I don't usually fish tournaments, but when I get to a new lake, I do the
following:

First, try to find something out about the lake in advance. Talk to
somebody, find a map (the more popular the lake, the more likely you are to
find a Fishing Hot Spots type of map), Google for info on the web, etc.

Second, we've almost all got a lake we fish all the time. Given similar
conditions, fish will be in the same types of places on the new lake. In
pre-spawn, they'll be staging off spawning areas. In post spawn, they'll
scatter, then in summer mode, they'll hang out around cover...in most lakes
and assuming LMB. Adjustments have to be made for boat traffic, fishing
pressure and latitude ( Florida bass may have spawned by now, but the water
in Northernwestern Illinois was 35 degrees on Thursday). I watched a guy
throwing a spinner bait 2 hours and all he caught was a cold. I was using a
fly rod with a small streamer and caught 3 in about 4 hours (the "biggest"
one was about 13" and skinny). Another guy caught 9 in about five hours
using a Husky Jerk and Senkos. All of these fish were "cruisers" (randomly
swimming around in shallow mud bottom areas that got direct sunlight that
day). By mid June, we'll be having 50+ fish days on the same lake, with the
average being about 14-15" and fishing the weeds.

Third, spend the winter learning basic bass behavior. Read...everything you
can find. When spring arrives, you'll get to the lake and find places that
"look" like they'd be good for jig 'n' pig, or cranks or suspending jerks or
whatever.

I will admit that a tourny puts more pressure on the fisherman, but the goal
is still finding fish and getting them to bite. Throwing a worm into the
weeds works well in summer, but until there are weeds........Season, local
weather, time of day, water level, clarity and temp...all require making
adjustments, but If your local lake had fish in a certain place under those
conditions, the new lake probably will too.

Mark

I may work a "regular job", but only so I can afford to go fishing when I
get a day off.


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