Pond fishing

[crappie66]

 
Tried my luck today in the pond here where I live. I was targeting crappie using a small red/chart. tube jig. I managed to catch a dozen or so average crappie, about 9 to 10 inches. I also caught 2 carp, about 5 lbs each, and lost 2 much bigger carp. I saw a school of the carp in the shallow end of the pond so I threw the jig at them, I was actually surprised that they hit the jig, the first carp I have caught on a crappie jig.

The shallow area had thousands of minnows, about an inch long, I am not sure what kind they were, because it appeared like the carp are currently in the process of spawning, the GREEN CARP aka bass were crusing the shoreline, and the crappie are still staged getting ready to move in.
 

[Powerworm]

About a month ago I started a new job in the aquatic services biz. I got my pesticide license yesterday. I now am in charge of controlling weeds in about 150 ponds in the Indianapolis area.  I finally have a job I enjoy. I get to work on a boat!!! Anyway in the ponds that are 1/2 to 3/4 acres the bass are spawning. In smaller ponds gills are starting to make beds.  Any thing bigger than 3/4 everything is prespawn and active in the shallow. I haven't caught too many fish lately, but I see fish all day long.  The redear are shallow in four central and southern Indiana Reservoirs I have fished in the last two weeks. 

[crappie66]

Tried my luck again today in the pond here. I started off catching a lot of crappie on red/chart jigs around the fountains. I don't think I caught any females unless they already dumped their eggs, a good majority of the fish were males, very dark with tore up tails. After about an hour the crappie didn't seem to want jigs so I went and got minnows, they really turned on with minnows. I probably caught a good 50 crappie, no true braggers, mainly 8 to 10 inches with a few going 11 to 12 inches.
I also caught a very nice green carp, he was a nice thick 22 incher. I didn't realize they were spawning yet, but after I released him I saw him stay in the area guarding a nest, and saw a few others cruising through that appeared to be bigger, must have been the females. Last year I caught a lot of dink bass out of the pond, but had no clue there were some monsters in here.

All fish were released, maybe give it a try tomorrow before work. This pond is about an 1.5 acres, so I bet the fish are starting to bed in many other private ponds.