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Old 11-12-08, 10:37 PM   #1
zooker
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Default choosing the spot

as bamma asked:
i was just wondering what some of us LOOK for when we are going to our spots. in real time. it was just a thought.
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Today, 09:20 PM #14 zooker
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you mean why we choose the spots we do??

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Today, 09:24 PM #15 bamabassman
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YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!! and what you are planning to use



well bama the lure choice is pretty much easy what has worked in the past.. water color has very lil effect on my color choice unless it is very muddy.. water temp and depth has more to do with bait choice it self.

i use brightly colored baits in clear water, i also use the same baits in muddy water and catch fish at both times..

spots are more diffacult to nail down and explain..but i always say that if your new to the body of water pick one area, creek,cove, ect... and fish EVERYTHING learn as much as you can about that one area fish it for a year.. doing this will teach you where the fish are when they are there and what time of year you need to fish certain areas..in doing this you will find certain spots that are consistant prodoucers time and again..these spots are the places you will head to first just about every time you go fishing..

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Old 11-12-08, 11:56 PM   #2
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ok, i understand what you are saying buddy. it just that , for me, if i am going to a lake i have never been to, i have trouble picking out a certain spot,lol. seems that i am ALWAYS picking the place where the fish were 2 WEEKS AGO,LMAO. i have been fishing the same area here for 2 years now and still have a little trouble learning their patterns. i try to use all the things i have learned here, but i haven't been able to consitantly find good fish. i am trying to learn as much as i can from everyone here. cause different lakes have different things ya know? so i want to know what EVERYONE looks for when they go out on the water of their choice. thank you for your input, i really mean it. i know that this is a LARGE sorta thing that can't be covered in one post. and i know it depends on the time of year, water temp, etc. i guess what i am wondering is what is the FIRST thing one looks for when they go out. thanks for your input pal.
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Old 11-13-08, 03:02 AM   #3
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bama, you didn't ask but here is my approach. before i even go to bed the night before i have an idea in my head. notice i said idea and not plan.......there is a difference. a plan would be something like "i am going to run mid-lake points all day with a carolina rig in 15 feet of water" that would be a plan that is based off of a previous pattern. we are talking about getting started on a new lake so i just want an idea, something like "it's post spawn and the fish are feeding up really well so there should be a crankbait bite and maybe a jig bite". so lets use that for an example. i would study a map and get some general locations where i would start........lets say i am going to start in the mid-lake. i have an idea that there should be a crankbait bite and jig bite so i would just start by searching for banks or points that have the type of cover and structure i want for these baits in the water depths i want, but i would really want these locations to be in the wind. now that you have put that much together all you have to do is catch fish haha. seriously if you have done enough homework and figure out an idea of what you need then if you fish enough positive looking spots you are bound to find a few fish. these fish are really important because you need to pay attention to every detail involved with catching these fish. were the rocks where the fish came from bigger or smaller than the rest of the rocks on the bank? maybe they were in the shade or sun, or maybe the wind was hitting that spot at a different angle, you get the idea. from here on it's just a matter of finding more spots like that and making small adjustments here and there before you unlock a pattern. but if you are having problems getting into better quality fish then i would first of make adjustment with my baits and presentation. if that doesn't improve things then start all over with another idea, maybe the fish are in the backs of coves or in brushpiles ect. from there just do the same thing until you get yourself something going. don't think for a minute that there is just one pattern going on at one time on any lake.........most tournament winners were doing something that the rest of the field wasn't doing, a lot of the time the rest of the field was on pretty much the same pattern but the winner found something that the rest of the guys wouldn't find because they were on "the pattern". man i am sorry this is so long and i know that what works for me may not really work for someone else but i hope by hearing how i get started maybe you will pick up something that would help you out.


i don't mean to imply that just because there should be a crankbait bite, jig bite, top water bite, ect. means you will catch them that way. but that should give you a jumping off place.
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Old 11-13-08, 10:20 PM   #4
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THANK you c-rig. that is EXACTLY waht i am looking for. ok, now i think i understand a little more. see.... i have been fishing the "same" pattern over and over. my reason was that i thought i was just not hitting the "right" spot. i think i get it now. lol, at least i hope. start a so called pattern to get you going. then tweak it till you find what is working, right?
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Old 11-13-08, 10:29 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bamabassman View Post
THANK you c-rig. that is EXACTLY waht i am looking for. ok, now i think i understand a little more. see.... i have been fishing the "same" pattern over and over. my reason was that i thought i was just not hitting the "right" spot. i think i get it now. lol, at least i hope. start a so called pattern to get you going. then tweak it till you find what is working, right?
yep that's it. but don't fall into the habit of hitting the same banks at certain times of the year. fishing in the past is a tough habit to break but it really can be the death of you. some of my best days have included me catching fish on banks that i have never fished before and may never fish again, but becuse of how i was catching my fish that day and the conditions that bank was awesome at that time. we all have our favorite holes that we fish often but don't think that is the only way to go about it. the holes can be a good spot for a fish here and there or at times you may load the boat on your favorite holes but don't be affraid to fish other areas based on the conditions.
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Old 11-13-08, 10:45 PM   #6
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that is what i have been doing pal. refishing the same spots each and every time. thank you again.
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Old 11-14-08, 12:45 PM   #7
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I like keeping a journal as well. I refer it back to it at times to help narrow things down.
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Old 11-14-08, 02:05 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01 View Post
yep that's it. but don't fall into the habit of hitting the same banks at certain times of the year. fishing in the past is a tough habit to break but it really can be the death of you. some of my best days have included me catching fish on banks that i have never fished before and may never fish again, but becuse of how i was catching my fish that day and the conditions that bank was awesome at that time. we all have our favorite holes that we fish often but don't think that is the only way to go about it. the holes can be a good spot for a fish here and there or at times you may load the boat on your favorite holes but don't be affraid to fish other areas based on the conditions.
he is right getting stuck in the same ole same old is a bad thing.. go to places new or you have pssed by hundreds of times but never fished them..

