this may be a stupid question, but im just trying to learn.   i dont do much fishing on bigger lakes.  occasionally ill go to a buddys place on a lake in nh or maine.  what i was wondering is this, is there any way to find points and flats in a lake without using a depthfinder?  i dont own a boat much less a depthfinder and depthfinders from what ive been reading is still like japenese to me.  i guess the easy way to ask this question is, if you guys were in a row boat or canoe, how would u guys approach finding bass?  

I'd say look at the lay of the land next to where you want to fish. If there is a very slight slope on the shore it will most likely continue into the lake. Likewise if the land near the shore drops sharply it will do so in the water also.  This is not always the case of course, but without a depth finder its a good rule of thumb

Well that is a fun question, alot of things come to mind.  If available get a lake map it will show you all the depths. Look at the contour of the shore line, find some structure like standing timber or weed line, and always have a good pair of polorized sun glasses. If the water is clear enough you can see alot of your points as they go out from the shore line.  If you are at a lake with other people fishing just ask someone. you should get some help.

yup, that's your best bet, read the terrain.  Roads that end at the waters edge, usually continue under the water.  Same for rock walls, etc.

I have heard, it seems very time consuming, but I have heard of some older guys say that when they didn't have a depth finder they would tie a heavy weight to a line and make the ling every foot or every 5 feet, and drop the sinker.  Then they can feel when it is on the bottom and look on the line and see what depth it is.

To find fish now, read all the northern archive threads on cold water

After you find some depths that seem interesting, power fish

When it warms up, chunk a spinnerbait and rattletrap until you find fish

and not during a cold front. that will just frustrate you

You should have no problem finding fish beginning in May and June during the spawn.  Then just follow the seasonal migration according to "the Book"

Follow up with other questions after you start the finding fish process