i have my 1st tourney this year coming up next weekend, this weekend i was gonna pre fish the lake but i just heard from a buddy that the lake has just been treated with death spray(weedkiller). what is the best way to find and catch fish after they dump this crap in a lake? if there a type of cover or structure they will migrate towards to avoid the weed killer?

Ryan

What lake is your tourney on?

Wow, You really know how to post a subject line.

that got my attention fer sure.

They spray my lake every so often.  It is this oily blue/green crap that the bass definitly do not like.

my experience is to fish deeper and look for current.  the bass seem to want to get the freshest water possible after a "death spray"

What lake is your tourney on?

mountain lake

PM and Lake Map sent.

I agree with Avid go deep and look for moving water.

A lot of times dying vegetation will cause oxygen levels to go down.  So if this happens to an extreme level the fish will be moving somewhere with higher levels.  As mentioned before look for moving water or an area of the lake that might not be affected by the chemicals.  I don't know the lake at all so I can't tell you where to exactly look.  

Three years ago my "test pond" got covered with what I call water cabbage (some kind of plant that had roots down to here, but just floated on the top) and the fish stayed suspended under the matts and could be caught by punching a jig or heavy T-rig through them -- a great time.  The next year, NOTHING (no weeds along the shore, not even any scum).  I was not catching any fish and wondering what the heck happened when one of the residents came by and commented on how nice the lake looked since they had the city spray it.  I almost threw her in the water.  The pond went from a steady 3-4-5# producer to scrawny 10" fish all year.  There is a channel that runs through the center of the pond that is out of range for casting and this is where the fish went.

Fast forward to this year.  We are starting to get some weed growth back around the edges and the fish are starting to get some good 12 - 14" fish, when all of a sudden I go back and the shorlines are clear again >.  The biggest problem is that the same city entity is set to take over "management" of the local lake that has been the top bass producer in this area for the last several years and it is known for it's thick vegitation.  Last night I heard that there was some boat out there last week spraying something along the shore line. :'(

Three years ago my "test pond" got covered with what I call water cabbage (some kind of plant that had roots down to here, but just floated on the top) and the fish stayed suspended under the matts and could be caught by punching a jig or heavy T-rig through them -- a great time.  The next year, NOTHING (no weeds along the shore, not even any scum).  I was not catching any fish and wondering what the heck happened when one of the residents came by and commented on how nice the lake looked since they had the city spray it.  I almost threw her in the water.  The pond went from a steady 3-4-5# producer to scrawny 10" fish all year.  There is a channel that runs through the center of the pond that is out of range for casting and this is where the fish went.

Fast forward to this year.  We are starting to get some weed growth back around the edges and the fish are starting to get some good 12 - 14" fish, when all of a sudden I go back and the shorlines are clear again >.  The biggest problem is that the same city entity is set to take over "management" of the local lake that has been the top bass producer in this area for the last several years and it is known for it's thick vegitation.  Last night I heard that there was some boat out there last week spraying something along the shore line. :'(

I think you may be fighting a losing battle.

If there are alot of homes built around the lake, they will have more sway with the local politicians than a bunch of bass fisherman.  They pay premium land prices to live on a lake and thier taxes reflect that.

Unless there is a MAJOR economic benefit to the local economy from fishing then you may need to adjust your tactics, or drop a few brushpiles in deeper areas that won't spoil the view from the houses.

When that happens to my lakes, I generally look for areas that have some green vegetation left.  They usually don't manage to kill everything.  It may be deep so throw something that you can drag up some weeds with and look around until it comes up green.

Seems like I have the exact opposite problem.  A golf course pond near my house that used to produce decent size fish, and was clean for the most part, with a little bit of vegetation for the bass to hold to.  Now that the golf course has been shut down to restore the civil war battlefield that was originally there, the pond is covered from one end to the other with weeds, its so bad its not even fishable right now.  The property is now owned by the city, I wonder if they will spray it?