I am going out on a limb and saying if you’re reading this report, Free Fishing Day isn’t a big deal to you. You’ve probably had your license for months now and been on several fishing trips. That’s nothing against the event; it’s a great way to get people fishing, especially kids, and it’s really fun to see them go nuts when they hook a fish.

I bring this up because when I think of free fishing day, I think of cool events at local ponds, and that’s what this column is about.

I try to hit a new pond or two every spring. They’re great places to fish. They’re small, intimate and full of surprises. I recently fished a pond twice in about a week. On the first outing, I caught a bunch of bluegill and small bass.

When I returned, I expected the same thing. The bluegill were smacking my fly as expected, but the bass were MIA. Where could they possibly be hiding in this small pond? Then I made a cast similar to the dozens of others I had made, and boom! Fish on. After a respectable tussle, I landed a largemouth bass about 14-inches long. My fishing partner caught two others in that size range, but neither of us caught any of the small ones that pestered me a few days earlier.

It was a classic case of “you never know what you’re going to get.”

Both trips were enjoyable and took less than a quarter tank of gas round trip. The Treasure Valley is full of ponds where you can find your own adventure. If you don’t like the pond you’ve found, move on to the next one. It’s only a few miles away.

Local ponds are a cool way to expand your fishing options without a long drive or an all-day commitment.