Hey guys after a conversation with a friend I have a question for you guys. After purchasing my first bass boat a little over a year ago I have attempted to make the transition from pond fishing to bigger water fishing. I have spent the past year on Pickwick with some success but it has been much more famine than feast. I have studied article after article trying to master this art. I am just getting frustrated and I guess my question is how did the veterans of the board learn how to read and find fish on bigger bodies of water? Were you lucky enough to have a mentor teach you or was it just gettin out there and fishing day after day? I am very confident in my ability to catch fish, it's the finding the fish that I am having problems with. I am a perfectionist and know I can figure this out. I am just hoping that some of you guys might can throw some advice out to help my learning curve. Thanks so much in advance.

Well, "finding the fish" is always the biggest challenge. As a general rule, it's always about structure, cover and

prey fish on the lake. On the river those are all important considerations, but water release (current) trumps 

everything else. Rather than broad generalizations, here are some tips for Pickwick Reservoir:

 

Upper end: The Horseshoe below Wilson Dam; McFarland Harbor and the bank down river to the creek; bluffs

directly across from McFarland;  rock ridges begiining at the island in front of Sheffield Park; the front of Nine

Mile Island; the inside bank across the river from Cane Creek,beginning at the power lines and working downstream.

 

Middle: Waterloo, Bear Creek

 

Lower End: Indian Creek, Yellow Creek, Panther Creek and Dry Creek

 

Tennessee River below the dam:  Both sides down to the power lines and the outside ridges to The Narrows.

Also, the front of Diamond Island

Thanks roadwarrior, you always offer some great advice. With TVA releasing so much water as of late, is there a such thing as too much current? Last Saturday I abandoned the Dam area due to horseshoe being crowded/super strong flow. I decided to try to push into some of the deeper creeks hoping to find some bass. Ended up catching a few white bass and finally at the end of the day ended up in the barge canal and caught one keeper spot. It's just frustrating at times. I am really putting a lot of energy/time/effort into my pursuit and just want it all to come together.

Flukeking, what Roadwarrior told you for this specific body of water is the best way to find out about fishing locations. First hand information is always the best way to learn bodies of water.

 

However, may I make some suggestions for you to consider since you will be fishing other bodies of water and not just Pickwick?

 

MAPS

Always purcahse one, two or three maps of the lake or river you will be fishing and study it in great detail. Note the counter lines for depth and how they move close into the shoreline. Look for main lake and secondary points. Stumps are great. See if you can locate any humps. Look for roads near the shoreline which may mean docks and piers. The more detail your maps are the better you can locate fish habitats.

 

I have at least two maps of the places I fish. One is for the boat and the other I keep at home with markings as to where I went with whom and the productive places to fish.

 

WATER DEPTH AND MOVEMENT

We have a phone number you can call Buggs Island to find out the water depth. You can also go on-line at the Buggs Island web page and see the water levels. You can call the Corps of Engineers and try to obtain the times the water will be pulled on Lake Gaston. So look up "fishing Pickwick" and note any blogs about fishing the lake and if it shows the water temperature and clarity.

 

You want moving water. This stimulates the bass into feeding. So try to find out the times the water is pulled on Pickwick and be sure to be at a location (bridges are great when water is pulled) and ready to fish when the water is pulled.

 

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

You said you have read article after article. That's what we do to learn about the bass' habits and sometimes specific bodies of water. The more books and magazines you read and DVDs watched the more informed you are.

 

LOCALS

You can learn a lot by visiting local tackle shops and speaking to guys who fish Pickwick and other lakes and rivers. I have learned a number of new baits to use and techniques to consider from the guys at Green Top in Richmond.

 

BASS CLUBS

If you can join a bass club and fish as a nonboater for one or two years you will learn many bodies of water and where the guys in the club fish. This is the best way to learn a body of water and what baits and techniques work best. Not only will you meet others in your area who love to bass fish but you will learn from them. Best investment anyone can make if they want to expand their fishing knowledge.

 

IKE

Purchase Ike's DVD, Ike's Rules for Better Bass Fishing: Taking Luck Out of the Equation. Excellent production. His Advanced Finesse Bass Strategies is a remake of the first one. I thought Taking Luck Out of the Equation was very informative.

 

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND DEAN SAYS....

Yes, the University of Richmond. The Spiders!!! When I was teaching at UR the dean of the Business School had a meeting with all of us adjunt profs and he told us two things that I will never forget. First, Coke will bring back your voice if you lose it. This is a secret of politicians. Second, the students that finish the test first and leave early usually do not do as well as the ones who sit there and have a tough time with the answers.

 

Why? Because the more you know the harder it is to answer the test question.  And this can be your problem. You know too much! You try to apply all you read to the situation and it can get confusing. Try to back off and keep it simple.

 

You know the bass' behavior on Pickwick and what structure is best to fish. So using what Road Warrior wrote can be used to your favor along with what you find when you study the map. Look for the same structure at other locations in Pickwick that parallel those of where Road Warrior said to fish. Try to keep it simple. And this is easier said than done.

