Thread: Fishing creek channels in middle of lakes

The only time I am not using my sonar to basically search out and map bottom looking for structure and fish...is when I am fishing a shallow bank casting to it in an area i already have fished a zillion times and know where to cast to and where the bottom and structure is already. And even then I am using it to position myself at the right depth or on a grass edge or something. The rest of the time I am always watching the sonar looking for fish and structure. Even if I already pretty well know the area ....I only fish where I see fish...or the structure is dense enough and I think the fish are buried in it and not returning on the screen ....I may try to fish it,but I won't try long typically If I am not marking at least a few fish around it. And remember,creek channels on some lakes are not as important as others.Some lakes I fish some good places to fish are not even in or on major creeks. Slow trolling or drift fishing over areas watching your sonar is a good way to map a lot of water and you still have a bait in the water and your fishing. I always like to try places where a channel runs close to the bank or a mid lake hump or rise. Once I am away from shallow water fishing....I am totally relying on my sonar to tell me where to fish. And I want to see baitfish in the area and mark fish.

Originally Posted by doggone

The only time I am not using my sonar to basically search out and map bottom looking for structure and fish...is when I am fishing a shallow bank casting to it in an area i already have fished a zillion times and know where to cast to and where the bottom and structure is already. And even then I am using it to position myself at the right depth or on a grass edge or something. The rest of the time I am always watching the sonar looking for fish and structure. Even if I already pretty well know the area ....I only fish where I see fish...or the structure is dense enough and I think the fish are buried in it and not returning on the screen ....I may try to fish it,but I won't try long typically If I am not marking at least a few fish around it. And remember,creek channels on some lakes are not as important as others.Some lakes I fish some good places to fish are not even in or on major creeks. Slow trolling or drift fishing over areas watching your sonar is a good way to map a lot of water and you still have a bait in the water and your fishing. I always like to try places where a channel runs close to the bank or a mid lake hump or rise. Once I am away from shallow water fishing....I am totally relying on my sonar to tell me where to fish. And I want to see baitfish in the area and mark fish.

Thanks for the reply. I have a Navionics chip in my new HDS and am trying to learn new places to fish. Places I go now are getting really swamped with more boats and fishermen. Most of the time they are fishing the obvious areas, as am I, when I know there's less obvious areas that I would like to find and fish. I just need some pointers to head me in the right directions and this helps.

With prespawn happening, follow the creek channels on your graph. I keep a map on the left hand side and side scan and down scan stacked to the right. I watch for the drop offs which you will see some that still hold timber from years past. I have several areas like this marked and have caught fish off them before but more times than I can count, I've seen fish but they were docile and just hanging out. Most boats don't even get close to these places as they are too busy buzzing to areas they know. If your graph leaves a trail, then traverse an entire area with your side scan set at around 40' per side. You go so far, then do a 180 staying 80' off your last run going the other direction. You'd be amazed at what you can find out in the middle of nowhere using this method.

Originally Posted by Crappie Reaper

With prespawn happening, follow the creek channels on your graph. I keep a map on the left hand side and side scan and down scan stacked to the right. I watch for the drop offs which you will see some that still hold timber from years past. I have several areas like this marked and have caught fish off them before but more times than I can count, I've seen fish but they were docile and just hanging out. Most boats don't even get close to these places as they are too busy buzzing to areas they know. If your graph leaves a trail, then traverse an entire area with your side scan set at around 40' per side. You go so far, then do a 180 staying 80' off your last run going the other direction. You'd be amazed at what you can find out in the middle of nowhere using this method.

Thanks reaper. Is there anything in particular you look for?

Originally Posted by CHECrappie

Thanks reaper. Is there anything in particular you look for?

Absolutely! Bigger than normal white specks on the down scan!

Abrupt changes in the bottom, steep drop offs, trees/logs/brush, HUMPS and white speck gatherings.

Reaper couldn't have said it better!!!

Originally Posted by dstreet

Reaper couldn't have said it better!!!

So you look at the map on the plotter and look for creek that has turns and close to the bank and go there and start down and side scanning? How are you eliminating water or where to start looking?