| Lums Pond, located just off Rt. number 71, in | | | | Last year working this point, and the one directly |
| Kirkwood Delaware, is a 190 acre state park, with | | | | to the north of the cove with a pier, we caught |
| a very shallow launching ramp, and has room for | | | | more than eight bass in the three to five pound |
| about 25-30 vehicles with trailers in the main lot | | | | class, with a couple of nice six pound Hybrids |
| by the launching ramp. There is a daily fee at sate | | | | thrown in. |
| parks, or a yearly pass can be purchased at any | | | | "Buzz the Flats" |
| of the park offices. | | | | Don't forget the buzzbait in the spring. When the |
| This is a prime location for bass anglers in the | | | | water warms to sixty to sixty-five degrees, the |
| spring and summer, and receives fairly heavy | | | | buzzbait will draw tremendous topwater |
| fishing pressure, from weekend anglers and | | | | explosions on overcast days,and sometimes the |
| tournament fisherman. Although it has a lot of | | | | whole day. Many times in April, we started with |
| pressure, there are still quite a few big bass in | | | | the buzzbait early in the morning, looking for |
| Lums, along with a decent population of Hybrid | | | | active fish, and never switched baits all day. Some |
| Striped Bass. If you follow these steps, you can | | | | days of twenty to twenty-five fish, are not |
| still connect with a real trophy in Lums Pond this | | | | uncommon at all, with most in the three to four |
| spring. | | | | pound class. The best areas for the buzzbait in |
| "Wood Cover" | | | | Lums are located on the flats that are adjacent |
| There is quite a lot of wood, laydowns, and cut | | | | to deep water. A good fish locator, such as a |
| off stumps in Lums. Most of the wood is located | | | | Lowrance, that is made for shallow water |
| on the left and right hand sides of the main lake, | | | | performance, is a great tool to have when you |
| right after the beach and docks, about 1000 | | | | first start to explore Lums, as it is one of the |
| yards up from the launching ramp. The first area | | | | larger Delaware Ponds. |
| to try is the laydowns on the right, as you head | | | | Head straight up the lake from the launching ramp |
| up past the beach. This area is overlooked by a | | | | until you get to the upper end of the lake. There |
| lot of anglers, but is a good location for | | | | will be a cove with a fishing pier all the way up on |
| largemouth's in the two to four pound range. This | | | | the right. Work this area with repetitious casts |
| same area also holds quite a few Striped Bass | | | | using a double-buzz, in black, and a clacker type |
| hybrids that run around six pounds on average, | | | | buzzbait, such as a Terminator Ball Buster or |
| but some in the eight and nine pound class have | | | | Charon Klacker buzz, in 1/2 ounce, with a trailer |
| been caught here. | | | | hook. Many times here you will get a lot of short |
| You can't go wrong by flipping a black/blue jig, | | | | strikes due to the muddy water. A trailer hook |
| with either a blue Uncle Josh Pork trailer, or a | | | | will increase your hookups greatly. Stay well off |
| Sweet Beaver trailer. Both have worked real well | | | | shore here, and make as many as thirty casts, |
| flipped into the laydowns along both shores in this | | | | from different directions, before moving on. Make |
| area. The North shore receives the most sunlight | | | | sure to hesitate just a second when the bass |
| in the spring, and as a result, warms first. I like to | | | | strike, and set the hook hard. I like to use a 7 |
| use a seven foot, Falcon graphite rod, with a | | | | foot Lews Crankin stick, or a G.Loomis Crankin |
| Shimano Chronarch, spooled with twenty to | | | | stick with seventeen to twenty pound test for |
| twenty-five pound test. Flip all the laydowns in this | | | | this type of fishing. |
| area, working each one of the branches moving | | | | "Cover Water" |
| from the outside in, right up to the shore. If this | | | | When all of the above methods fail, start covering |
| area doesn't produce right away, move across | | | | water. Sometimes the bass are still a little off |
| the lake to the other laydowns, and work them | | | | shore in the early spring, and covering water |
| the same way. When you can't get a hit in this | | | | quickly, until you get a strike, is a good idea. The |
| area on the jig, often, you can move off this | | | | best lures for this are 1/2 ounce chrome/blue |
| area a little farther, and rework the same areas | | | | Rattlin' Rapalas. Position the boat a little off shore, |
| with a 3/8 ounce Terminator spinnerbait in Golden | | | | and cast out to the drop-offs and weedlines, |
| Shiner, with tandem blades. Make as much | | | | retrieving it back with a pumping motion, raising |
| contact with the wood from as many different | | | | your rod from a 9 to 12 o'clock position. Make |
| angles as possible. Keeping a buzzbait rigged for | | | | sure the hooks are really sharp. When you locate |
| this area is a good idea, and many times, | | | | the fish, work the area slowly with the lipless |
| repeated casts to the same areas over and over, | | | | crankbaits, spider grubs, and a 4" Senko." |
| at different angles will provoke a reaction strike. | | | | Follow these tips for Lums Pond this year in the |
| "Points and Drop-offs" | | | | spring, and you will get a quick start to a "trophy |
| Although it is common knowledge that bass will | | | | year." |
| stage on drop-offs and points this time of year, all | | | | Later in the afternoon, the area directly across |
| drop-offs and points aren't alike. Look for | | | | the lake from here contains a lot of overhanging |
| drop-offs and points that are nearest to the main | | | | trees, and a lot of stumps. These stumps can't be |
| channel, preferably on the North shore, that | | | | seen until it's too late. So make sure you have a |
| contain some type of new vegetation growth | | | | breakaway mount on your electric motor, and |
| under the surface. There are several areas that | | | | keep the outboard up out of the water. There is |
| are eight and nine feet deep, but the average | | | | a no-wake policy on Delaware ponds, but you can |
| depth is four feet, with some of the shoreline | | | | use the outboards. The bass in these heavily |
| much shallower. The water is very stained to | | | | pressured areas become conditioned to sounds |
| muddy, so the bass will go very shallow to feed. | | | | more easily, as they can't rely so much on sight, |
| Don't be afraid to cast right up against the shore | | | | due to the muddy water. So keep the trolling |
| in the very shallow water. At first glance, Lums | | | | motor on low, and try to avoid any banging |
| doesn't seem to have a lot of grass, algae, or | | | | around in the boat. I have caught bass with the |
| emergent weed growth, but there is a wide | | | | trolling motor on, but most of the bass above |
| variety of aquatic vegetation under the surface | | | | five pounds were caught with the trolling motor |
| that hold lots of baitfish, and bass! | | | | off. |
| One of the best spots to connect with some big | | | | Keep these things in mind this year at Lums, and |
| largemouth's and hybrids is the sand point and | | | | you will connect with the bass you are looking for. |
| drop-off just across from the dog training area. | | | | Most people get on the water too late. Start in |
| Work this area well with a white/chartreuse | | | | mid to late March, or as soon as the water |
| spinnerbait and long shad colored minnow baits, | | | | temperature gets to around forty-eight to fifty |
| such as a Husky Suspend Jerk, or a Rattlin' Rogue | | | | degrees. |
| in blue/chrome,or a Lucky Craft "Pointer". | | | | |