Do you love big bluegill?

Topographical Maps of New Jersey lakes I fish

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Comment by John Sheehan on November 6, 2013 at 3:30pm: Dick ,Have you fished this lake ? The mid area on the right side of the map ( West?) by the North indicator looks good because of its extreme break lines in close proximity to each other .

Comment by Slip Sinker on November 6, 2013 at 3:22pm: What i have found the large resevoirs around me here become difficult to fish after the fall turnover and the weeds die off... they scatter thin and then school tight and deep when water cools even further. the slow taper bowl lakes to me have generally been easier for me to locate fish at first or second breaks adjacent main deep lake basins. usually find the crappie suspended vertically at different depths during the day. its just a pattern that has stuck with me since i was a kid fishing with my dad fishing for crappies on a natural bowl lake where our summer cottage was.
i was applying this strategy on a uncharted little lake with a nice dnr access. the lake has reasonable numbers of crappies and bluegills with some jumbos mixed in. i only had 2hrs to fish and do some mapping. only got some of the little lake done because it got so dark i couldnt see the lily pad line any longer. ill probably finish this week and finalize the map
heres what i go t so far... I LOVE TECHNOLOGY!!!

Comment by dick tabbert on November 6, 2013 at 3:17pm: Her is a sampling of an Ohio lake map.Then they went trough and enhanced most of the Ohio lake maps.

Comment by John Sheehan on November 6, 2013 at 3:14pm: Leo ,only time I used a float tube was at Sally's pond in Ringwood .I got skunked ,plus a beaver came by and smacked his tail and I put the tube in the closet after that failed mission . I should dig it out again but its a bit cold now!

Comment by John Sheehan on November 6, 2013 at 2:48pm: I'm looking for migration routes close to deep water sanctuary's. Finding these on the maps give me a starting point .Then when I get on the lake I wanna find wood /rock weed cover next to severe drop off points and breaks on close primary and secondary break lines .Mid lake humps near sanctuaries too.

Comment by John Sheehan on November 6, 2013 at 2:44pm: Yeah Ken! Maps are great starting points for eliminating unproductive water in theory . I 've marked these maps in the past and even made my own from my home lake that isn't included on these state park and public lakes . I want to put these in plastic folders and in a binder like I do with song lyrics ,make up some more of my own and mark these up .Just gotta remember to bring the right binder to a gig ! You're right ,Shepherd lake in the fall is good September thru November .What made you think that ? I've caught some crappie and the best ones have been 13-13.5 ".The pickerel are plentiful and sometimes big and fat 22-24" . I've caught decent largemouth Bass and some real nice gills 9-10" .Glad to hear these maps are decent Dick, I gotta detail them as I get out on these lakes. .

Comment by james bluto gillette on November 6, 2013 at 2:42pm: great maps I have a few maps of lakes in Michigan that show everything there is a few maps out there that doesn't show that stuff

Comment by Leo Nguyen on November 6, 2013 at 2:37pm: All these wonderful lakes, and you're not on the float tubes like us crazy people?

Comment by Slip Sinker on November 6, 2013 at 2:03pm: thanks for sharing John... love the lake maps. in high school i used to have my favorite local lakes maps folded in my school folders. that's how important they are if we are to succeed as good fisherman . i always believed that. i really like the looks of fishing a natural bowl lake like Shepherd lake in the fall. does it hold a good crappie population? you didnt yellow in your hotspots... lol

Dick ... you are right the Michigan maps are very poor in quality. i picture them being made by a drunk man with a sinker on the end of a string in a leaky rowboat. very soon your going to see a huge change in quality across the board in lake mapping. with these new depth sounders

Comment by John Sheehan on November 6, 2013 at 12:19pm: Spring and early summer you are right Tooty .This is the weedy lake that inspired In- Weeds magazine .Ask Greg Mc Williams about that ! I've caught nice Crappie up to 16" in the fall in this lake but but ice fishin has stumped me there at Waywayanda.