Just some tips on finding new spots and how to tell before wasting time fishing for nothing

Local bait/tackle shops, DNR reports and studying topo maps are a good start.

I’ve always just looked on google earth, and the the DNR and put the time in. 

I try to talk to someone who has recently been fishing there.

google (lake name here) bass fishing.

 

you'll get videos and commentary.  people cant help talking about their successes.   the really loquacious ones give up the goods. 

Google Earth, sonar, and eyeballs to notice bait or bird activity. I look obsessively for hard(er) bottom, especially when surrounded by softer bottom.

The ponds I fish have bass chasing bait on the surface early and late. There's one reeeeaaaaalllll fishy looking spot near me that I've never bothered to probe because I've never seen a bass chasing bait.

I see you're a fellow southerner. Honestly, most of our water bigger than a retention pond holds bass (they're hardy critters) and the patterns stay pretty consistent.

 

Look on Google earth. Investigate any water near you of appropriate size with access. Apps like Fishbrain work too. All the suggestions about your local wildlife and tackle shops are great too. 

 

However, I don't think you're going to ever replace just putting some time on some local water yourself. You'll probably find some real great unknown spots that way too. Like I said, bass aren't exactly rare beasts here. Most water has them, so go throw a line in a high probability spot! 

 

My advice in finding those:

 

You want to eliminate most of the water if you're trying to get on fish quicker. For me, I'm not bothering with featureless flats, middle of the lake, etc. I'm going high probability. I also don't fish with electronics so I'm all observation fishing.

 

I usually start out at isolated hard cover points and bank irregularities. Think fallen trees, cuts in the bank, or changes in bank make-up (sudden rocks, change in vegetation, etc). I next hit up soft cover like lilly pads and grasses. I'm also looking for bait and bird sign. The best is when multiple of these things combine. See a bunch of birds around a big fallen tree in a lilly pad patch in a bank cut, etc, and you're really in the bass likely hot spots. 

 

I usually throw a weightless stick bait around these places or a bladed jig/spinner to see what bites. 

Google earth helps but, you can get tk an area and it be a complete bust. Word of mouth helps but, only as good as the person telling you. You will show you areas that hold fish but, don’t always produce. 
 

the best way is breaking down the water on your own. That’s part of the sport for me. 

 Join a Bass fishing club and see if you can be a 2nd or co-angler on a Bass Boat in Bass tournaments. Offer to help with expenses. Join the culture. Be polite and dressed neatly and ask private owners if you may fish on their property and follow their rules. Don't be afraid to get out in rural areas and ask those owners if you may fish. Never ignore a No Trespassing Sign. Be prepared for some work.

 

Good Fishing

At least in Iowa, the DNR gives you access to their samples.

 

Huge resource.

Local papers, especially in rural areas, have fishing reports once a week or so.