What type of bait fish are in the ponds will help determine your baits. My parents have several ponds on their farm in central Texas (acre or less) that have a lot of blue gill, red ear perch. crawfish, baby bass, and tad poles. I have found that smaller baits work best, either watermelon or blue work the best. Light weights, because in our ponds there is a lot of moss and you want to bounce the bait on the top of the moss. Also lighter weights sink slower so you will get bites as the bait is sinking on your toss. I like to use 3 - 4 inch ring frys. The fishing is great from March to November, but basically dead in the winter.

Well guys, I just got back today and thanks to your advise, or just dumb luck, I pulled out a few more fish today. I went out and got some 5' Senko's at academy and ran them without a weight on a 3/0 hook. It worked VERY well, and it's something I plan on using going forward.

I did find that my 10lb test line was insufficient or I was asking too much of it. There were 3-4 occasions when the line snapped while reeling in fish. It was line I had just put on this week too so it's not a matter of it degrading over time. Time for some 14lb test?

Find some Triplefish in the 10# or 12#. I use it on most all my rods. Very seldom lose a fish. Can be bought at Cabelas or Barlows. Best line I have ever used. I use the camo color.

GET A TUBE FLOATER-that's what God ment for men to fish these small waters with.

You can cover more water effectively with horizantal type baits. In ponds and small lakes, I have the most confidence in 5" Kalin Grubs on 1/16th - 3/16th oz. jigheads with over-sized hooks. Other good horizantal baits for small lakes include: Heddon Zara Spooks, Heddon Tiny Torpedoes, Heddon Baby Lucky 13's, Rebel Jumpin' Minnows, Rebel Bighoppers, Arbogast Hocus Locusts, Zoom Trick Worms wacky rigged and Rapala Original Floating Minnows. In colder waters I throw Rapala Husky Jerks, Yum Houdini Shads, Yum Dingers, Yum Craw Papi's, Booyah Baby Boo jigs and Eakins Jewel Jigs. I throw Yum and Strike King tubes on insert jigheads and Roadrunners in warm and cold water when all else fails. Hope this helps!

senko, weightless fluke, spinnerbait, spook(sometimes), maybe a jerk bait, but what never fails for me in ponds is 4-5 inch blue gill just hook em through the lip and work it like a fluke

Muscogeemike said it. Use all the GREAT info you see here and then get a fishing tube. You can get one fairly cheap these days and they are made for waters like yours. I am drooling here too just thinking about me and my tube in that lake.