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Now's the time to grab a rod and fish your local
pond |
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April 11, 2017 |
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By Roger Phillips
IDFG Public Information Specialist
Warm, sunny days probably have you itching to go
fishing, but that beautiful weather means
melting snow that blows out rivers, and puts a
chill on some lakes and reservoirs. The answer
to your fishing dilemma may be in your
neighborhood, at a local park, or a within a
short drive (or bicycle ride) away.
Ponds are the underdogs of Idaho’s fishing
waters, but acre-for-acre, they can provide as
much fishing opportunity as Idaho’s famed
destinations.
“Ponds get a lot of use, and we really like to
put fish in them,” Fisheries biological aide
Jamie Carpenter said. “I love ponds because
everybody can fish them, young and old, and they
make fun, quick fishing trips.”
Ponds are in prime condition during spring.
Their waters typically warm fast, which makes
fish active and conditions perfect for stocking
trout, which Fish and Game crews are doing.
Thousands of catchable rainbow trout are added
weekly to a variety of ponds throughout the
state.
Carpenter recently stocked trout in ponds near
Caldwell, and she explained that although they
are productive and convenient places to catch
trout, the prime trout-fishing period can be
surprisingly short.
“We have a fairly narrow window between when
they’re covered with ice during winter and get
too warm in summer to stock trout,” she said.
Some ponds are too warm for trout as early as
June, but most last into July, or even August.
However, many ponds also have bass, catfish and
panfish, which are more tolerant of warm water
than trout.
“When it warms too much for trout, there are
still other things you can fish for,” she said.
Fish and Game has many online resources for
anglers. The Fishing Planner provides an
overview of all the state’s fishing waters in
each region, including ponds. Many ponds are
classified as Family Fishing Waters, which means
they have the same fishing rules and bag limits.
Before you go, you can also see the latest
stocking schedules so you know when it most
recently got a fresh batch of trout and when the
next round is planned.
If you’re new to fishing, ponds are an excellent
place to get started. Check out our Learn to
Fish page and learn about fishing basics. Also
check the schedule of our “Take me Fishing”
trailer events.
Fish and Game crews haul a “Take me Fishing”
trailer to local ponds throughout spring and
summer, typically on evenings during the week
and mornings on weekends. These trailers are
loaded with fishing rods, tackle and bait that
can be borrowed for free. Fish and Game staff
and volunteers will show novice anglers - young
and old - how to catch fish.
The Fishing Planner will also tell you what fish
you’re likely to find in a pond, and if you’re
taking kids fishing, ponds with bluegill can
provide a lot of angling action for kids with
short attention spans. Many ponds located in
parks and are adjacent to playgrounds and other
activities for kids, so they can fish for a
while then go play in the park.
While ponds are great places for youth and
novice anglers, experienced anglers should not
overlook them. Despite lots of fishing pressure,
ponds can produce some surprisingly large fish,
particularly bass and catfish.
To survive long enough to grow, those fish
survived several seasons and figured out how to
avoid the temptations of most anglers’ bait and
lures. This makes them a challenging quarry for
any angler.
Don’t expect to walk a well-worn path to the
shoreline at your local pond and land a lunker.
Spend some time scouting out-the-way spots and
learn where big ones avoid other anglers. Don’t
hesitate to use a small fishing craft like a
float tube, canoe or kayak, but be courteous of
bank anglers and avoid fishing in areas where
they can cast.
Bass spawn during spring, and those big ones can
be found in shallow water near shorelines. It’s
probably the best time of year to catch them,
and although in most places they’re legal to
harvest, they’re also prime candidates for
catch-and-release because they’re producing the
next generation of fish. |
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