Articles
Posted on May 26, 2023 2:00 PM by Megan Bradley
Categories:
General
Our resident fishing expert, Steven Teel, is back with another Learn to Fish class. The class is for all ages. Registration is free, but you must pre-register to attend. To learn more or sign up, email manager@colescrossinghoa.com. More information is available on Facebook.
Posted on April 3, 2023 1:00 PM by Megan Bradley
Categories:
Coles Connection
The CC Connection is back! Click the image to read the latest edition.
Posted on February 11, 2020 9:15 AM by Landscape & Lakes
Categories:
Committee News
I have been fishing the four Coles ponds for approximately a dozen years. Many changes have taken place that impacted fishing success in our ponds. Nature requires a delicate balance of water purity, water levels, weeds (both submergent and emergent), underwater structure such as logs and rocks, amphibians and fish species. If an eco-food web system is present, then fishing will be good. All of our ponds were restocked with new healthy fish in December. Golden Shiners, Bluegill and Hybrid Largemouth Bass were distributed in each pond based on acreage, species, size, the existing fish community, and other factors. These are the fish species by pond location. Presently there are some large channel catfish in both Coles Pond and Coles Arbor. There are healthy Largemouth Bass in all four ponds. Bluegill and Shiners are also found in all four ponds.
Please do not ever introduce another species into our neighborhood ponds! Here are some examples of invasive species that we do not want yet were discovered in the ponds. We have found Butterfly Coy (carp) and Spotted Gar that were caught in Coles Pond. How did they get in there? Most likely a resident put them in the pond. The Gar are especially harmful to this culture and have been removed. There is a critical balance required especially in smaller one to two-acre ponds such as ours.
It should be noted that the average water depth is only three feet. There are a few seven to eight feet deep pools around the fountains, but the ponds are simply very shallow. The location dictates lure or bait success. Here are some basic tips for fishing in our ponds.
Fan Casting for bass has proven successful. A lot of water along a bank can be covered quickly that way. The first goal should always be to find the fish and determine what pattern they like on that day. Do the bass seem to bite when you are slowly moving your lure through the water? Do they want a faster aggressive retrieve? What color lure do they like? Safely walk along the bank and cast several times from 9 to 3 o’clock until you discover a hungry bass. Where you find one, there should be others so cast more in that area.
Structure will hold fish. Some examples of structure are the gazebo in Coles Pond and the fishing pier at Coles Mills. Both of these locations offer cover or protection for smaller bluegill and are great spots for bass to ambush their prey. The best way to catch Bluegill is to use a small hook, split shot weight and a bobber. Bluegill like live baits such as worms. Berkley Gulp Powerbait maggots or mealworms also work well.
Some bass lures that work well here are spinner baits, top water lures such as Zara Spook or Rapala Skitter Pop, and plastic frogs. Cast and work these lures around weed beds. The greatest success with top water lures can be experienced in the morning or evening hours. If it is a bright and sunny day always use shiny gold or silver bladed spinner lures. If it is overcast, stormy or dark, use darker colored lures. Texas and Carolina rigs with plastic worms work well along the bottom and suspended live baits also prove successful. Don’t use deep diving crank baits or lures. The shallow silt and muddy bottom and branches will cause hang ups and poor results.
Here are a few regulations we recommend that you follow. We need to keep our ponds clean. Always carry away or discard garbage correctly. Pick-up all plastic, cans, styrofoam and fishing line that you find around the water. Treat our ponds with respect. Fishing the Coles ponds does not require a Texas fishing license and remember that our ponds are “Catch and Release Only”. Use barbless hooks when possible. Let us all preserve our fish and allow them to mature. It is more fun to catch a greater number and large fish so please carefully remove the hook and put them back into the water quickly. Lastly, please do not use seine bait nets or bluegill as live bait for bass. Have a great day fishing!
