totempole,

In lakes that have both big and small fish, they will sometimes mix in size, particularly around shoreline cover. Some lakes are overpopulated and don't produce very many big ones. However, in lakes that have good growth rates, I look for schools out on the shallow flats where the water is 3 - 6 ft. deep out a long cast from shore. Usually if you find a school out there, most will be of similar size and are often larger than those close to shore. Keep casting and searching without letting the bait sit in one spot for more that a couple of minutes. If it is windy, let the wind drift your bobber until you find out where they are at. If you're not sure of the depth then probe the area by casting out a weight and counting how long it takes for the weight to hit bottom (your line will go slack).

Keep in mind that others are highly successful catching big bream using poppers along the shore and still others using drop shot rigs in 20 feet of water. They can be anywhere, but I can usually find good size fish in the 3 - 6 ft. depths pretty consistently except in winter or in very clear waters.