds and a good size canal full of trout all on their property that no one but friends and family are allowed to fish. The largest bass I've pulled out so far was 4.5 lbs, but I know that that toads are hanging out in there somewhere. Don't get me wrong I have a blast going out there catching 20 or 30 bass in a day all around 2-4 lbs, they didn't even know they had bass out there over two pounds. When I told them I know they have bass out there over 10 easily they all gave me a funny look, so being that I've seen all these impressive pictures of hogs with swimbaits in their mouth I'm gonna go that route, now here's where I need the advice.. The creeks have mostly dried up into trickle connected small holes by now so I'm gonna go hit the ponds... The ponds are all decent size, just small enough that it's not too much work to walk the whole bank, vegitation is good, reeds and lilly pads, it's all pretty mellow slopes, no big drops or channels, water clarity is so-so, can't see into it much, but i've fished darker. There is an abundance of crappie and bluegill (no luck on rattle traps or cranks or both patterns suprisingly enough). You think swimbaits are the way to go to pull a eye-poppin bass out of these farm ponds? If so, any particular baits you suggest, brand, size, pattern, times and techniques, whatever help you have is appreciated. I suprised them with a 4.5 lber, so imagaine what a 10, 12, maybe even a 15 lber will do to them. I KNOW THEY'RE IN THERE... HELP ME!!!! By the way, another topic, one of these ponds was stocked FULL of catfish about twenty years ago and now there are some HUGE cats, biggest caught was about three and a half feet, but a friend of the family supposedly lost about a 4.5'-5' cat right at the bank, could be lieing but who knows, 2' is pretty average for the pond... Thanks in advance for the help.
THEY'RE IN THERE WATCHING ME AND LAUGHING! DON'T LET THESE BASS GET THE UPPER HAND ON FISHERMAN, WE NEED TO BAND TOGETHER AND SHOW 'EM, WHO'S BOSS, HELP ME...PLEASE!!
Thanks,
Hunter