Steven Teel
Posted on February 9, 2020 8:58 AM by Megan Bradley
Categories:
This Week in Coles Crossing
Trash Pickup
Coles Crossing has garage door trash pickup. Trucks service the neighborhood every Tuesday and Friday. Please have your trash out by 7 a.m. on trash days.
Check out our Facebook post for a list of guidelines and policies. If you have any questions or issues with the service, please email Best Trash and copy the HOA Board.
Coles Crossing has garage door trash pickup. Trucks service the neighborhood every Tuesday and Friday. Please have your trash out by 7 a.m. on trash days.
Check out our Facebook post for a list of guidelines and policies. If you have any questions or issues with the service, please email Best Trash and copy the HOA Board.
Pond Habitat Improvements
In the past few months we have set out to improve our fishing ponds. First, we trapped and relocated over one hundred turtles from the two overpopulated ponds. The next step was restocking all of the ponds with healthy new fish. Most recently we added submerged artificial cover and yards of pebbles along the shoreline. These steps all support healthy fish habitats.
Lake Pro Inc., our pond management provider, assembled and then sank polyethylene trees and shrubs in the deeper sections of two of the neighborhood ponds. These multiple limbed structures are safe for the environment, snag resistant and beneficial to all types of fish. Kudo’s to the Lake Pro Inc. team which spent the day completing this project for free!
The slotted, multi-branched and weighted artificial trees offer safety for smaller fish and help boost baitfish production. They also facilitate algae, plankton and insect growth which provides food for the Shiners and Bluegill. The structures act as a refuge and shade for fish in shallow ponds like ours. Lake Pro also sank two Christmas trees in Coles Pond. They will provide natural protective covering from ambushing Largemouth Bass.
Lastly, Silver Sand Services assisted in spreading out pea pebbles at six locations along the banks of each of the ponds. Bluegill thrive when they have good cover and pebble bedding for spawning. The Bluegill will fan out nests with their tails in the small stones and then lay hundreds of eggs. The Bluegill population is critical to produce big Bass and Bluegill. These pebble nurseries and artificial cover along with the existing plant life will help balance the pond ecosystem and increase the lifespan of all the fish in our ponds.
In the past few months we have set out to improve our fishing ponds. First, we trapped and relocated over one hundred turtles from the two overpopulated ponds. The next step was restocking all of the ponds with healthy new fish. Most recently we added submerged artificial cover and yards of pebbles along the shoreline. These steps all support healthy fish habitats.
Lake Pro Inc., our pond management provider, assembled and then sank polyethylene trees and shrubs in the deeper sections of two of the neighborhood ponds. These multiple limbed structures are safe for the environment, snag resistant and beneficial to all types of fish. Kudo’s to the Lake Pro Inc. team which spent the day completing this project for free!
The slotted, multi-branched and weighted artificial trees offer safety for smaller fish and help boost baitfish production. They also facilitate algae, plankton and insect growth which provides food for the Shiners and Bluegill. The structures act as a refuge and shade for fish in shallow ponds like ours. Lake Pro also sank two Christmas trees in Coles Pond. They will provide natural protective covering from ambushing Largemouth Bass.
Lastly, Silver Sand Services assisted in spreading out pea pebbles at six locations along the banks of each of the ponds. Bluegill thrive when they have good cover and pebble bedding for spawning. The Bluegill will fan out nests with their tails in the small stones and then lay hundreds of eggs. The Bluegill population is critical to produce big Bass and Bluegill. These pebble nurseries and artificial cover along with the existing plant life will help balance the pond ecosystem and increase the lifespan of all the fish in our ponds.
Posted on January 29, 2020 12:31 PM by Admin
Categories:
General
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Visit Us:
13050 Barker CypressCypress, TX 77429
Phone: 281-225-9000
Email: manager@colescrossinghoa.com
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Monday - Tuesday, Thursday - Friday:8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Closed for lunch from 12-1 p.m. and all day on Wednesday.