I grew up fishing farm ponds from the bank.I had to learn to fish slow and methodical because there wasnt much water to cover.Well now even years after fishing these big lakes in a boat I find myself fishing too slow.When I go a friend of mine takes his boat with him and covers twice as much water as me.Sometimes I outfish him and sometimes he outfishes me.I want to learn to cover more water but at the same time I wont to cover it carefully.

Covering water is great if you are searching for fish or bites. If you don't know what the bass are doing or how they are positioned covering water is a good idea. When you figure out where the bass are and what they are doing and have narrowed down you pattern and lure section then its time to switch gears and fish the areas that you found fish the right way. Slow and methodical.

A Carolina rig is a good way to get the best of both worlds - finesse fishing while covering water.

I Carolina rig a Senko type bait when I'm open water fishing the hydrilla.

i've got pretty much the same problem. fishing farm ponds you dwell on areas because you know they're there, you just have to make them bite. on bigger lakes it's more finding them than anything.

Like Chris mentioned if you are in an area thats full of fish their is nothing wrong with fishing it slowly and milking more fish out of it.

Like everyone else, when I first started fishing, I mostly fished little ponds and whatnot. It was a GREAT way to learn the art of catching bass. And the fish were pretty easy to find and catch.

Years later I bought a boat and joined a local fishing club. I had to learn how to find the fish in the big lakes.  At first it was a little intimidating, never knowing where to start.  It's always tough when you've never fished the lake before. You just have to look for things that you already know how to fish. Like open water hydrilla patches, or flippin into thick stuff or finding drop-offs or grass lines or moving water and stuff like that.

Depending on how the lake is fishing-re small or big,I ethier try to find a dozen or so spots to fish quickly or I try to find 2-3 bigger areas to fish a little slower.of coarse game plans might change mid stream on any given day.