Freshwater ponds and lakes can produce a lot of "Fun Fish" to catch if you know how to get the most out of your fishing experience. Targeting each species with the right bait and techniques can go a long way to making great fishing memories. Whether you practice catch and release or aim to bring some home to fry-up for dinner, here are a few tips to hooking some of the most popular fish in ponds and lakes:

Largemouth Bass

Bass love a good chase so try using a spinner, watermelon-colored artificial worm or shad-shaped lure. Drop it in the cover and give it short, quick jerks to get the lunker's attention. As you’re reeling-in, pause a second or two right before the lure leaves the water to give ‘em one last chance before your next cast. Don’t be surprised to find big bass in shallow waters.

Bluegill

For bluegill and others in the sunfish family, use live worms with some weight and a cork or bobber. Work fallen trees, branches and other cover. Smaller hooks are best for these panfish. Dredge any steep banks, drains and weed lines. For bigger bluegill, try the deeper waters after the mid-summer spawning season.

Catfish

For catfish, chum the waters with some dog food or chopped-up hot dogs a few hours or the night before you take the kids fishing. Go right after sundown armed with some chicken livers or shrimp and use a treble hook instead of a single hook, which will hold the bait better. The smaller cats are usually better tasting.

To improve your fishing experience, use directional fish feeders by Texas Hunter Products. Fish feeders create fun feeding zones in ponds and lakes. By utilizing a high velocity air stream to project feed pellets up to 45-feet into the water, Texas Hunter Fish Feeders deliver a metered flow of feed to your fish on a daily basis. Fish Feeders help grow bigger fish faster by feeding your fish on a regular schedule. Learn more atTexasHunter.com