®
Winter 2018
page
18
body of water, you can begin to plan out what lures could work, along with possible color patterns.
TAKE A TOUR
Once I get the boat on plane, depending on the size of the lake, I take a loop around to take a “tour.” If the lake is massive and doing a loop isn’t possible, I’ll do a loop in the area of the lake that I’m planning on fishing that day. For example, I may head to a bay off the main lake or a creek channel that comes in from the main river.
What I’m looking to accomplish here is to look for anything that stands out as obvious fish holding locations. These obvious things could be a stretch of boat docks, a main lake point, or buoyed off rock piles. I also look for any inflows our outflows of the lake where bass may be congregated. I keep a keen eye open for pinch points or areas where bass will be funneled through and more than likely be schooled up.
CURRENT HOLDING SPOTS
Current is always a key. I look to see if there is any current present. If I’m on a river system, I will look to see how the current is setting up fish holding cover. These are areas where the current hits and bass can be slightly off the current looking for an easy meal or areas where the current is ripping and bass will be tucked away from the current.
If, I’m on a lake, I will still look for current. There may be current due to an influx of water from rain runoff or creeks coming into the lake or from wind that is blowing water and baitfish to one side of the lake or another. A reliable and easy way I’m able to review the wind and see what it will do throughout the fishing day is to pull out my phone and look at my ScoutLook Fishing App. These detailed weather forecasts aid in my ability to plan what areas of a new body of water I want to fish based on the wind.
TARGET THE CONDITIONS WITH CONFIDENCE LURES
Fishing to your strengths is an absolute must on an unfamiliar body, as you will feel at home fishing a lure, or a given technique that you have caught fish on before. I always begin on a new body of water fishing with one of three confidence lures.
Shallow Cover: If there is shallow water cover, especially vegetation a Snag Proof Bobby’s Perfect Frog gets the nod for me, as I know this presentation will attract actively feeding bass and allow me to cover water quickly.
Submerged Vegetation when feeding up or down: When I’m looking to cover submerged vegetation, laydowns or transition areas that have bass roaming, anywhere from inches to 8-feet of water, I’ll swim a jig as this presentation can be altered by its trailer and retrieve to mimic what the bass are feeding on.
Identifying the cues the bass give you (when they bite your swim jig and what the trailer is) will aid in determining if they are feeding up or down in the water.
If I’m slowly retrieving the jig along the bottom, then likely they are feeding on crawfish and I’ll move to a green pumpkin colored jig with a craw trailer like the Zoom UV Speed Craw. If thee bass are eating it as you are swimming it and you see baitfish flickering when your lure is brought through the water, then likely the bass are feeding on shad and a white-colored swim jig with a Zoom Boot Tail Fluke is a great lure choice.
Isolated Targets: Lastly, if I’m looking to make pinpoint pitches to isolated wood, weeds or boat docks, I’ll pitch a 1/2 oz War Eagle Flipping Jig with a Zoom Super Chunk. What I like about this presentation is you can fish it shallow right next to isolated pieces of cover, or work it back to the boat over and around cover that is in deeper water.
DISECT THE BITE
The final item that is paramount to having success on any fishing trip, but particularly when you are fishing a new body of water is to pay very close attention to where, when and how your bites are coming.
By dissecting each bite, you can acquire a wealth of information that you can use to begin to create a pattern as how to go out and catch more bass off the same type of fishing holding cover, water depth or location on that lake.
So next time your fishing buddy suggests you guys hit up a new lake, don’t be afraid or worried, take these keys into account and I know you can put those puzzle pieces together and have a great day on the water! •