What sits in the shady confines of the damp pond edges we often fish? Salamanders and Newts, lifelong enemies of a familiar friend of the North American fisherman. What lays quietly under a shady branch in the water of a small pond ? Lunker Largemouth if you fish the ponds I do.

Several years back Zoom Lizards were all the rage on the bass Pro circut. Fact is they still are. Being a consumer , and being influenced by the advertising world , I had to try em out. I zipped on down to Wal - Mart and started what would become a love affair with a new bait.

At first you might say to yourself , I have never seen a lizard swimming in a pond and as a matter of fact , I have never seen a salamander either. Before you proclaim it an unusual choice of baits , think about the last time you saw a spinnerbait swimming in front of a Largemouth all on it's own. Never happens , and theres nothing that even barely looks like it around, yet fishermen catch Largemouth routinely on them. Lizards immitate a known enemy of the Bass.

Like a spinnerbait , a Lizard will draw strikes out of instinct. There is an old instict in a Largemouth that tells it to attack the predetor that may eat its fry or eggs. In the case of the spinnerbait it is a matter of flash and fury that causes an instinctive feeding response. Either bait on the right day is a killer when it comes to pond bassin. Pitching a lizard right up on the edge of cover very often will bring an immediate and fierce strike. In fact , often it happens so quickly that I am caught unprepared to set the hook. They can be crawled like a texas rigged worm or, slowly retrieved or bounced . I have had excellent success with each of these methods. One of my favorite tactics is to fish a lizard weightless over heavy cover , the action can be awesome.

Give the plastic Lizards a try next time your out on your favorite bass hole, you are certain to be suprised !