Hypothetical...your first day on a lake you never fished before - Bluegill - Big Bluegill2024-03-29T11:54:21Zhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/forum/topics/hypothetical-your-first-day-on-a-lake-you-never-fished-before?x=1&id=2036984%3ATopic%3A232493&feed=yes&xn_auth=noPlum it up to pick your spot.…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-18:2036984:Comment:2343042012-01-18T19:34:46.574ZJohnny wilkinshttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
Plum it up to pick your spot. When you plum your depth in front of you- we all fish from shore, right? - you will learn the contour- all lakes have a contour- find the breaks and know the bottom in front of you in your mind.<br />
If you have no idea what I am talking about- this is the year you can learn. Jump in the Catch group I will open a new topic and open your fishing world.<br />
I love new lakes!!!!
Plum it up to pick your spot. When you plum your depth in front of you- we all fish from shore, right? - you will learn the contour- all lakes have a contour- find the breaks and know the bottom in front of you in your mind.<br />
If you have no idea what I am talking about- this is the year you can learn. Jump in the Catch group I will open a new topic and open your fishing world.<br />
I love new lakes!!!! I like the looking for the ol…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-18:2036984:Comment:2344122012-01-18T19:29:29.826ZJohnny wilkinshttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/chicagofishing
I like the looking for the oldest guy. Also don't assume because somone is catching that you can catch next to them. Gear, bait, presentation... Plus they might have a 6' hole they are fishing and you are only in 2' of water- I have been there!
I like the looking for the oldest guy. Also don't assume because somone is catching that you can catch next to them. Gear, bait, presentation... Plus they might have a 6' hole they are fishing and you are only in 2' of water- I have been there! I too look for drop offs with…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-12:2036984:Comment:2326492012-01-12T02:15:45.476ZTimbaux65http://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/Timbaux65
I too look for drop offs with a weighted line...where I fish at..I don't catch deep water fish. I don't understand why but I think this is the reason I am a shalllow water fisherman.<br />
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That trip I spoke about in the first post reall made me see how much I had become acclimated to fishing in south louisiana.
I too look for drop offs with a weighted line...where I fish at..I don't catch deep water fish. I don't understand why but I think this is the reason I am a shalllow water fisherman.<br />
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That trip I spoke about in the first post reall made me see how much I had become acclimated to fishing in south louisiana. Im in a similar boat, no pun…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-12:2036984:Comment:2326482012-01-12T01:42:47.700ZDavid, aka, "McScruff"http://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/david553
<p>Im in a similar boat, no pun intended. If things go according to plan, I will have a new home lake this year: Lake Murray, SC.</p>
<p>And while Ive been there in years past, it wasn't with any frequency and always as a passenger. I don't really know it and I see it as a new lake to me. So were I to be there tomorrow, without a lake map or other resources.....</p>
<p>Id head for the marinas and ask where the nearest fish attractors were. These are placed by the SCDNR all over the lake to…</p>
<p>Im in a similar boat, no pun intended. If things go according to plan, I will have a new home lake this year: Lake Murray, SC.</p>
<p>And while Ive been there in years past, it wasn't with any frequency and always as a passenger. I don't really know it and I see it as a new lake to me. So were I to be there tomorrow, without a lake map or other resources.....</p>
<p>Id head for the marinas and ask where the nearest fish attractors were. These are placed by the SCDNR all over the lake to offer cover for fish. They are clearly marked with buoys.</p>
<p>But lets say I couldnt even do that. I'd head for the fish highways. These are the transition zones between deeper water and shallow. Fish move along these slope areas. There are several kinds.</p>
<p>One is the break from a shoal large area of shallow water) to about the 12-15 FOW mark. Id have to find it by plumbing the bottom with a weight (assuming no fish finder). I'd follow that line parallel to the shore. When it went out on a point, Id follow along.</p>
<p>Another of these is the central area of a defined inlet... not along the shore, but in the middle. This is where the old creek channel should run. Somewhere to either side of the middle the shore should slope towards another break line - again you're looking for where it goes from the bottom and starts to rise up to the shallower waters.</p>
<p>Now all of this assumes I can see nothing else but water and shore contours. Obviously large sheltering projections above water, like visible trees, logs, pilings, docks and so on are good spots to check out, where they meet deeper water - that highway zone again. Cuts and sloughs between islands or below highway bridges are good spots. The deep side of visible weed beds, when they jut far out from shore, would be another enticement.</p>
<p>Where the wind is working, Id consider fishing the lee side of points, where the wind sweeps water around it. Or where large grassy areas are obvious, fish into them with the wind at your back.</p>
<p>Keep an eye out for birds, too. They often hover above fish schools or areas where fish are active.</p>
<p>Here Im speaking mostly of bass and sunfish, although much of this is general. Cover, food and proper depth are universal attractants for fish. These are only a few ideas; there are plenty more, certainly.</p> AMEN brother. If you can't ca…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-11:2036984:Comment:2325602012-01-11T23:08:13.675ZLeo Nguyenhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/LeoNguyen
<p>AMEN brother. If you can't catch a fish with a regular "cannot fail" bait, you can always go for the C4 flies. Nothing catch fishes better than a little thumping in the water *LOL* Ohhh..the DFG going to fry my butt on this.</p>
