Mount Hope Pond Description and Bass

Mount Hope Pond, 18 acres north of Dover and Route 80, has 12 to 15-foot depths throughout most of its acreage. The shorelines drops off fast, and even in the back of the pond the water drops to eight feet pretty quick. You can bet the bass don't wander aimlessly through the middle; I certainly approached the situation as if they ambush prey around the woodsy shore, and I came up with strong evidence that this is the case.

From the dike, facing the open pond, the shoreline doesn't look like much, but a trail parallels, and paths lead down to water edge where a lot of overhanging brush and stick ups make for excellent bass habitat with immediate access to deep water. I simply walked the trail a way and took every side path. Some briars difficult to manage, I had to maneuver my rod around branches and brush, but this just added to engagement.

I had hoped to take advantage of all the recent rain by fishing a pond that would not muddy (it didn't), and be conditioned just right for mid-afternoon bass under heavy cloud cover. But about a half hour before I arrived, the sun came out. And it remained present the entire time I fished. No matter. Three bass in forty five minutes fishing water new to me isn't bad. The first measured 17 inches, the second about nine inches, and the last 16 1/2 inches. 

I like the 7 1/2-inch Chompers worms. But today I could have used an inset hook, which I didn't have in my shoulder bag. I lost four worms to snags, which prompted me to check my bag of Chompers for a count--20. I may go online and purchase more, although I hate to pay for shipping, and prefer to support local merchants. Anyhow, I have no doubt that in the shallow, close quarters I fished today, literally pitching the worm while I remained back from water edge on the trail, a Senko-type fat worm would splash too loudly and definitely sink too fast.

This would be great early morning and evening summer topwater fishing from a rowboat or canoe, if a launch area existed. But as it is, I don't think a better approach exists than weightless plastics. I noticed a healthy presence of sunfish. Perhaps that lunker I have in mind feeds on them.