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Posts: 22
| So the "Keys to Success" thread got me thinking...
This upcoming season will be my 3rd season chasing skis and while I've put some fish in the boat including my first 50+, I am hoping to continue to learn and hone my skills to consistently put more fish in the boat. Up until now, I have basically just been hanging around a few spots that others have shown me on my home water, and hopelessly throwing bait after bait anywhere that "looks" good on new waters. I read and watch a TON about fishing the correct patterns, scouting maps ahead of fishing, fishing the moon phase, etc, however every time I get out on the water I find that I ignore stuff I've read and go to what I know. I always resort to tossing blades and waiting for action...
Well this year I would like to actually break that habit and focus on where to fish and why I'm fishing there. I have several baits that aren't blades, that I would like to gain confidence in. There are plenty of spots out there and tactics that I haven't even scratched the surface of this sport.
With that said, what are some things that you guys focus on? How do you go about scouting or picking spots on a map? I can certainly read the maps and know what is going on under the water, but what makes a certain vertical drop better than another? What is more important, weather or location? How do you go about taking notes on a particular trip? What information is good to write down? Obviously everyone will develop their own system, but what are some tips that I can use to make myself a better angler? |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Keeping a log of your fishing trips works. I used to log Lake, Date, Time of day, wind, water temp, things like that every time out. Eventually you begin to see patterns over a few years. Seems anal but it payed off numerous times. For example you will begin to see that certain spots will hold fish on particular wind for example. |
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Posts: 112
Location: Illinois | ^^^i did that also. I also logged info on any time I saw a fish I marked down the lure/fishes aggression level(hot,slow,caught or just a follow,etc). I'm interested to see what others say. I just started logging info 3 years ago. Before it was just go to same spots,throw same lures,etc etc. |
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Posts: 22
| Thanks! Since it takes a long time to actually see a pattern in what you are writing down, it's helpful to know exactly what to write down. it would suck to spend 3 years logging crap information and getting nowhere, or having the task be proven frivolous. |
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Posts: 8856
| My logs look something like this:
Date
Time
Moon Phase
Major(s)
Minor(s)
Moonrise
Fish length
Fish girth
Spot
Lure
Wind speed
Wind direction
Sky conditions
Precipitation
Notes
"notes" can be anything from "moved 3 fish in the area" to "only fish we saw all day" to "just started raining" or "first SW wind of the week", "nasty cold front" or even "fish went around 6 times before it ate"
Also helps to mark the spot on a map
Logs become more valuable over time as you start to see a pattern of when you caught fish where. Just as important, they make you pay attention to what's going on out there when you see fish activity.
Edited by esoxaddict 1/20/2017 3:22 PM
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Location: Contrarian Island | do the guides you hire fill that out for you???? 
I use to keep a log book like 15-20 yrs ago... haven't done it since... I do keep trip details tho and put notes, observations, water temps, general patterns etc in there and what I should do more or less of the next trip....
usually says drink more, fish less
Edited by BNelson 1/20/2017 3:33 PM
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Posts: 1209
| Notice EA's log is blank for 2016... |
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Posts: 8856
| BNelson - 1/20/2017 3:30 PM
do the guides you hire fill that out for you????
No, they think I'm nuts! |
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Posts: 95
| There is only 3 things that really matter to a Muskie those are reproduction, forage and preferred water temperature just like us they prefer 68-72 degrees. Everything else such as weather, moonphase, statification ect. These are things that help us narrow down the time and place they will be and be active. I could right a book about this but don't have enough time but when you study extensively the first three and then begin to also study those same 3 things about the forage they are eating especially the forage with the same preferred temperature range available at that time you will catch a lot more fish all season long. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Picking spots on a map is great....but sometimes what looks great on the map doesn't look so hot once you get there. On the flip side, some of my favorite/best spots over the years don't stand out in any way whatsoever on a map, and they are discovered by the eye test or even pure luck.
Giant body like LOTW for example....If I had to pick my top 10 favorite or most consistent spots, I don't know if a single one would stand out much on a chip/map.
Edited by Musky Brian 1/21/2017 11:28 AM
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Posts: 1000
| For planning I do a lot of research on maps and fisheries surveys. With that said, every year I try to focus on building my skills in one or two things.
2016 was mastering electronics and boat control on familiar waters. 2017 will be moving on to new, very clear water and open water. Will probably keep me busy for a few years.... |
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Posts: 22
| Thanks for the tips. Preferred temperature makes a lot of sense. i spent a great deal of time this past season trying to pay attention to water temp, but I was still having difficulty applying it to something meaningful.
I also spent a lot of time learning what my electronics were actually telling me. Makes a huge difference that's for sure. |
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Taking Notes and Pre-fishing Planning