We live in a world of ever increasing concrete structures. Housing developments, roads, highways and business developments. As the land is consumed by concrete, the water running off of it must have somewhere to go. Absorption and evaporation can not meet the demands of large amounts of rain that we often incur. The rainwater must have somewhere to go to prevent flooding of city and urban areas. A temporary fix for most of these areas is the construction of a retention basin. These basins are often areas that never dry and create large and small ponds. They allow for water to flow away from inhabited areas and fill up these basins until they evaporate or flow down stream. When the water stays at a semi constant level and never evaporates it can create some of the most interesting urban fishing possibilities unknown to most anglers.
How do fish get into these retention ponds? Fish can be introduced into these ponds in quite a few ways. Eggs or fry can be carried in on the feet and mouths of water foul and other animals, or can be clinging onto some other aquatic vegetation. Sometimes flooding can wash fish from nearby ponds, lakes and streams.
Regardless how the fish got there, I am always amazed at how productive even the smallest retention pond can be. On a recent winter afternoon I visited a retention pond that was rumored to have some bass in it. The pond was about 200 yards away from a major interstate and tucked in behind a popular restaurant and surrounded by a hotel and a housing subdivision. This was definitely not a likely place to catch a bass. As I approached the 50 yard long rectangular pond, I noticed fairly clear water with a lot of aquatic vegetation along the banks. It also had some reeds and stumps along the shoreline which provided cover from predatory birds. I decided to tie on a square bill shallow diving crank bait and throw parallel to the bank just above the submerged vegetation hoping to draw a strike from a cold water bass. On my third cast my crank bait came to a familiar abrupt stop as an aggressive ditch pickle found himself tangled in the treble hooks of my fake offering. As I reeled the fish toward me, I heard the applause of a trucker and his wife parked behind the restaurant. “Nice one”,they hollered as I displayed the fish for them to see. To my surprise I continued to catch fish on several different baits. Chatter baits and a Texas rigged craw worm also did the trick. In all I caught 12 fish from this new found retention pond.
Even though these bodies of water have public access they are not well known and can be productive year round. A general rule is the deeper the pond the better, which allows for a better survival rate. In this age of satellite accessibility , google maps is a great way to find these retention ponds on public property. Once you locate a pond, be careful not to trespass on private property and carry an assortment of lures for what ever conditions you may come across. What looks like a simple drainage ditch could hold a lunker fish waiting to ambush your lure.
The next day after a brief rain I visited a retention pond behind my housing subdivision and used a sixth sense crank bait to trigger the bite of a few warm weather winter bass.
Here is a short video of that trip.
Searching, finding and fishing a new found retention pond creates anticipation and excitement. Not knowing the depth, subsurface structure and water clarity creates a new challenge each time you find a pond to fish. If you think about it, that is what makes life so interesting. Trying new experiences whether succeeding or failing makes the journey worthwhile.
God put us on this earth for his purpose. He gave us the great outdoors to explore and to enjoy. Be thankful, take care of the environment and give thanks for what god has done for us.
1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures for ever.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Go find some retention ponds, have fun and try your luck. Good fishing and God bless you.
Tim Lumpkin
Legacy Outdoors 