The fisherman casts and waits patiently for a small bite. He pulls in a 3 lb. bass and he now has a favorite fishing spot.

Junior Jameson Barnhart has a preference for ponds to fish at and the company to bring.

“One pond I like to go to is Freedom Park. They have a pond there that I like to fish at,” Barnhart said. “Sometimes, I go fishing with my dad. Other than that, I fish alone. It’s easier.”

Freedom Park is located behind Greenwood Middle School. The ponds are decently sized with catch and release.

Freshman Kaiden Akers has many ponds and lakes he fishes at. The first one is Lake Monroe. Lake Monroe is a good place to swim, fish, hike, and boat due to the 11,000 surface acres of land the lake stretches across.

“I like to go to Lake Monroe. They have a lot there, and there are a lot of good and huge fish in there,” Akers said.  “We were on a boat and we were fishing, we used a cat fishing pole, I put my pull out there. I was sitting there for an hour. I started reeling it in and the cat fish was so huge that I flipped into the water. My dad had to come and grab me. I still had the pole with the catfish. We ended up reeling it in and catching the fish.”

There are many options of places to fish.

“I will fish anything from retention ponds in the neighborhood to lakes in Michigan and Indiana,” Mr. Tad Frahm, art teacher, said. “I don’t mind going [fishing] by myself. I do like going with my boys. They are my favorite.”

Having connections is crucial for fishermen.

“One of my favorite ponds right now is closer to Bargersville. It’s in a neighborhood,” Mr. Frahm said. “We know somebody who lives in the neighborhood, so we can park in front of their house and walk over to the pond.”

Neighborhoods are a good starting point to fish at, but for really big fish, lakes are where to go.

“There is a pond by Hickory Stick that has some pretty big fish in it,” Frahm said. “If you want to catch really big fish, Lake Superior is pretty big.”

Hubbards is a great place to catch catfish.Hubbards is located in Mooresville and is known for its large, trophy fish as well as their fishing shop.

“[The best place to fish] is Hubbards. It has a lot of big catfish. The biggest one I caught was a 65-pound catfish. It was rainy and thunderstorming, and I caught it,” Akers said. “We usually go for the big cats at night. For my 65-pounder, I got paid $500.”

Hubbards has been a key fishing factor in Aker’s life for years.

“My family has been going there for years, ever since I was a little baby. A lot of people go there: fishers and pro fishers,” Akers said. “I usually go fishing with my family because at Hubbards, if you catch 55 pounds and post on Facebook, you win money.”

Smaller fish are common in ponds along trails, especially Tracy Trail at Summerfield Park

“I would recommend a creek. There is a pond down Maine Street along Tracy Trail. It is a creek that has a lot of tiny fish down there,” Barnhart said. “I have been there to catch a small fish before.”

Most people overlook the small ponds by apartments, but they are a good source of smaller fish.

“Any type of pond has small fish. Ponds by apartments have a lot of small fish. They have some little bluegill and other normal fish,” Akers said.

Fish are the most prominent during the spring when it is raining into early summer.

“Most fish are definitely not caught during the summer. Sometimes they like the summer, but they like to hide a lot because of the heat,” Akers said. “When I catch a lot of fish is during the spring because it’s rainy out and they love the rain.”

When picking out a new rod and bait, fishers look for the best within the community and find one with their preferences. 

“I use one of my favorite rods although I don’t have one right now because it broke, but it was called an Ugly Stick. It is known for being a really good rod,” Barnhart said. “I also like to use this bait called a whopper plopper. It sits on the top and makes a noise.”

Different types of bait and rods are essential to catch specific fish.

“I usually use bluegill and salmon. Salmon is a really good fish for catfish and blue cat. I also use a glow-in-the-dark catfishing pole with an advanced line. It has a puller where if the line gets pulled, it starts triggering an alarm system,” Akers said.

Fishing stores, like Bass Pro Shop, are a great place to get the fishing essentials.

“I use tackle boxes, usually Bass Pro Shops. They have a lot, so I go there a lot. I get my hooks from there and my knives. They have a lot of tools for,” he said.

Fishers should always bring a rod, bait, and a tackle box when fishing.

“The essentials are definitely some pliers and fishing rods, of course. In general, a tackle box and bait. It depends on what you are trying to catch,” he said. “If you are trying to catch bluegill, bring worms. For catfish, put some bluegill on there, throw it out, and you will get a lot.”

Bring bread and other vital equipment to score a large amount of fish.

“I normally use a tackle box. I have things in my tackle box like pliers to get the hook out of the fish’s mouth. I have a bunch of backup hooks and stuff like that, so I have everything that I need,” Barnhart said. “Definitely bring a rod. I would also say hooks, a bobber, and bread. We can catch any fish we want with bread.”

It is ideal to bring many types of baits.

“I have a whole big tackle box of stuff,” Mr. Frahm said. “I don’t use live bait, but there is a lot of stuff in there. The thing weighs like 40 pounds,” Frahm. “I have got pliers, tons of hooks, tons of plastic baits, topwater baits, and spinner baits.”