IMO, pre-fish your lake, regardless of size. You will learn a lot about the
lake, structure, cover, water and fish without ever setting the hook. I
usually catch a fish or two, but will stop hooking fish and then will just fish
for bites to find a pattern OR just motor around looking for similar spots. It
really helps to learn about a lake.

If you can sacrifice baits such as spinnerbaits and jigs, make some prefish
tools. Cut the hook points off OR cover them with hard plastic tubing if you
don't want to do that. You will feel the strikes, but will will not hook the
fish. If you're fishing plastics, turn the hook point down with pliers or bury
it deep into the bait to avoid hooking the fish. I've gotten fish all the way
to the boat without ever hooking them...they just would not let go of the bait!

If you're pressed for time and have little time to prefish, you may just want
to motor around and look at what the lake has, but getting some bites will
really help you narrow down your search for fish.

Brad Coovert
2003 Angler of the Year, Greenfield Bassmasters
http://www.greenfieldbassmasters.com