How Does One Go About Fishing A New Lake?

I was just wondering how you all go about fishing a new lake or a lake you haven't been on, but maybe once or twice with no luck at all.

I know allot of looking and searching, but just what is it you look for and what seems to be the best areas for different times of the year. We all know that spring time is the easiest time to find fish on the banks or in their spawning areas, but it's those summer and winter patterns for a new lake is what I was wondering how you go about finding fish. Understand brush piles are always a key for crappie, but what else and what leads you to those areas.

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Originally Posted by crappie_jiggin

I was just wondering how you all go about fishing a new lake or a lake you haven't been on, but maybe once or twice with no luck at all.

I know allot of looking and searching, but just what is it you look for and what seems to be the best areas for different times of the year. We all know that spring time is the easiest time to find fish on the banks or in their spawning areas, but it's those summer and winter patterns for a new lake is what I was wondering how you go about finding fish. Understand brush piles are always a key for crappie, but what else and what leads you to those areas.

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I will spend a half a day or more in my boat using structure scan to locate rock and brush piles, lay down trees, etc. Based on the time of year some piles will have fish on them while others will not. I mark the structure via waypoints on my HDS 9. After I have completed that I will go back to any waypoints that are holding fish to see if they are interested. I will be doing this at Wister next month. I have never been on that lake.

I like to stroll (slow troll with a rod in each hand) while watching the Garmin for structure and marking it. We will see if this works late next week as I am going to Pine Creek for a few days. Haven't been on that lake in over 30 years. It's a pretty lake. I'll have a tent up at Lost Rapids if anyone wants to join me.

If possible try to target bridges, bridge pillars, and docks. You can't go wrong on any lake. They offer shade, covers, and brush in some cases

Hard to beat trolling crankbait's and a lot of fun

First I will contact anyone that I know that has been on the lake before, try to find out where the dangerous areas are so I don tear my boat up. Then try to get some general information about water clarity, techniques, structure, etc. then try to pull up a map, I know on the crappiemasters site they have navionics lake maps you can look at before you even leave your home. Also most fish finders and chartplotters have good mapping of the lake you can have a plan before you arrive. As for time of year winter, spring, summer, fall, then depth of the lake, and water clarity I have basic rules I fish by to find fish. With the electronics we have now days it has taking a ton of time on the water out of it. EB

I would start right here on CDC, I like to look for patterns so I will go back as many years in the archives as I can; usually 4 or 5 years for what ever lake I'm planning on fishing, by now probably all of the lakes here in OK have some history on CDC. I then just look thru the post that are roughly covering the same time frame that I would be fishing that lake, if it's a popular lake you'll find a lot of info, if it's a smaller lake and doesn't have much info then you could pm some of the posters that have frequented the lake and see if they are willing to help. I just had a person pm me earlier for the same reason and like most of the CDC folks I tried to offer up as much help/info as I could.

Good Luck!

Just give me a call before you launch. I know everything and that starts with me knowing nothing. JK, look at a map of the lake, creek channels, possible ledges, flats/humps/steep drop offs, etc. A decent down/side scan helps. Depending on the time of year and what other lakes in the same climate are doing. The most important thing are those little white specks that are all grouped together hanging around a drop off or brush. You'd be surprised how many nice crappie are shallow in the standing timber when water temps are in the 80's.

Great information guys, keep them coming for those who haven't posted. I just got off a 12 hr midnight shift and then went to the lake and scanned for 5 hrs and I got from it was a very good red tan(forgot the sunscreen). I was able to mark about 15 spots. I'm still trying to get use to this Lowrance HDS Gen 2 touch and I am not as happy with the side scan feature as I was with my Humminbird that I sold. Now as far as the down scan I like it way better. I just can't seem to see piles as clear with it. I go ahead and mark what appears to be some brush and then go back over it with my down scan to check and I bet I erased over 40 marks today that wasn't anything at all. I guess I need some real help with a new lake and how to use these fancy electronics we have now days. I played around with the contrast and a few others settings and just can't get that 100% clear image while side scanning as I did with the other one. With it when you saw brush to the side you knew it was brush this one just doesn't pull it in. Ok I know I'm rattling on here.

So who's willing to give me all the intel I need to help me find some fish. Just pm me so everyone else doesn't know who is giving me all the good stuff......rotfl

I may have to call in the big dogs for this if I have to. Talking about Tommy Boy, but I don't want to have to use that card.

