Rediscovering a Forgotten Fishing Spot After Years
Let me tell you, finding a hidden wild pond that’s been off your radar for years? Total gold. A while back, I was scouting around after finishing a fishing setup, and bam—there it was. That tiny, overgrown pond I used to fish as a kid (well, a few years back, anyway). I’d caught some solid-sized crucian carp there before, but then… ugh. You know those people? The ones with nothing better to do than drain every small pond with gas pumps? Yeah, they wiped out this area’s ponds a few years ago. So I wrote this spot off. But now? I figured the leftover fish must’ve grown up by now. Time to check it out!
Getting there was a mission. The road’s basically a dirt track with branches scraping both sides of the car. I felt like I was driving a tank through a jungle. But hey, if the fish are there, the struggle’s worth it, right? 
Setting Up for the Day: Boats, Rods, and Bait
Full disclosure: I’m obsessed with boat fishing lately. Even though this pond’s tiny, I decided to set up shop in my boat right in front of the reeds. Why? My eyes aren’t the greatest—seeing the float clearly is non-negotiable. Can’t catch fish if you can’t tell when they’re biting!
I prepped five spots (called “swims” in fishing terms) and waited an hour for the bait to settle. Since the pond’s small, I grabbed two short rods: 2.7m and 3.0m. Line? 1.0mm with a float setup. Bait? Red worms—classic, never fails for crucian carp.
The First Bite: Instant Action!
Ten minutes after dropping the line, bam—float went up! First catch: a tiny crucian carp. Cute, but let’s see if we can get bigger ones. 
Same spot, next cast? Way bigger! That’s when the fun started. One swim was on fire—every time I dropped the line, I got a bite within minutes. It was insane. 
What the Pond’s Bottom Looked Like
I checked the depth while waiting, and guess what? The pond’s bottom is like a giant bowl—deepest in the middle (over 2 meters) and shallow near the edges. No weird holes or ridges, just a smooth slope. Interesting, right? But here’s the weird part: only the shallow edge swim was catching fish. The other four swims? Nada. Zero bites. I even tried moving the rods, but nothing. 
Freezing My Butt Off (But Worth It)
Oh man, the weather lied. Forecast said 7-8°C, but my car said 3°C at noon. Sitting in the boat? My hands and feet went numb fast. I had to take breaks every 20 minutes: row to shore, sit in the car with the heater on, or jog around the field to warm up. Talk about dedication!
While I was warming up, I saw another angler at a nearby pond. He lasted 10 minutes, packed up, and left. Probably too cold, too. Can’t blame him. 
The Catch (and the Line Break Problem)
All day, only that one swim produced. The others? Silent. But that one spot? Non-stop action. The only downside? Tons of reeds underwater, so I broke a few lines. Annoying, but part of the game. 
The fish looked great—golden brown from the pond’s plants, all under 100g (about 2 ounces). No monsters, but solid. 
Final Count: Catch and Release
By the end, I had over 20 fish. I kept 6 bigger ones for dinner, and let the rest go. Gotta keep the pond healthy for next time!
On the way home? Snow started falling. Tiny flurries, but still—what a day. 
Random Fishing Thoughts (Because Why Not?)
Here’s the thing about fishing: you can never figure out fish completely. I tried different depths, but only one shallow spot worked. Same depth, other spots? Nothing. If you think you know what fish want, you’re fooling yourself. Sometimes it’s just luck—your swim hits their hiding spot, and boom, you catch everything.
But that’s the fun of it, right? The mystery. Next time I go back? I’m hitting that same shallow spot first. And maybe bring a better heater. My toes are still cold thinking about it!
