I fished a new park pond this morning that I know has produced a decent bass or two in the past week or so, thanks to the Fishing Spots app I was turned onto here on TFF.

I worked my way around the entire bank fan casting like has been suggested to me.

I tried a rage tail that I had some good luck with on a different lake this past weekend but nothing. About half way around I switched to a worm that done well for me. Then tried a top water frog then tried a wopper plopper.

Absolutely nothing on any of the baits.

So being very new to this, I'd LOVE to hear some thoughts on how you approach a new pond.

- Is working around the bank fan casting what you would do? Especially if there's no structure to be had?

- When do you change baits? Do you have a sequence of "go to" baits that you try in order?

- At what point to you decide there's no bite at a pond and move on?

BTW, I was there for about 45 minutes and after nothing, went to a different pond a few miles away and did manage to catch a nice 2 pounder there on that same worm

Thanks in advance!

What you just described is precisely what has happened to me over the last year while fishing ponds of all sizes.

Walk the pond, cast all directions, change baits, look for cover, but if there is none, still cast out at angles, and when there is no bite, it's so frustrating.

What do I do?
I keep doing what I've been taught and seen in videos. It just like you've described.

When I get no bites, or very few and land 1 to zero fish, I begin to question what I'm doing.

* I think my specific problem might be that at times, I'm not able to distinguish a bite from a bounce on the ground or unseen brush/grass.
* Second, I stay up late at night playing guitar, playing online, flipping channels, reading, whatever. I have not been able to get myself to get up and fish at the recommended 6-9 am time-frame, but I'll change that soon enough.

This topic gives me more incentive to go try again.

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Looks like you're in my neck of the woods. Maybe PM me and we can compare notes on places to fish?

When I can't get bit, I slow down and downsize my bait.

Still walk the bank and fan cast, just slow down. I have good luck with curl tail grubs on jig heads. and small creature baits on Ned Rig or shakey head.

If nothing else works, I'll try a wacky rig.

Thanks Lee! Great advice.

Wasn’t long ago when I was catching bass in our pond quickly and often. And then they quit biting. I threw everything I could think of, to no avail. But, I went fishing with a pro the other day and he was using a Zoom speed craw in pumpkin, and he was killing em. I went home and used that same bait in the pond and the bass went for it. They wanted crawfish. Turned up their noses at minnow type baits.

I save time by just casting ahead of me 45 degrees or less to the bank .

In the summer, fishing early or late will help.

Interesting you mention this. I tried this approach yesterday morning at a local park pond. I didn't expect I'd get any action and I wanted to have enough time to hit a second pond before needing to start work.

I made my way around the pond with a chatter bait in about 15 minutes and then did a second "lap" with a spinner bait. . The spinner bait seemed to work, or happened to be what I was throwing when they woke up maybe.

My casting with a bait caster is still erratic enough I know I don't really cover all the water but that will come in time I hope.

I managed to land two bass in the hour or so I was there, which for that little pond was a very good day.