Tips for Unfamiliar Lakes

Preparation is the key to finding fish on unknown waters.

A lot of things can go wrong on a maiden trip to foreign waters, but only one can make it right — catching bass. No matter how good a lake's reputation may be, an angler's first time on unfamiliar water can be unnerving. Fish two hours without a bite and confidence sinks faster than a 20-pound anchor. Now what? A professional angler might know what to do, but even he is forced to go prospecting for potential hotspots — a tedious task that whittles away at valuable fishing time. Preparation and knowing how to read the resource will provide shortcuts to bass-fishing dilemmas encountered on unfamiliar waters. Whether it's during a hard-earned week's vacation or a weekend trip to the other end of the state, success depends upon how quickly adjustments are made. Do your homework and chances for success increase significantly. Having a basic knowledge of what the lake offers enables you to focus on the business at hand. You can quickly and accurately interpret the resource once you're on the water, and you're prepared to adapt to changing conditions. There are no instant solutions to catching bass, but anglers can be in a position to make better decisions by learning as much as possible about the lake before arriving. Here's how:

• Gather information before the trip. Several informative resources are available from the home for those willing to invest the time. Every hour spent on research is worth three hours of trying to learn the lake from a boat. Become familiar with the lake's characteristics and the area around it. Talk with guides and personnel at resorts, tackle shops, tourism offices. Ask about seasonal patterns, proven techniques, lake conditions and habitat. A library can be an excellent source because most prominent bass lakes have been featured in books and magazines.

• Study topographic maps. Many maps differ; quality and detail vary. Old maps may show details that newer versions don't include. On the other hand, new maps may show recent man-made changes, such as canals or developed areas off the main lake. During the spring, those canals attract easy-to-target bass - but only if the angler can find them. Once the map with the best information is selected, photocopy it and keep the , original as a master. The copy becomes a working document with markings that designate potential hotspots. Before studying a map, color-code it by shading in specific depths with varying colors. In other words, assign 5 feet or less one color, 5 to 10 another, 10 to 20 another and so on. When the depths are marked, the map provides a clearer perspective of the lake. A notebook helps, too. By interviewing others who have recently fished the lake, an angler can obtain up-to-date information about productive areas and lures that worked well for them. Rather than clutter the map with messy notes, give specific areas a number or letter and make detailed comments in the notebook. Keep in mind, however, another angler's hotspots should never be trusted entirely. Conditions that made a spot produce for one person, may not be the same when you arrive.

• Eliminate water. Fishing a big lake for the first time can be intimidating, but this can be overcome by eliminating unproductive sections of the lake. Pick a section that best suits your fishing style and offers the most potential. Fish a chosen section as if it were a lake itself. This elimination process can be fine-tuned by considering seasonal patterns. If you know bass will be in the prespawning or spawning period, key on shallow-water areas. If it's midsummer, look for points and ledges on the main lake.

• Monitor weather patterns. This information can be obtained from newspapers or television. This will help in planning your tactics. If the weather has been stable and water temperatures are rising, chances are good the fish will be active. Therefore, if you're not catching fish under those conditions, you need to fish faster and cover more water. More than likely, the fish are biting somewhere; you just haven't found them. On the other hand, if the weather has been unstable and water temperatures are falling, use slower lures and fish more closely to cover.

• Analyze the conditions upon arrival. Water levels and color can affect what bass are doing day-to-day. One trick is to poke a stick in the ground where water meets the shore and check it daily for changes. If the water is rising, fish shallow flats. If it's falling, expect bass to move away from shore to drop-offs or deeper hideouts. Water color has similar effects on fish. The more stained the water, the shallower fish will be.

• Use high-percentage lures. Under stable conditions, proven lures that cover water quickly will help in establishing the location of bass. Once they're found, the tactics can be refined. Don't make a decision to fish one lure all day. When you're searching, experiment with lures that best suit the structure until you zero in on the fish. Proven search lures include spinnerbaits, crankbaits (billed and lipless styles), tube jigs, Carolina-rigged worms and surface plugs. These are lures that can be fished effectively at various retrieve speeds. The best choice of lure size and color should depend on the forage available and water clarity. In clear water, lure sizes should be smaller and more subtle than those used in stained lakes. Furthermore, smaller lures tend to catch more fish. Color choices are debatable. On lakes that receive a lot of pressure, bass can be fooled more easily by something slightly different. So, don't be afraid to use your favorite. If you've got confidence in it, you'll fish it more effectively.

• Keep notes of on-the-water discoveries. If the trip is successful - and it will be with correct planning - a return trip is likely. A notebook filled with structure discoveries, patterns and hotspots will save additional work on the next journey.

• Include a backup plan. Admittedly, some fishing trips don't work out, no matter how much homework is done. That's when a backup plan can save the day. When preparing for the trip, find out what other species are most abundant where and how they're caught - and take along the necessary tackle. For example, if the lake offers good crappie fishing, pack a few ultralights or telescopic poles, terminal tackle, jigs and a minnow bucket. If bass action dies, turn on the sonar unit and use it to explore new locations. Idle over creek ledges or bays, watching the screen for suspended schools offish, such as crap-pie or bluegill. Bait up a lively minnow, drop it to the depth at which fish appeared then slowly drift through the area. Being prepared with a solid backup plan may produce some fast action that will turn a doomed trip into unforgettable one.

• Study the shoreline to find bass. Indeed, there are times when anglers are caught on a lake without the benefit of preparation, a map or even a sonar unit. That's when the eyes and knowledge of bass behavior must take over. Shoreline can provide the best clues of where to begin the search. On reservoirs, natural lakes and most rivers, assume that land characteristics extend into the lake. Therefore, a point on a shoreline could indicate an underwater point with a flat on it or nearby. A steep bank indicates deepwater cuts near shore, while a slow tapering bank may signal a shallow flat. When trying to find the creek channel, chances are good it runs near the steepest bank, especially in creek arms off the main lake. In lakes with standing timber, you can read the trees to determine where the channel may run by looking for rows of trees with a gap between them. Also, remember the largest trees tend to grow on the edge of a channel; hardwoods grow in deeper water while cedar trees sit on a higher elevation. When you're without maps and depthfinders, key on visible structures. Bass are shallow-water creatures, so go with the shallow-water cover you can see. At the very least, always carry a pair of polarized sunglasses. They remove glare from the water surface, making it easier to see indications of bass. Cover that extends above the surface is fished pretty heavily. But with polarized glasses, you're going to see promising targets that other anglers probably miss. On clear, weedy Northern lakes, an angler can find potential bass spots simply by looking into the water. Think of submerged weeds the same as you do bottom structure in reservoirs. Look for points or holes in the weedbed that bass can use as ambush areas. If you drift on top of a good-looking area before you've had a chance to fish it, make a mental note or write it down, and approach the area more carefully later. Baitfish provide other clues, especially on lakes where shad is the primary forage. If you're not seeing baitfish, chances are there won't be many bass in the area, either.