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Old 11-14-08, 03:01 PM   #9
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I have found that the technology of today makes some of these ideas and plans a little easier to set up and then implement. I try to look up the spot on either google earth or maps.live to get a lay of the land sort of thing. I will also google images of the location. I like being able to see pics from different water levels. If I can, I will find a topo map of the lake.
I will also keep the journal of conditions and what worked. For me, I like to set up my plans based on conditions rather than spots. Under conditions, I will also consider cycle of the moon and the weather for the past week and the forecast.
If it works under that condition, then finding the spot is easier.
The hardest part for me is when it get's slow. I have to fight the urge to say screw it and go back to a spot and lure that worked last time.
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Old 11-14-08, 05:52 PM   #10
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i am gonna try, i said TRY to keep some kind of notebook starting in the spring. i have looked at topo maps and such. it just seems that i get in a rut, not having luck at new spots. yes i get fustrated and go back to my old routine. i HAVE got to get outa that mode. thanks for ya'll's input.
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Old 11-14-08, 10:29 PM   #11
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bama
personally i would pull out of the same ole same old you are facing and go to another lake. this is the reason i love the yadkin chain while some guys get hung up on one or two of the lakes i fish all four though i do loath fishing the lower most.-tillery-

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Old 11-15-08, 08:36 AM   #12
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Bama,
There is a book written by Buck Perry called "Spoonplugging". In simple terms and diagrams it explains "where" to find big bass on a lake like no other book I have read. Granted, I am a river fisherman most of the time and it has even helped me. Trust me... this book is truly amazing and very helpful. I doubt you will find it in a bookstore but I believe you can find it on amazon.com. It breaks down every aspect of what/where/why and how bass do what they do. Helps you reading topo maps too. Over the winter I would study this book... if you do, I can guarantee you that it will improve your knowlege and success. Worth every penny my friend.

(Note: you don't need the spoons course, just the book... again you can find it on amazom.com)

If you can't find the book or you want a quick read, this website (series of web pages) takes you through a simulated trip, and slide show, with "Buck"... Just sub his "spoons" with cranks that run the depths he is describing.
http://www.americaoutdoors.com/fishi...nplug_trip.htm


"Spoonplugging is the knowledge required to catch fish consistently and the sharing of this knowledge with others. This knowledge required can be broken down by the following:

· Knowledge and the understanding of the basic movements of the fish
· Knowing the lake features(structure,breaks and breaklines)
· Knowing how weather and water conditions effect our fishing
· Knowing the different lake types(natural lakes & manmade lakes)
· How to map and interpret a fishing situation.
· Controls(depth and speed)and the equipment we use(tools)
· Our presentation of lures (casting and trolling)

Fishing success cannot be bought through the latest or hottest new lure. It can not be bought through the latest equipment, or some kind of gadget. Buck says that knowledge is the key to fishing success.
Several well known fisherman have started their fishing careers and gained most of their knowledge from Buck Perry’s teachings. "

This is a tried and true book!


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Old 11-15-08, 12:19 PM   #13
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thanks gang. yes i am gonna start fishing some different areas of this lake. and i am gonna go to lake weiss (although i have never had much luck there). and i am also close enough to smith lake (grew up fishing it as a youngun). there is also a lake just over the state line...nickajack, in ga. i'll try to go there too. all are not too far from here, 2 hours at the most. thanks again gang, i really mean it.
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Old 11-15-08, 04:42 PM   #14
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The best advice I can give when keeping a journal is to start with a legend. The last think I want to do when the bite is hot is to stop to write a paragraph into a journal.
My legend page has a listing for rigging, bait, line, and location. Since I always have a map of the area with me, I have marked the spots on the map.

0840 Location 3-15`, rig 2, bait 3P, line 10# M Fish LMB 2#8

In this case, I was at the 3rd location in 15 foot of water at 0840 using a C-rigged Pink Robo finese on 10 lbs mono which produced a 2 lbs 8 oz.

I use a general ledger book for my journal since it is already set up in columns and rows.
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Old 11-15-08, 06:15 PM   #15
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thats right, a journal is a great way to keep track and learn.
I did that before I got into club tourney's, and once I would put down the conditions and how i did, and what I used, I would then
get out my years of bassmaster mags and reread what to do and what lure to use, or rather , how to better use it..
Even if you go out with a game plan and then come back and report it in a journal, reading a good article about that exact same pattern often times
gives you small things to think about that you over looked the time before.
With that in mind, you can plan how you're going back the next day but tweak the presentation using the tips the pro's have written about.
After a few years of doing this my game got a lot better and I got a lot more consistent in bring fish to the boat..the key is staying on top of the day to day bite and location if you have the time.
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Old 11-15-08, 06:32 PM   #16
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Good point JB, I think in a journal it is also important for me to document what did not work as well. Then use your advice about reading what the pro's said about that to see if I should tweak the presentation or simply not give in to the impulse to use a technique that failed me.
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