Reading New Waters

[ryan7261]

Reading New Waters

How many times has it happened to you? You find yourself on a lake you've never fished, and you're suddenly faced with the task of finding fish in an enormous area of water. Big lakes are especially intimidating to first-time visitors, but finding fish on strange waters covering no more than a few hundred acres can be equally daunting. Where do you start? How do you determine where to fish? Is there some standard procedure or secret formula for success? Or is it pretty much just hit and miss? Unfamiliar lakes should be fished. Of course, there are times on new water when you can't seem to catch anything, no matter what you do. But usually, the astute angler who approaches new waters with positive intentions and a well thought out game plan will find some action.

At-Home Preparation: Before leaving home, spend time learning all you can about your new fishing spot. Start by phoning your state fisheries department and asking for the phone number of the biologist who manages the lake. Then make a call to the biologist and ask a few questions. Is this a good fishing lake at this time of year? What type and size of fish are likely to be caught? Can you offer a few pointers on the best areas to fish? Do you know the water depth where most fish are now being caught? Can you suggest local anglers or bait shops I might call for an up to date report on fishing conditions? Most fisheries biologists conduct regular surveys on their lake and possess knowledge of the fishery others don't have. Most also stay abreast of fishing conditions and will gladly provide information. With a detailed map, you can establish a game plan that will help you find fish once you reach your new honeyhole. If possible, use maps made on a small scale, such as 1:12,000, in which one inch of map equals 1,000 feet. The best maps also show the presence of cover and specific underwater structure. When you have a map in hand, study it closely, and mark spots that are likely to hold fish. If the lake is large, concentrate on a specific portion, such as the upper end, the mid-lake region or the lower lake. Start by determining the current water level if possible, and mark it on the map. This information is often available from the agency controlling the lake and can be obtained with a quick phone call. The number you'll be given, such as 445 or 280, is the elevation contour line that will be on your map. Find that contour line, and mark it with a highlighter. This is important because of the tremendous fluctuation some lakes exhibit, especially during winter and summer, when water levels may be drawn down. If you don't know the current lake level, you could spend all night marking fish- holding hotspots on your map, only to discover later that every spot is out of the water! When you've marked the shoreline, examine your map carefully fro any structure that might attract fish, keeping in mind seasonal patterns that may determine specific fish activities. Look for points where fish might be concentrated: old river and creek channels, underwater humps, shallow flats and coves. fish attractors tributary. Then mark that structure on the map so you'll have a starting point for your fishing activities when you reach the lake. Don't be content to mark only two or three places. Mark as many as you can find, and number them in order of importance.

[ryan7261]

Armed And On The Water: With the assumption you're armed with a map on which you've marked potential fishing spots, and now you're on the lake ready to fish. How do you use the information you've gathered up to now? Start by motoring to one of these spots you've marked on your map. If your boat is equipped with a depthfinder, use it to help pinpoint the structure you want to fish. Look for readings that indicate brushpiles, flooded timber, stumpfields or other cover that might concentrate fish on the mapped structure. Don't, however, overlook subtle details. Schools of baitfish, the junctures of secondary stream channels, unusual drops or rises and isolated trees may not appear on maps but may indicate a potential hotspot. If you don't have a depthfinder, look for visual clues above the water that may help you focus in on good fishing spots. Look for trees that have toppled into the water, clusters of dead snags and stumps, isolated brushpiles, weedlines or other signs of fish hangouts. Also, study the general contour of the shoreline. Shore terrain often continues below the water. Ridges remain ridges or points underwater; flat shoreline usually stays flat, and steep banks indicate dropoffs; steep turns on a reservoir arm may mean you've located a submerged stream channel bend. Tune into these visual cues to pinpoint your quarry. When one of the spots you've mapped exhibits one or more favorable characteristics, work it thoroughly with your favorite bait or lure. Don't dally too long, though. If fish aren't responding after a few minutes, move on, hopscotching from one locale to another until your search bears fruit or it's time to head home.

Charting A Course Without A Map: Sometimes you'll be unable to find a map of the new lake you want to fish. There simply are no maps available for some lakes, and others can be practically impossible to find. On top of this, many maps that are readily available offer little information useful in your search for fish. These usually show the configuration of the lakeshore and the location of boat ramps and nearby highways, but bottom contour lines and other indications of cover and structure are absent. Heading to a new lake without the benefit of a good map seems futile to many, but don't let this situation put a damper on your adventurous spirit. In most cases, it's only a minor inconvenience. When there's no information source available you can fish a new lake by following these two simple steps. First, anytime the fish should be shallow, work visible woody cover along the shoreline; if woody cover isn't available or can't be seen, keep to the shoreline, concentrating on fishing areas (points, docks, ramps, culverts) that contrast with prevailing features. Then when common sense says your quarry isn't in the shallows during all other seasons, troll or use a depthfinder to locate fish holding on deep structure and cover. These two techniques will work for almost any species of fish, from bass to catfish. These are just a few of the ways to read a new lake. The map-study part can be especially enjoyable, and if you do it properly, it's sure to save you loads of time when you're on the water. Learning to observe and analyze visual features in and around a lake takes more time and experience, but if you're seriously interested in exploring strange waters, it's talent you'll want to hone. Simple tactics like trolling and fishing shoreline cover round out our array of fish finding strategies. Try these tips the next time you're looking for fish in a new lake. They won't pay off every time, but they will pay off most of the time.




Robby.

[fredhatch]

Rob, nice article. Im about to embark on such an adventure. Im fishing a tourney in April on a chain of 9 lakes. Never been there, never seen them. Only good part is they held a bassmaster or flw tourney there a year ago. I figure if they are using it for the big boys then it should produce. Haven't had any luck on finding maps yet. Hopefully will have the chance to get up there before the tourney. 8)