Good evening everybody! Long time reader, first time poster. This upcoming spring will be my third overall year of fishing - and the best news is, it will be my first off the bank. In about a month or so I'll be able to purchase a decent used jon boat with a 40 hp motor - it should be good times. But here is my question...

How many of you guys and gals study and mark maps on where you think the fish will be? I'm going to be fishing a lot of lakes in the state of Missouri, all of which I have never fished by boat. Many of you may not use maps that often if you fish the same waters consistently - electronics and jigs can help in gaining knowledge about the contours of the bottom, locating structure, etc. I'll also be a noob to electronics, and I am hoping that my mapwork will compensate for this. Any information on how you organize your maps, what you use to mark them, or any other "map-related" tips are appreciated.

Thank you for all of your past, present, and future info...

Daryl

Welcome aboard.  I think a map of any new water is good to have and even to go back and look at after you have been on the lake several times.  It is a great way to get an early jump and pointed in the right direction.  Plus a great way to pass the time waiting to get on the water.  If you get one of the water proof maps they sell in the stores you should be able to use a sharpie marker on them I think.  Good luck and congrats on the the new boat when you get it.

Welcome aboard!

My I suggest that when you buy a map do not get a topo of the lake, instead get a topo map of the area before it was flooded. Unless the lake is a natural lake then you have no choice.

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a big fan of topo maps. Just remember, they are not always up to date. Lakes are one thing but tidal rivers and rivers behind a dam are subject to change from year to year due to current, silt distribution, etc. I always feel that researching a topo of a place is half the battle. Topo maps, GPS, Depth Finders, always make a large body of water smaller, as well as, put you on track of where to be in different seasons. Welcome  aboard and good luck.

I never marked up maps before I went...  but if you have a banner day or find something not on the map, by all means mark it, circle it, highlight it or whatever because someday you will forget the spot.  I'll give you a perfect example- I used to live down the road from fork and fished it every week, I had a map with litterally hundreds of marks and numbers (for seasonal ID of marks) so when I moved and started fishing it 1-2 times per year, I did about as well as I used to.  I have since moved again and lost the sacred map.   :'(   :'(  Now it's been a couple years since I have been there and I am going on the BassResource.com trip... can you see how valueable that map would have been to me?  The lake doesn't look the same as it used to, between trees being broken off at surface level and some development around the banks and just a general change in surroundings make it look like a totally different lake.  

Jim's point about being out of date is very good, lots of areas silt in over time and change a lot.

WHAT?

You lost it!

Man, you have some work to do!

WHAT?

You lost it!

Man, you have some work to do!

Well, it's been gone at least since I moved to Belton (almost 3 years ago) but if it makes you feel better, I have 2 different versions of Fork on the LMS332C and a paper map.  we'll have much better maps and contours we just won't have the marks...  

I figure we'll be ok, I heard that you were like a German Short Hair Pointer... I will set you on the front deck and idle around until you "lock up."   You do point for beer, right? ...lol  

Welcome!  I use maps for unfamiliar waters to gauge areas I want to check out points, channels, breaklines, rocks, etc.  But I need the electronics to see depth, breaklines, and structure.  As an example, it is more difficult without the electronics when I want to fish the 10 ft breakline around a point.

Whew!

Good, I hope we don't run out of spots. I think Matt Fly told me that the Texas DNR will pick up the Share Lunkers. So, if your livewell only holds three, the game wardens will come out and get them and we won't have to go back to the dock for lunch.

:

I have a map of lake that I fish alot. I have electronics, but the map has kind of helped me to understand a little bit better on why I was catching fish in one spot and not another. So I know how the the points and such are shaped, I know what to look for on my electronics

Welcome to the best forum on the web.

I love maps.

Muddyman is going to teach me to use one at lake fork  :

Welcome to the best forum on the web.

I love maps.

Muddyman is going to teach me to use one at lake fork :

And it may sound something like this...

Avid: "ok muddy, I'm ready to learn!"

Muddy: "Ok Avid, lesson #1 this bold colored N actually means 'No avid, this side up' now the other letters and plus sign in the middle are just for decoration...

We sure have a lot of fun with muddy, he is the best sport in the entire family!!

I use a Garmin handheld GPS for fishing a lot. Whenever I hit a good spot I'll mark a waypoint. I have a topo map of Weiss Lake, Alabama that I've made notes all over in my fishing room.

PM me about other programs for cartography that I use.

I do like to mark on maps.  I like the hard copy maps that you can get at the local dealer on the lake and also the chips you can get to put into your fish finder.  What I like to do is use the two in combination.  I fish in lots of tournaments in different states and there are several times that I will be on a new body of water and the only knoweldge of it that I have maybe the time of year and normal bass basics.  So, what I like to do is take the hard copy of the map before hand, either sitting in the hotel , and with a highlighter I will highlight places on the map that are similar structure.  For example I will highlight all breaks in blue and maybe highlight all flats in orange and then points in a different color and so on down the line.  The reason is when I'm prefishing and find a patern all that I have to do is look at the hard copy map and see what color fits the situation.  And I will have several other places I can hit quickly and see if it pays off.  Its just an idea and what I do. It seems to work for me.  Good Luck and congrats on the new boat.  

P.S.  I also when I find a patern I will mark in pen on the map lure used water temp and time of year also.  Just like it was said before.  You may not forget within the next couple of years but some day you may and all you have to do is look back at your notes.  

Tight lines

Scott

welcome to the forum BassBeat101. there is several lakes I fish consistantly and I use a map for all them.  Even though i feel i know these lakes fairly good there is always something different each time I go.  what I do Is I keep a journal along with a map and gps coordinates of each lake.

Toledo Bend was flooded in 1969; I have topo maps of the Housen' Bayou & Six Mile area from 1959. These contour lines on these maps were draw up by surveyors on foot with a transit and story pole. The difference between these maps and a Hot Spot map is that the older maps are in 5' measurements instead of 10' measurements on the Hot Spot map. They also show smaller creeks and small bayous not even shown on the Hot Spot maps.

Topographical maps are drawn with contour lines, each line represents an elevation, and if you know the current lake level you can determine the depth of the water at each contour line change. Next you use you depth finder to locate these contour changes thus locating structure.

The problem most people run into with topo maps is changing 1 dimensional map into a 3 dimensional image in their mind.