CJ,

I don't disagree with you or Catt.   But I would make a bet as to the fact, that if you watched me on my deep structure on Fork during the summer, I can produce a fish over 6.5 pounds on almost every trip.

Its not coclky, its results that are repeated.     I say summer, because summer provides stable weather and stable weather means consistent patterns.

ONE area Catt talks about is in the boat lane marked with boat lane bouy.    I fished this during a Big Bass  Splash and the STREN series going on the at the same time for 3 days straight.      I had boats flying by all day, and I was on fish for three days.    Won some nice money in June, and thats due to Catt for sharing a sweet spot with me, which my novice girl friend caught fish for three days also.

IF I am lookng for quality fish, I will always try the quite approach, I will use the wind if possible to drift in, instead of trolling motor.    I always turn the grapshs of.      Stealth is the number one advantage for Quality.   Didn't matter with boats zipping by every 5 minutes.    Funny thing about this area was, i could see 100 boats all day.

Read the Posted signs  on the water and know mother nature.   What???????      

KNow how and what directions the creek, river runs.   Know how trees on the ledges or edges grow towards the sun.    Know that the biggest tress will always be closest to the channels while its under water.

CAn you find a creek under water in the middle of the lake by just looking at the trees on top even though they have been dead for 20 years?

Learn the what types of treee in your region grow on hump or hills, know that sand on the hills is different than creek bottom sand, all of these small tidbits can help you find areas with out using maps and electronic.

You find desirable areas by sight, and scope them out with electronics and fishing them.

Knowing the way a tree leans into a creek gives you the picture of how to toss or pitch at targets.    knowing the bend in the river, the fallen tree into the river channel, and grass on top on the ridge, also knowing some one drug their anchor through the grass cut a gut in the middle of it and fish are relating to it all make for easy fishing in my book.

Would I tie up or anchor all day on every lake?   no

Do most tournament fishermen anchor out?   not many, but I will if thats the best way to stay on fish.

Do all lakes have the same structure?   NO

Lakes like Toledo Bend, Fork, Amistad, and others will hold fish in the same areas year around as long as their needs are met, and only be in migration mode when the urge to reproduce commences.

Why does a guide make money?    He sure don't fish new water every day or every year.     He goes back to the same spots over and over, that don't mean he don't have 1000 spots, but he has to be able to consistently catch fish.

I have seen guides take clients to the same spots and start on the same spots day after day.    Why?    cause fish relate to that area for reason, every year.

What Catt and others have done is settle in on the sweet spot within a good area.    

      Learn the signs, Raul has posted numerous tips on learning the dry ground that surrounds your lake, note the types of timver if any, where does that type of tree grow, near creek bottoms, top of hills or elevated ground.    What type of tree grows next to the channels that are now under water.    

For those that want to be successful and eliminate some luck, learn how to fish with out electronics first, learn to decipher what mother nature is showing you.

Sorry to be long winded, you could write a book on identifing types  signs to help learn reading the water before ever making a cast.

One thing to remember, Catt and I are blessed to have a state and lakes in our area that handle as much pressure as any lakes across the US, and are loaded with quality fish.     To catch quality consistently, you must have great fisheries, and we do have some of the best pleasure lakes, and tournament waters in the US.    Typical stringers are 20+ lbs, and thats year around.

These kind of sweet spots are due to being blessed with better than average lakes.

Wish me luck, I'm fishing for a piece of the$ 400,000.oo for 3 days this weekend.   And I haven't fished the sweet spots for 3 weeks, and I won't move for 3 days straight.  I have faith that I wll catch some 8's, but its the magic 24 inches that makes them turn into money.  

Hookem

Matt.

Thank you CJ,

I see you've shortened your handle which is okay, as long as you're still wack'n em

This has gotten to be an interesting thread.

As Matt said, you could write a book on this stuff, so I'll be as brief as possible.

I must confess, even on a brand new lake that I've never seen in my life, I will only fish a couple dozen hotspots

that I selected at home. Though I might spend two weeks on that lake, I will generally ignore about 85% of the water.

 

1. The first step is always the same, acquire the best contour map that money can buy (GPS software or hardcopy).

If a satisfactory contour map is unavailable, I will flatly refuse to vacation on that lake,

because life is too short to be wasted on blind fishing. A guide is another alternative,

but I have never hired a guide because it wouldn't make sense for me to pay another man

to do what I love the most..."locating fish" (anyone can winch a fish to the boat).

