How do you guys go about finding a patern when you first get on a lake?

Thanks Scott

uhhhh ussally throw the baits i'm most confident in in every way i know how. if  i usally figure them out somewhere in there. if not i just take a bait i suck at and hope i get lucky. if that doesn't work SKUNKED!.

there is propbably a certain way to do it but thats how i do it.

I just finished reading "The Complete Guide to Finesse Bass Fishing" by Michael Jones. Since I have to re-learn freshwater fishing after 15 years fishing saltwater I found the book very helpful.

I'm sure those much higher in skill level will add a lot of great information but I'll just share what I learned from the above books suggestions.

Break the lake down into general areas.

Find activity that shows a full spectrum of life from baitfish to gamefish at any depth.

Check similar and dissimilar areas to confirm what you've found.

Don't waste time fishing an area where the fish are not active unless you can get a bite by quickly trying a few techniques. If you don't get bit search for more active fish.

Use your electronics to validate fishing information.

To get a more complete look at structure use an oval search pattern rather than taking straight passes across the area.

Focus on the specific depth level where you find active fish.

Prime areas are obvious and show great activity with baitfish present and fish positioned in a variety of ways over, in, or around cover or structure.

Throw what you know. Start fishing the techniques you are most familiar with first.

Let your electronics tell you where fish are not located.

Narrow your "target" area by pinpointing a specific part of the structure at the chosen depth level, which has the greatest probability of holding fish. Move in, find the highest point or steepest break on a piece of structure and fish it thoroughly. Look for the spot on this structure with the quickest and best deep-water access.

I hope the above helps you and best of luck trying some of the suggestions.

I'll be watching the replies you get for any golden nuggets to help me also.

First thing I do is look at the conditions to get me started. Is the water muddy and causing the fish to hug the cover, whats the water temperature, and how has the weather been. After I have narrowed it down to where the fish are and how they will act I will start trying for the first bite. From the one fish I look at the cover, structure, where the shades at, sun, clouds, wind, depth, clarity, how it bite the lure, retrieve, lure, depth the fish bite at, and color. I then try to duplicate the situation, but keep my mind open.

Preparation+Observation+On water experience

I noticed you asked"when you get on the lake".Unlocking a pattern starts with the Weather Channel then the lake conditions,for me.

Until the first bass is caught, the fisherman is utilizing an approach or system, but not a pattern.

There can be no pattern before the first bass is caught, because patterns are dictated by the "fish"

not by the fisherman. For example, two bass are in the livewell, and both fish were caught

where wood meets windblown maidencane, that's the pattern.

The fish are talking and the angler is listening. Once the bass have disclosed a pattern,

the fisherman adjusts his approach or system accordingly.

Roger

Rolo,once again you are right.Preparation and observation would help determine the approach.

I certainly can't top the advice/tips provided by the others, but I will say that the "A Day on the Lake With..." series in Bassmaster magazine has given me some good insight into the approach a pro takes when confronted with an unknown body of water.  If it's a known body of water, then you're in a little better position when starting out.