Let's just use a Keystone as the lake I had never been on before. 3 years ago EB and I were going to pre fish for our tournament trail. We got the best weather forecast as we could. Pulled up goggle earth and looked for areas we could fish with the forecasted winds. I used google earth, navtronics mapping, and already had a good idea depth of water these fish should be in at this time of year. Next wasn't find structure, channel breaks, and flats in the area we choose. We mapped with our HDS units for several hours finding all the structure we could in a 3 mile stretch. First we spider rigged those areas to find active fish. Didn't happen. Next we went to knocking the bark off wood doing what I do best and that's a cast n drag technique we wore em out after we went through our boxes finding the right color. I will also say it's ok to watch, listen, and ask questions from locals. You can also usually find out technique, baits, and areas just by striking up a conversation at any local tackle shop. A lot of time when I hit a new body of water I will just watch the locals for sometime to see what they are doing and area. I know EB does as well.......Ranger

All of the above is sound advice but one of the quickest and best ways is to hire a guide on that lake for a few days like Mark and EB. Worth every penny!

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Originally Posted by The Professional

All of the above is sound advice but one of the quickest and best ways is to hire a guide on that lake for a few days like Mark and EB. Worth every penny!

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Mark and Eb are the Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid of Crappie Fishing!

dedicate a full day to graphing. windy and bad weather days make great opportunities. I did that about a month ago. went back yesterday with about 30 piles to look at. This is what i found yesterday. you can fill in the blanks.

Jiggin just want to give you a heads up, if yours is like mine and it sounds like it is, when I put a waypoint down on downscan it is usually very close but when I mark with side scan its rarely exactly where it should be, could be the distance from transducer to console unit factoring in, but either way I usually circle until im sure nothing is there.

Thanks dstreet, I have not gone around the area that I marked with the side scan. I guess with the Humminbird when I marked it it was usually spot on. Still learning with this Lowrance unit. Learn from our mistakes. Will have to spend a little more time searching the area I guess if I don't find it right at the mark.

I have notice my lowrance to be slightly off on GPS from time to time. slightly off being 10'. Fishers will attest to this. it is never far enough off that i can not find structure. I also have a guide buddy that runs a 10" Lowrance and a 10" Bird side by side. He has always claimed the birds worth for the side imaging. He runs the lowrance for DI, sonar, and chart. He especially likes the bird in SI shallow water.

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Originally Posted by fishn_a_ledge

I have notice my lowrance to be slightly off on GPS from time to time. slightly off being 10'. Fishers will attest to this. it is never far enough off that i can not find structure. I also have a guide buddy that runs a 10" Lowrance and a 10" Bird side by side. He has always claimed the birds worth for the side imaging. He runs the lowrance for DI, sonar, and chart. He especially likes the bird in SI shallow water.

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I bought a Point 1 Antenna and that fix being off any at all on my HDS 9.

Well, I certainly hope this thread continues with more techniques. How things change in less than a week. I posted earlier that I would be at Pine Creek right now but as I was preparing to depart an opportunity arose that changed my plans and also changed the way I will look at a new lake. My method of strolling and marking spots was primarily based on a lake like Eufaula or Thunderbird. Those are the lakes I have fished primarily for the last few years. I keep my boat here at the house in the garage and store my RV off Texanna Road so that's the lakes that I consider my home lakes. Until now. I had an opportunity to move my RV to another location on a completely different kind of lake and set it up on a 12 month lease. Went and looked at the site today and it's now mine. After the Crappie Camp at Eufaula in June I will move the RV and boat there, set up and leave them there. At that time I'll begin the process of finding Crappie spots. I can use many of the techniques you guys list, and will.

I'm not totally unfamiliar with the lake as I had a cabin there in the mid 90's. Fished it lots but for different species. Now I'm going to find out how to fish it for Crappie. So...keep the ideas coming!

Floyd

I'm a big talker and I always chat up everybody I see; at the ramp, fishin off the dock, kids bank fishin, people kayaking, people walking around, everybody. A friendly face will get even the grumpiest ol timer to open up some. A lake patrol officer is a good source most people avoid. Even if those fishin aren't catching that tells you something. If you find someone that is having luck, I would ask what depth as the key factor. You can prob'ly get it from there.
Once you get it, return the favor and share if someone asks. That doesn't mean give up your spots but something like "20 ft of water, 12 ft down on a tube jig fishin brushpiles" pretty much gives a guy everything he needs to go on. You'ld be surprised how much they'll give back to you, if they know the lake also.
Just don't be a jerk and park right on a place someone else is working. Not cool.