Hot Weather Bass in Delaware

KILLENSSome of the best ponds during the heat,to shallow water at night in the upper end.
day or night, have been Millsboro, Killens, and CanalBuzzbaits are best, but Tournament Frogs work
pond.First of the closest ponds to both upper andwell also, in the day and night. Several bass have
lower Delaware is Killens in Dover. Killens is locatedbeen caught in the three to six pound range in the
right off rt.13. Turn left onto State Park Road,past at night, using the frog and Senko's mostly in
follow the road around the curve, past the mainthe day. Cast the buzzbait wherever possible at
park entrance, and about a mile and a half downnight, it is worth removing the grass. Use Senko's
the road is the pond. It has parking for about sixby the lower end of the lake in deeper water in
to eight trucks with trailers, with an adequatethe day, and do not forget to let them sit a long
launching ramp. Killens is a state park, and theytime, raise the pole once or twice, and then cast
also rent boats and cabins, but you will find littleagain. Use these techniques and bring plenty of
competition for bass except on theinsect repellent, and you will connect with some
weekends.Most of Killens is one to five feet deeplunkers, and many others in the two to three
at the shoreline, except in the extreme upperpound range.CANAL PONDCanal Pond is located
end, where it is just inches deep. The lake has anby the railroad bridge in the C&D Canal area. Turn
Island in the center with some wood cover andright under St.Georges Bridge and follow the road
grass. It drops off to six feet quickly on theto the pond. It has beautiful structure, pads, and
channel side (main lake), and is about three feethas a deep shoreline with a deep hole. This was
on the right side. This is a particularly good areawhere a few years ago, the thirty pound
to work in the day with "Senko's" in four and fivelandlocked striped bass was caught. There are
inch sizes in black and watermelon on a 3/0 WGsome real Lunker largemouth's still there also. You
hook, with eight and ten pound test line. Inwill need a small cartop boat to fish it, but it is
addition, clacker type buzzbaits produce bass inworth the trouble of getting in. It is about thirty
the three to six pound range many times in thisacres of real good drop-offs, and structure,
area, even in the bright afternoon sun. Awhere bass up to nine pounds have been caught.
Tournament Frog, or "Sumo Frog" is a goodPlease remember to practice Catch, Photo, and
choice for the pads especially in the daytime heat.Release so we can all enjoy the bass fishing there
The action will be slower, but you can connectfor a long time to come. Senko's and four inch
with some big explosions through the grass andstraight tailed worms work best throughout the
pads at times. A Tournament Frog is the bestyear in watermelon and green. At times
choice of topwater, and a 1/2 ounce in blackspinnerbaits and frogs will work, but this is a
works best all around. Vary the retrieve, bothplastics lake.Noxontown LakeNoxontown has long
day and night, sometimes letting the frog sit afterbeen known for producing big bass. In the late
hitting the water, as long as thirty seconds, thenseventies and early eighties largemouth of seven
use a few quick hops. If this doesn't produce, tryand eight pounds were not uncommon to hear of
working it very fast and pausing only once, on theeach week.Since that time, with all the recreational
way back to the boat. This is especially effectiveand tournament pressure, its big bass numbers
in large pads.Jigs in black and blue take their fairseem to have declined, or have they?The answer
share of nice bass from here also, but you mustis no! They are still there, just older and wiser.
be extremely accurate and quiet in yourThis was proven when I caught a 10.16 pound
presentations or you will not connect. The basslargemouth bass in 1999 in Noxontown, just
will be in the heaviest of cover, lying in wait for aounces short of the state record.That bass was
slow moving, crippled bait to come overhead."GOfeatured in a full page article in the News Journal
AT NIGHT"Fishing at night when the water coolspaper, in Bassmaster Magazine Lunker Club, North
to seventy or seventy-five degrees, is the bestAmerican Fisherman, and Bass Pro Shops Master
time to connect with bigger bass now. Explore thecatalogs.The trick to getting these larger bass to
shallow water right at the drop-offs on the leftstrike is to fish the lake at low pressure times
side of the lake with buzzbaits cast to the mainduring the weekdays, and employing some
channel edge. Do not be afraid to experiment withwestern techniques such as swimbaits off the
some older, forgotten baits, such as a "Devilsdeeper points. Just because they are northern
Horse", or similar prop baits. They work wondersstrain bass and aren't 20 pounds, it doesn't mean
sometimes in highly pressured lakes.MILLSBOROthey don't want a big easy meal.Follow these tips
PONDMillsboro Pond is in Sussex County,and tactics in these Delaware Lakes and Ponds
Delaware, in the town of Millsboro off Isabella andthis year, and you will catch the trophy of a
Main Street. It has room for only a few boats,lifetime!The swimbaits and other big bass baits are
and the launching ramp is very shallow, you canavailable at Delaware Tackle in Wilmington, or on
get off all right, but getting back on the trailer canthe web at is the 1998 Big Bass World Champ/De
be real tricky. Most of the lake is shallow, with lotsand in the NAFC Hall Of Fame. His site is where
of grass. It has several Islands, but the bass goyou can talk with him live.