How can I fish my local pond more productively?

It might not be you. Sometimes the fish don't bite. I've been to plenty of places where fish don't bite, and I have heard of many more places. You might just want to find a better fishing spot. When I use live bait, like a worm or a small minnow(not fun to catch) I dip them in chicken broth. I know it sounds a little weird, but it seems to work really well. But if you don't feel like using live bait, just experiment with different combinations. Your bound to find something that the fish like.