# AEP Pond Habitat Question...Open Field vs. Woods



## Steelheader88 (Aug 14, 2008)

I am about to begin to invest a lot of time into fishing ( I have done alot of hiking) of AEP ponds. My question is this to those in the know...Are any big differences observed in regards to ponds located in the forested tracts vs the open fields? I realize the open field ponds may be a little easier to get to, but in general they appear to have less standing timber, etc. etc. And, if I dare to cross the line, do crappies prefer one more than another. If no
one wants to share their opinion/findings, OK. If discretion is wanted a PM is OK. Thanks guys/gals!


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Purely a bass angler here so I can’t comment on crappies. In my experience the primary distinguishing characteristic is not so much forested vs plains but rather one of depth. And, depth is positively correlated with surface area (sq. ft.), on balance. The shallow ponds are often choked with weeds presenting practical limits to angling success. There are numerous ponds that are accessible via vehicle in a grassland type environment which also have visible timber. The forested ponds do seem to have more lay downs and bank brush cover. If there’s one area where forested ponds likely edge out open field ponds it is accessibility, or lack thereof. The more challenging the access the lower the fishing pressure, at the margin. I’ve not scouted even close to half the ponds so take what I say with a liberal helping of NaCl

PS: I float tube the ponds. Always welcome meeting up if you like


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## Steelheader88 (Aug 14, 2008)

RiparianRanger said:


> Purely a bass angler here so I can’t comment on crappies. In my experience the primary distinguishing characteristic is not so much forested vs plains but rather one of depth. And, depth is positively correlated with surface area (sq. ft.), on balance. The shallow ponds are often choked with weeds presenting practical limits to angling success. There are numerous ponds that are accessible via vehicle in a grassland type environment which also have visible timber. The forested ponds do seem to have more lay downs and bank brush cover. If there’s one area where forested ponds likely edge out open field ponds it is accessibility, or lack thereof. The more challenging the access the lower the fishing pressure, at the margin. I’ve not scouted even close to half the ponds so take what I say with a liberal helping of NaCl
> 
> PS: I float tube the ponds. Always welcome meeting up if you like


Thank you very much for the info. I will be coming down from Cleveland for the occasional weekend throughout the year. I would like to meet up.


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## homepiece (May 11, 2007)

Kayak AEP angler here that has spent a bit of time out there, and I second what was said by Rip..

There are some other things of note..
Figure out what fishing style works for you and figure out a way to use it there. Water clarity is another thing to consider out there. Once the weather warms I prefer the ponds with more of a green/dingy tint. They tend to have more bait fish, forage and cover. Fishing pressure is a big thing out there. Typically the easier a pond is to get to, the more pressure it will get.

You can fish out there with 4 lures and have a lot of success. Black, Natural, or dark senkos/dingers (Fished patiently), White with silver & gold willow blade (war eagle) Spinnerbait for spring, Joshy Bass Candy, and Jig and Pig. Don't disregard the stump fields in many of the lakes. If something works in a certain type of lake out there, it will normally work in the others that are of similar type. once the vegetation starts growing heavy look for edge lines and fish them slowly. 

Fishing for numbers out there is kind of different than fishing for trophies. I have had 50 and 60 bass days out there with the biggest fish being 2lbs.. I have also had one or two fish days with a 6lber and a 4lber. Spring will typically produce your biggest fish of the year, but I have caught a couple of 7lbers out there in the summer.

My best tips are to look at google maps, find a couple you want to check out and get fishing. If you hit a certain type of pond and it is not producing that day, don't be afraid to change your strategy and hit a different type of pond(forested dingy, to open and crystal clear.. etc).

Have fun and enjoy being outside. You will meet some characters out there and see some crazy wildlife. I have seen coyotes, foxes, a bear, bobcat, eagles, osprey, hawks, giant snapping turtles, snakes, etc.

Always spray with repellant and wear boots to the water. Ticks are everywhere out there.


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## Steelheader88 (Aug 14, 2008)

I just saw this comment, a week later, and would like to thank you for it. I am also interested in a few bluegill or crappie for the pan, and am looking forward to a break in the weather. I appreciate everyone's input. My initial plans are to explore a bit in the northwest and southeast sections of the park. Has anyone ever really found a "dead" pond in those lakes? Thanks again!


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Steelheader88 said:


> I just saw this comment, a week later, and would like to thank you for it. I am also interested in a few bluegill or crappie for the pan, and am looking forward to a break in the weather. I appreciate everyone's input. My initial plans are to explore a bit in the northwest and southeast sections of the park. Has anyone ever really found a "dead" pond in those lakes? Thanks again!


I have found a few ponds that were dead. That's the cool part of fishing there. Just keep exploring until you find what you want. There is enough water to explore to keep you busy for years. I have my go to ponds but always try and ad a few different ponds each trip looking for new spots.


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## RiparianRanger (Nov 18, 2015)

Anyone have a relatively recent water temperature reading at any of the ponds?


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## homepiece (May 11, 2007)

Went out there Friday afternoon.. Fishing got better the longer the water had to warm up. Was mid 50s by late afternoon . Baitfish and bass were moving up shallow by the end of the day. Caught 19 bass with the biggest around 2.5 lbs. Some of the gates are open as well.


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