<p>AMEN brother. If you can't catch a fish with a regular "cannot fail" bait, you can always go for the C4 flies. Nothing catch fishes better than a little thumping in the water *LOL* Ohhh..the DFG going to fry my butt on this.</p> We had come in from New Orlea…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-11:2036984:Comment:2324412012-01-11T23:05:48.141ZTimbaux65http://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/Timbaux65
<p>We had come in from New Orleans, and there was really no one to ask. I just thought one of the best "go to" baits was a worm. I really wanted to fish deep for bluegill but i didnt know how. Really nice sized gills there if you know where to go. I saw some pictures in a store not far from there and they were 9 inches or so.</p>
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<p>It just seems like, when we are placed in a situation that is totally new to us, we tend to fall back on what we usually do. I wanted the shallows. My…</p>
<p>We had come in from New Orleans, and there was really no one to ask. I just thought one of the best "go to" baits was a worm. I really wanted to fish deep for bluegill but i didnt know how. Really nice sized gills there if you know where to go. I saw some pictures in a store not far from there and they were 9 inches or so.</p>
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<p>It just seems like, when we are placed in a situation that is totally new to us, we tend to fall back on what we usually do. I wanted the shallows. My father, who is a saltwater fisherman, tied on a trout jig, cast it out with a cork, and pulled in a decent sized bass. Just doing what we know, but I felt terrible humbled that day.</p>
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<p>Biblically, being humble is a strength, but being humbled sure aint no fun!</p> If I fish a new lake, I look…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-11:2036984:Comment:2327262012-01-11T12:59:02.663ZDwayne Denisonhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/DwayneDenison
<p>If I fish a new lake, I look for the oldest guy I can find. First off, ol timers love to talk to new people and are wealth of information. Nothing like talking to someone who has fished the lake for 60 years.</p>
<p>If I fish a new lake, I look for the oldest guy I can find. First off, ol timers love to talk to new people and are wealth of information. Nothing like talking to someone who has fished the lake for 60 years.</p> Let say you don't even know y…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-11:2036984:Comment:2324192012-01-11T06:35:53.801ZLeo Nguyenhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/LeoNguyen
Let say you don't even know you're heading to this water, but suddenly found it. You want to hit it. No one is around to ask about the existing species. For me, I would pull out my quick light quick action rod 7'6", loaded with the 5lbs test braid. Flouro leader with 4lbs. While tossing the deep diving crank bait, minnow/shad silver glow for clear water and golden for murky, watch for signs of activities all around the banks, weedlines, tules, and even the overcasting trees. Bubbles risingin…
Let say you don't even know you're heading to this water, but suddenly found it. You want to hit it. No one is around to ask about the existing species. For me, I would pull out my quick light quick action rod 7'6", loaded with the 5lbs test braid. Flouro leader with 4lbs. While tossing the deep diving crank bait, minnow/shad silver glow for clear water and golden for murky, watch for signs of activities all around the banks, weedlines, tules, and even the overcasting trees. Bubbles risingin groups, or small baitfish swimming near the grass will entice larger fishes to come. Toss your bait out deep and haul it slowly to the group of baitfish. If crank dont work, switch to spinner within the hour as you work along the banks. Switch to spoons, and work the same areas for another hour. If no strike occur, you may want to switch to deep water rigs and tacticts. It's all about the seasons as well. Spring to fall is the best for top, slight below, and half way down the water's column search and destroy. For late fall to winter, it will be tough. If you cant get the action occur close to shore, then deep water action will he just as bad. It's a finding a needle in a haystack campaign. I agree with you Dick. I try…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-11:2036984:Comment:2327162012-01-11T04:42:22.925ZDUANE SCHULTZhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/DUANESCHULTZ
<p>I agree with you Dick. I try to share the front seat and ask where my fishing buddy wants to try. I like shallow water with structure and topwater baits are my favorites no matter if I am going for Musky or Panfish. However, I always ask what the other my friends like to throw and fish that way too. </p>
<p>I agree with you Dick. I try to share the front seat and ask where my fishing buddy wants to try. I like shallow water with structure and topwater baits are my favorites no matter if I am going for Musky or Panfish. However, I always ask what the other my friends like to throw and fish that way too. </p> Timbaux first of all when I w…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2012-01-11:2036984:Comment:2324132012-01-11T03:16:49.005Zdick tabberthttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/dicktabbert
<p>Timbaux first of all when I went with my fishing partner at the time we made a day of it. I had a bass boat but I never wanted my partner to feel left out. We went out almost every weekend in the spring, summer and fall. I would share the boat with him. I might start off in the front seat in the morning and at noon handed the boat over to him. Maybe next time we went he would start out in the front seat in the morning and I would get it at noon. Who ever controlled the front seat fish where…</p>
<p>Timbaux first of all when I went with my fishing partner at the time we made a day of it. I had a bass boat but I never wanted my partner to feel left out. We went out almost every weekend in the spring, summer and fall. I would share the boat with him. I might start off in the front seat in the morning and at noon handed the boat over to him. Maybe next time we went he would start out in the front seat in the morning and I would get it at noon. Who ever controlled the front seat fish where they wanted any way they wanted. I didn't mind that was really the only fair way to do it. We caught fish and we learned lots in the process and the most important thing is we enjoyed ourselves. That is the way I did it and to this day if you didn't want the front seat the least I could do is fish where you wanted. That's the way I do it but everybody's different.</p>