I am still learning as I am still new to Bass fishing.  I read in a article that I think it said that east side of lakes usually hold Bass better because it gets sun light the most so the water is warmer.

Is this true, do fish tend to be more on the east side of lakes?  If that is true should I start on east side of banks in coves first?

This time of year I'd say just the opposite. The North West factor is often more reliable this time of year as the water warms up there faster in most lakes.  Right now if you water is still cool and is just warming up as it is in lots of TN which it looks like that's where you are try some North West creeks on your lake for bass fishing.

The idea is that the North West part of the lake is buffeted from cooler winds coming from that direction and dark bottom bays will heat up first. This isn't a rule but it's a good start if you are just getting started. Do some looking into the "In Fisherman" website to get more info or just google the North West Factor in bass fishing for more info on the theory of it.

Also break the lake up into thirds if it's a big reservoir and fish the mid lake mouths of the creeks and also about a third of the way back into them.   Same thing, the headwaters at the upper third will be colder and the lower part of the lake if it's not a hot hole discharge will be colder often too as that water is clearer usually and a lot deeper with the dam down that way. If the surface temp is warming up then start heading further back in the creeks while looking for the right contour line depths to follow.

Use your electronics to find baitfish if you can and figure out where the bass should be depth wise (look in 12-20 feet as a general rule this time of year) on your map or graph and then go find you some secondary points or other irregularities or known structure to focus on that you think might hold fish as you fish your way back in to the creek. If you have some good flats to fish that are near the main lake and lead into spawning coves, those can be paydirt big time so pay attention to your map for those also.

If your water is still cold which a lot of Mid and Eastern TN is, fish SLOW. Jerkbaits that suspend, TX rigged worms, Carolina Rigs, and of course jigs with trailers are all good slow presentations to use in chilly water (sub 55 degrees). If it's warmer (55 degress and up), then speed it up some and start throwing your spinner baits, rattle traps, etc. and get that reaction bite going until you get into the mid 60's and then start looking for fish to be on the beds which is where we are in NC right now. I'm trying to figure those out at the moment without actually fishing the beds. Hope it helps you some.

That does help.  I have heard of breaking down the lake into thirds, and I copied some fishing maps, and I was about to start marking some areas that I would think would be good areas.  Now I know to look at the North West area first.  Thanks.

This time of year, find the spawning coves/bays that they are going to be heading toward and intercept them. Then find their food/baitfish and imitate it. This time of year if it's still pre spawn and they have not moved up to spawn yet out there think Points, Points, and Points.  Get my point?  If they have just move a little farther back in the creeks on the way to the spawning areas and pick them off before they get to the beds.  Handle them carefully and put em back ASAP unless you are in a tournament as the females hold the future of your fishery in their bellies.

Should put you on a path that you'll continue to develop as you travel it. Hope it helps.

Tennessee Titan,

Remember that the coves and the backs of creeks where the water is shallow will also heat up faster than the main lake.

And if the water is stained as opposed to clear then the stained water will heat up faster due to the particles within it.

When the Dogwoods bloom the bass are on shore spawning and making their beds so keep an eye out for the Dogwoods to blossom.

In the meantime, the bass are in a holding pattern off shore so throw your Carolina rig and always remember to test the shore from time to time just in case some move in to spawn, go after the baitfish or enjoy the warmer waters.

For early year fishing, I find the Northeast sections of the lake warm up the most and fastest. Most warming weather comes from the Southwest and the sun in the afternoons is more intense in the Northeast shorelines. It is true that the Northwest shorelines are more protected from the cooling affects of a cold front but when the water is cooling down, the fishing is lousy anyway.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west (that tells it all).

Although there's a difference in timing, there is no difference in sunlight exposure between the east and west sides of a lake.

Any difference in sunlight exposure between the eastern and western shores would be due to elevated objects

such as manmade structures, ridges and trees. If you wish to keep your lure in shaded water as much as possible,

you would focus on the eastern shore in the morning and the western shore in the evening.

Yes, the northwest corner heats up first because the sun's arc favors the southern sky

and also because the northwest corner is protected from artic fronts packing winds out of the northwest quadrant.

Be that as it may, the "Northwest Phenomenon" is over-baked. It merely alludes to the "first" lake section to heat up,

but every section of the lake ultimately reaches optimal temperatures.

If you're on a lake during the time of year when the weeded flats in the "southeast corner" are in their spring peak,

the "northwest corner" will probably be past its peak (most of this has nothing to do with map reading).

Roger