Thread: How do you fish a lake for the first time???

[QUOTE=e!


(Clearly, you seem to know what you're doing.......so ignore me!)[/QUOTE]


Everone else does.

Buckrub, I see you like nimrod.. I have only fished it 1 time but hope to fish it some in the near future. If crappie greg will give me some secrets i will take you up on it.. lol nothing i enjoy more than fishing with new people.. if you are ever in my neck of the woods just look me up...

Greg nailed this one boys!!! I use the Navionics app on my phone instead of a paper map, but paper maps do have great detail, and come in handy to find the structure described by Greg.

Originally Posted by Harold

Everone else does.

Yes we try to ignore you but it ain't easy Harold.

Originally Posted by Buckrub

A) Take Crappie Greg five times.
B) Ditch him then, and take me.

You're welcome!

(Clearly, you seem to know what you're doing.......so ignore me!)

Now this is great advice! hahaha

Part of being old is being able to look back on how you might have spent your time more wisely and productively. If I could go back and change some of the things I have done, one of them would have been to hire a guide for a day or two each new lake I fished, just to show me the community holes, and maybe a sweet spot or two. To think of the hours and days I have wasted trying to figure out Fork, Livingston, Sabine Lake and East and West Bay.

Greg nailed it for sure. My scouting starts before I ever lay eyes on the lake. Not all of the lakes that you fish will have detailed maps available. In that case, Google Earth can still provide some good info. Look for points, dams, bays, bluffs, rocky banks, coves, and visible structure such as trees and stumps. That will give some clues as to where to start scanning based water temp, time of year, that sort of thing. When you get on the water, hit those areas and use your si to dissect as much of the lake as possible, using your map to make a grid so you are always covering new water. Be on the lookout for fish, brush, bottom structure, and bait fish. If any of those things are holding fish, mark it. Dont be afraid to spend several hours doing this. If I am prefishing for a tournament, I may go a full day without wetting a line. Once you are confident that you have several good areas marked. Start fishing!!

If you are just fishing for fun, you can cut out a lot of the scouting and just begin fishing when you find a good spot. Once you get it down it doesnt take long to find em.

Good question smokinsti, and some very good answers. I should talk to you about how you place your PVC structures, I put some out yesterday and will probably put out some more today, but I always wonder if I'm putting them in good locations. Otherwise it's money down the lake, so to speak.