First tourny of the year

[basstech]

Hey guys, I got my first tourney of the year coming up sunday. Just want to see what you all think about a generall game plan. The lake is small 960 surf acres, half of it will still be frozen. Water is greenish with about 6 to 8 ft. visibility. This lake is farely shallow, the main channel is thoroughly silted in and I would never be able to find it. It's about 30 + deep on the main lake part. Water temp is around 34 to 36. Not to much of a structure lake. No flooded timber just a few rocky area's and most will not be accessible due to the ice. Has most submergent coon tail, 3 ft. and shallower off the bank has water willow everywhere, no docks, scattered few and far between laydowns and they'll be mostly inaccessable as well. I've been fishing off the marina dock far north side of lake, but that cove is off limits during tourney. I've have picked up a few fish on rogues, and centipedes. Not a bite last sunday on drop shot, and shaky head hasn't been working either. I'm just pretty much going to fish rogues and t-rigged soft plastics, though I'll also have an assortment of different jig's and jig heads with me as well. Should I just stick with what I've been catching them on in the cove, or maybe try some lipless cranks yo-yo'd off the deeper edges of the submerged vegetation? Have any of you fished soft plastic swimbaits in water that cold, if so, how do you rig and work them for these conditions? As always, I appreciate any input/advice any of you would impart. Thanks, Basstech.

[Bender]

That sounds a lot like my old "home" lake in Michigan. We fished itlast year when 75% still had ice and caught a couple on jerkbaits but jigs just pretty much sitting or dragging a little worked best. Fish were in 8-10' on bottom near stumps. We didn't try lipless but there wasn't a whole lot of water to cast to and it was cold.

[Tavery5]

Look for banks on the Northwest side of the lake that have a little shallower water. I say this because those banks will be a little warmer water, look for large rocks or stumps, because they also help hold heat. The water temp in these areas may only be a few degrees higher but that is enough to make a difference. Bait fish will come to these areas, so the big guys will be there also. I would try to cast from a distance with a flat sided shallow diving crank, I would use the flat sided bait because the wiggle may be more appropriate for this time of year and also because most flatsided baits have no rattle. The fish may be a little easy to spook if the water is clear. If I could not pick a few up this way, I would back off to the first drop off of the same area and fish it parallel to the bank with t-rigged plastics, or jigs, my thinking is if they are not in the shallow water they may be sittin in these drops ambushing baitfish as they move in and out of the shallower water.

Good luck

I am no expert but this pattern has worked for me in similar conditions.