John's Journal...

Fishing for Beaver-Pond Bass

Belly Boating

Click to enlargeEditor’s Note: When beaver-pond bassing is right, it can be some of the most-explosive, exciting fishing that an angler can experience. There is more than one way to catch a beaver-pond-bass because there’s more than one type of beaver pond to fish.

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“Some of the most-productive beaver ponds I’ve found are off of main river systems, but they maybe 1/4- to 1/2-mile back, through the woods,” Dr. Bob Sheppard, a dedicated belly boater from Carrollton, Alabama, says. “To get to these beaver ponds, I may run up and down the river, park my boat and hike through the woods. Once at the pond, I may not be sure about the depth of the pond,and the places I want to fish often are over my head. So, I use a Browning belly boat,which is lightweight, easy to carry and provides the buoyancy I must have when I’m in deep water and the portability I need when I’m wading in and around stumps. The bass are in the beaver ponds and in these remote areas, and have seen few artificial lures, if any. Since the fish haven’t been picked over by hundreds of other anglers, my chances are good for catching them. I enjoy fishing the Rapala, the Rebel, the plastic worm, and when I can find open water, crankbaits like Bagley’s DB-2, Norman’s Little N and Rebel’s Maxi-R. I like being away from crowds and the noise of major reservoirs as much as I enjoy catching thClick to enlargeebass. I can take my tube, a pair of flyweight waders, my rod and reel and a few lures andbe quietly alone for several hours while I catch bass. I really enjoy the solitude. Of course, catching a limit of bass that can weigh from 2- to 6-pounds each isn’t a bad reason for fishing beaver ponds either.”

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Two More Tactics for Successful Beaver-Pond Bassing:

Two other methods that work well to make big bass bite in beaver ponds include the swimming worm. I’ve found this bait the most productive in the 6- or 8-inch size and when it’s riggedTexas style without any lead. By holding the rod tip high, the worm can be swum across the surface of the water much like a small snake. And when the bait swims by a lunker largemouth, the bass naturally will blow-up on the worm. Another bait that is extremely deadly on beaver-pond bass and can be worked through very heavy cover in shallow water is the Snagless Sally/Uncle Josh pork-chunk combination. When the bait swims 1-inch under the surface and leaves a wake in its passing, it will call fish from cover and cause a bass attack.

Tomorrow: How to Find Beaver Ponds


Check back each day this week for more about "Fishing for Beaver-Pond Bass"

Day 1: Beaver-Pond Bass
Day 2: Rawhide Beaver-Pond Bassing
Day 3: Leisure-Time Canoeing
Day 4: Belly Boating
Day 5: How to Find Beaver Ponds

 

 

Entry 414, Day 4