 

2. The "Chart Survey" is the second step. At home and in my leisure time, I'll scrutinize the entire lake

chart until I know it as well as the furniture in my own home. Each "trial site" is given an appropriate

waypoint name, something that sets it apart. A trial site is essentially an outstanding compression point (contour line convergence) adjacent to a sizable flat. In the process, every major flat

(spawning grounds) is also named.

 

3. The third step I refer to as the "Field Survey" is done onsite. Generally the entire first day

of my vacation is spent confirming the "Chart Survey" conducted at home. Mainly, I'm looking

to confirm the presence of vegetation, and to identify the plant species and status of the bed.

Sadly, this step will eliminate some of the most promising "trial sites" that were selected at home.

With regard to largemouth bass & pike, any trial site that lacks vegetation will be patently rejected

for lack of cover. This would not apply however to smallmouth bass and walleyes, which do not relate directly to weeds.

 

4. When a trial site contains satisfactory cover, it becomes a named "holding site" (i.e. waypoint).

I don't have to catch a fish to know it's a holding site. If it's the best bottom-break in the area

and there's cover on the crest, it IS a holding site. Step number 4 is to obtain accurate coordinates

for the holding site, which is often renamed at this point, based on new information gleaned onsite.

 

5. With my chores complete, it's now time to fish. The route of waypoints will be run like a schoolboy's paper route. My wife generally boats the first fish, because I'm usually still engrossed in jotting down

details about the lake. But that's the way I like it, because I enjoy the technical garbage,

but my wife (the smart one), enjoys catching fish.

 

Does it work?  And how...I'll only cite the most recent example.

Last year (my last vacation), I choose a lake that I've never heard of before for northern pike (Pakashkan Lake, Ontario). I mail-ordered two different contour maps, and poured over the maps

for about 3 or 4 months (sometimes I'll spend a full year). The goal was a pike over 40"

and it was achieved on the 2nd day of our trip, actually my first fishing day.

I might add, it was the only 40"+ pike taken at the lodge. During our 6-day stay,

I never once stopped the boat to fish a spot that I didn't select at home

(Florida, nearly 2,000 miles to the south).

 

Roger

Good post Rolo,

  I wish I could articulate my words as well as you do.    Always clean and to the point.

Catt,

    You know after post spawn, you don't catch me fishing anything above 12 ft, and hardly anything that close to a shoreline.    I love the deep offshore unpressured waters.     My fish only see a tenth of the fishermen as opposed to the shallow fish that are high pressured every day.      

Matt

Excellent post Rolo,

I live on Cape Cod mass.Is there places were I can get detailed contour maps my google searches bring up nothing.I have s learned so much the little time I have been here so a thank you is in order.

kmbgolf,

  Welcome to the forum.  

What body of water are you looking for?

Matt

Thank you,Matt-Fly!I agree with your post 100% and believe every bit of it.I don't doubt your or CATT's ability.Though I may dispute statments I read.Maybe it's how I read them?Maybe it's how they're wrote?

On Ky.Lake current is the #1 factor as to how a fish relates to the structure,it also helps to determine their active status.This year we had the worst drought on record.Water generation was little.In the early 90's F&W killed off all of the vegetation on Ky.Lake.In the past 3 years it has made a great comeback!Ledges that were once loaded became empty.I'm not saying all of em'.Where I used to target rockpiles stumpbeds,and man-made brushpiles.I now target submerged vegetation.

BTW,best of luck to you,Matt.I hope you get em'!

Rolo,just glad to see any thread interest you enough to squeeze some of that knowledge!Great add!I've had better years results wise,but learning new techniques.

Chris

WOW!

Me brains hurtin'.

I'll have to read this again later...and again later.

I stuck this in "My Favorites" for future reference.

I suggest others do the same.

8-)

This is good information regarding positioning your boat.

This weekend on the Chowan my front depth read 12 feet and the rear depth was 5 feet so we decided we were going over a drop off.  Are we smart or what?

Thanks for the input.

Coonamessett,Mashpee Wakeby,Johns POND,Ashumet,LOVELLS-MY LITTLE GEM.......thanks

Doug Hannon's thoughts on Big Bass Structure

Big bass live such a simple live that it goes straight over most anglers' heads. They are located on prime structures that contain specific elements that include a good sized feeding flat. That flat would ideally be heavily weeded, with a number of weed types and open pockets 4 to 8 feet deep. Other kinds of cover like trees, stumps, brush or rocks are also beneficial. Deep water down to 17 feet or more as near as possible and better yet, if there were a source of inflowing water, like a creek.  Finally, we need the nearby presence of firm spawning bottom sand, gravel, clay, and perhaps rock. This area should be located where it remains calm; in essence, the spot should be protected from north winds.  

Sounds exactly like the area I'm discussing