By Dwayne Zboril

One of the most enjoyable ways to hit the water for a fishing adventure is to go to a small body of water, a tank, pond, or lake. The terms are numerous, but they are refer to the same thing a body of water that holds fish. I am from Texas and the following rules were told to me when I was very young.

1. a POND is less than 1/2 acre
2. a TANK is 1 to 5 acres
3. a LAKE is anything over 5 acres Im sure the names very from state to state and town to town, but one thing remains the same they all hold fish. A small body of water can produce massive amounts of fish, not just small fish but monsters as well. I have caught several bass in the 8-9 lb range that were in bodies of water no bigger than 1 acre. Fish establish a habitat and mark their territor. They will defend it at the cost of their lives, whether it be fighting off another fish or a snake or turtle attempting to eat their young. Dont underestimate a small body of water for some hot fishing.

I was brought up on cattle ponds and tanks that were never more than 1-3 acres in size. Dont get me wrong I love a large lake with coves and bays just like the next guy, but their is something simple and pure about a small body of water. It brings me close to my roots, a remember the times growing up fishing small bodies of water. If I dont want to fight a crowd at the boat ramp or on the water of a large lake I head out to a small tank or pond and have an enjoyable day on the water. If you are not an avid bank fisherman then take a small 2 man bass boat or a float tube and hit the water. I love to fish from the bank as much as fishing from a boat, so I look forward to walking around looking for structure and hiding spots.

Small bodies of water will also have spawning seasons at different times and sometimes several times a year. Due to the small size the temperature levels change easily which can cause the fish to begin spawning more frequently than they would in a large body of water. I love fishing the beds in a small body of water and due to the size they will hold bigger fish longer. The spawning season will vary not only with the temperature but the location makes a difference as well.

Take the time to fish the small bodies of water, and see how much enjoyment you can have. I am a big fan of the ponds, tanks, and little lakes of the world.

dwaynez