re: best bass lure for pond fishing

Depends on water quality but I would always start with with
a worm

Tequila Sunrise worm
pumkinseed

Yep that Purple Fire tail from Manns lures is hard to beat when pond Hopping. Small weight Texas rig or a 6 inch Carolina rig works well in ponds too.

i had a little success with a chrome/blue rattle trap

Name of the game is really just to let the pond's water clarity and vegetation tell you what to do. Pond bass are hungry and will hit anything they can get in their mouth if they can see it and it stays in front of their face long enough.

If clear water has let thick moss grow on bottom, throw topwater and shallow running baits. Stained/muddy water will have more grass/lilies around the edges but relatively clean bottom, throw baits that will get down there like a worm. I've found topwater works in either case (still best in clear), and it's fun as hell. No need to overthink it on a specific bait, anything that lets you go a whole retrieve without getting hung or covered in moss/grass will catch fish.