 

As you know, the major difference between pond fishing and lakes/rivers is finding the bass. You can have the right bait and setups ready to go but unless you can find where those suckers are hiding it is all in vain. So you need to keep a diary of each outing and mark your map for the most productive places or where you are seeing other guys fish specific areas.

 

Looks like you are on the right track to success. It will take time. I am still learning the Virginia lakes and rivers after years of fishing them and am always open to suggestions. It always amazes me when I go as a nonboater to learn where the boater likes to go. Places I either never knew existed or places I have run by hundreds of times and never thought of stopping. Places that have hidden brush piles, sunken boats and barges, underwater trees and humps, deep water by a dock, specific areas along a bank.

 

Things I should have noticed on my maps or that were not shown on the maps. And all hold nice bass.

 

Good luck and keep on reading. Think Bassmaster Classic!!!!

Wow Sam that is some great info. I have been planning on starting a log of my fishing trips. I can see where that could lead to some valuable info. I really do appreciate all the help and advice. It really has been a great help to me.

Off topic or just plain stupid has been removed.

 

-Kent  a.k.a. roadwarfrior

Global Moderator

Flukeking, what Roadwarrior told you for this specific body of water is the best way to find out about fishing locations. First hand information is always the best way to learn bodies of water.

 

However, may I make some suggestions for you to consider since you will be fishing other bodies of water and not just Pickwick?

 

MAPS

Always purcahse one, two or three maps of the lake or river you will be fishing and study it in great detail. Note the counter lines for depth and how they move close into the shoreline. Look for main lake and secondary points. Stumps are great. See if you can locate any humps. Look for roads near the shoreline which may mean docks and piers. The more detail your maps are the better you can locate fish habitats.

 

I have at least two maps of the places I fish. One is for the boat and the other I keep at home with markings as to where I went with whom and the productive places to fish.

 

WATER DEPTH AND MOVEMENT

We have a phone number you can call Buggs Island to find out the water depth. You can also go on-line at the Buggs Island web page and see the water levels. You can call the Corps of Engineers and try to obtain the times the water will be pulled on Lake Gaston. So look up "fishing Pickwick" and note any blogs about fishing the lake and if it shows the water temperature and clarity.

 

You want moving water. This stimulates the bass into feeding. So try to find out the times the water is pulled on Pickwick and be sure to be at a location (bridges are great when water is pulled) and ready to fish when the water is pulled.

 

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

You said you have read article after article. That's what we do to learn about the bass' habits and sometimes specific bodies of water. The more books and magazines you read and DVDs watched the more informed you are.

 

LOCALS

You can learn a lot by visiting local tackle shops and speaking to guys who fish Pickwick and other lakes and rivers. I have learned a number of new baits to use and techniques to consider from the guys at Green Top in Richmond.

 

BASS CLUBS

If you can join a bass club and fish as a nonboater for one or two years you will learn many bodies of water and where the guys in the club fish. This is the best way to learn a body of water and what baits and techniques work best. Not only will you meet others in your area who love to bass fish but you will learn from them. Best investment anyone can make if they want to expand their fishing knowledge.

 

IKE

Purchase Ike's DVD, Ike's Rules for Better Bass Fishing: Taking Luck Out of the Equation. Excellent production. His Advanced Finesse Bass Strategies is a remake of the first one. I thought Taking Luck Out of the Equation was very informative.

 

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND DEAN SAYS....

Yes, the University of Richmond. The Spiders!!! When I was teaching at UR the dean of the Business School had a meeting with all of us adjunt profs and he told us two things that I will never forget. First, Coke will bring back your voice if you lose it. This is a secret of politicians. Second, the students that finish the test first and leave early usually do not do as well as the ones who sit there and have a tough time with the answers.

 

Why? Because the more you know the harder it is to answer the test question.  And this can be your problem. You know too much! You try to apply all you read to the situation and it can get confusing. Try to back off and keep it simple.

 

You know the bass' behavior on Pickwick and what structure is best to fish. So using what Road Warrior wrote can be used to your favor along with what you find when you study the map. Look for the same structure at other locations in Pickwick that parallel those of where Road Warrior said to fish. Try to keep it simple. And this is easier said than done.

 

As you know, the major difference between pond fishing and lakes/rivers is finding the bass. You can have the right bait and setups ready to go but unless you can find where those suckers are hiding it is all in vain. So you need to keep a diary of each outing and mark your map for the most productive places or where you are seeing other guys fish specific areas.

 

Looks like you are on the right track to success. It will take time. I am still learning the Virginia lakes and rivers after years of fishing them and am always open to suggestions. It always amazes me when I go as a nonboater to learn where the boater likes to go. Places I either never knew existed or places I have run by hundreds of times and never thought of stopping. Places that have hidden brush piles, sunken boats and barges, underwater trees and humps, deep water by a dock, specific areas along a bank.

 

Things I should have noticed on my maps or that were not shown on the maps. And all hold nice bass.

 

Good luck and keep on reading. Think Bassmaster Classic!!!!

Great info. here, one quic question on the map...

River maps : I fish from the bank, I don't have a boat and fishing from the bank we cover some small area on the river shore line, will a river map be a good tool ?... will the river shore line change from time to time ?... I know that when we fish the same area we have marked the honey hole, but i'm wondering if a map will be a good choice.