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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | For those who know, those who may not know all of them, those who want to know but afraid to ask. Lay out what you use for terminology when reading water and picking spots.
Point
Hump
Saddle
Cup
Edge (how to find them on various water)
Deep Shoreline
Inside Turn
Chute
Slot
Sand Grass
Bar
Wall
Basin
Rails
Also, what are you looking for in these that differentiate good vs. bad and how do yo approach them depending on the situation (sun, moon, fronts, water temps., seasonal).
Add to the list, drill down on details for the ones you have experience with ...
This one may die on the vine or grow legs. We'll see ...
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Posts: 1660
Location: central Wisconsin | Current
Eddy
Neckdown |
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Posts: 439
Location: Lake of the Woods, Morson, Ontario | spine |
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Posts: 833
| I'm curious as to how you define a few of those:
CUP
SLOT
CHUTE
RAILS
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i define them like this, others may use different terms.
Cup ... i call this a horseshoe-shaped bay or piece of a main lake bar or reef that gets wind blown into it
Slot ... a gap in structure whether it's a gap in a weed-bed or a channel in a reef, a spot-on-spot
Chute ... narrowing area that creates channeled current from wind
Rails ... subtle deep break-lines or series of humps in an otherwise featureless basin
Edited by jonnysled 9/20/2013 10:38 AM
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Breakline
Shoal |
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Posts: 833
| Thanks Sled.
So my approach is to look for structure that has many features. Obviously not all pieces are created equal. Some points are weedy and boring, others saddle into humps, have mixed weeds, boulders, yadda yadda. Basically my approach to go up onto a new piece of structure and examine it. Learn the edges and bottom changes. Then it comes down to what I think the fish are using. IE, are they shallow, are they in the weeds, or they on top of the weesd, or are they out deep. If they are deep are they tight to the edge or are they in the open water. Then I present accordingly.
I'm on a lake with lots of structure and lots of pressure. One thing I think about is that jsut because it looks fishy doesn't mean it is great and just because it isn't the "greatest spot" on the lake doesn't mean the fish know that. So part of it also history. I try to mix in different stuff each outting as occaisionally new locations will show fish even if they are not as great as the community spot 500 yards away.
The big thing I've struggled with this season has been determining what/where the fish are using on structure. IMO the lake I'm on most often is experiencing major change due to AIS, specifically the Zebra Mussel, but that is probably outside the scope of this thread.
Edited by Brad P 9/20/2013 11:23 AM
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Posts: 619
| Hook - any piece of structure that makes a hook shape
Finger - long underwater extension from another piece of structure
Crush Zone
Dead Zone
weed field
milfoil wall
Nub
Chub
Slinky
Edited by Slow Rollin 9/20/2013 12:02 PM
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Posts: 1455
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Rock |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Cowboyhannah - 9/20/2013 1:15 PM
Rock
lol ... reminds me of my wingnut this year noticing i wasn't casting and looking at my electronics (which i was able to block from his view) as we moved down a wall. he says "is there a rock coming up?" ... to my response "nope" ... he keeps casting ... i wait and throw at the rock formation when it comes up.
chukin baits is cool, but putting em into a spot is even better
there is a place i know called "the staircase" ... it's a heave in a rock formation that is obvious, there are usually fish there. it makes sense that the same formation goes below the water and has many, many slots and holding spots.
what "rock" is your favorite "rock" and why? or is a "rock" just a "rock"??
Edited by jonnysled 9/20/2013 1:43 PM
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Seams are one of my favorites.
Rubble is my favorite rock. Old collapsed cribs that were filled with bowling ball size rocks. They don't make cribs the way they used to... |
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Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | Inlet
Outlet
Spring
Shelf |
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Posts: 8782
| My favorite rock is more of a rock complex. It's my favorite because of the fish I have seen, caught, seen caught, and lost on it. It's got all the makings of a great musky spot, and the area adjacent to it is the only passage through from one deep basin to another. It's like a rest stop on the interstate.
I never really appreciated the complexity of that spot until we went up on it on a flat sunny day to rescue a cowgirl. Spot after spot on the spot. |
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Posts: 143
Location: La Crosse, WI | jonnysled - 9/20/2013 1:22 PM
Cowboyhannah - 9/20/2013 1:15 PM
Rock
lol ... reminds me of my wingnut this year noticing i wasn't casting and looking at my electronics (which i was able to block from his view ) as we moved down a wall. he says "is there a rock coming up?" ... to my response "nope" ... he keeps casting ... i wait and throw at the rock formation when it comes up.
chukin baits is cool, but putting em into a spot is even better
there is a place i know called "the staircase" ... it's a heave in a rock formation that is obvious, there are usually fish there. it makes sense that the same formation goes below the water and has many, many slots and holding spots.
what "rock" is your favorite "rock" and why? or is a "rock" just a "rock"??
Hey, I like chuckin baits and I knew that rock was there! |
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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | I would add the Transition Line to the names. My son has one that he uses for the spot on the spot, he simply states The Sh_t.
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Chuckin Baits - 9/20/2013 3:21 PM
jonnysled - 9/20/2013 1:22 PM
Cowboyhannah - 9/20/2013 1:15 PM
Rock
lol ... reminds me of my wingnut this year noticing i wasn't casting and looking at my electronics (which i was able to block from his view ) as we moved down a wall. he says "is there a rock coming up?" ... to my response "nope" ... he keeps casting ... i wait and throw at the rock formation when it comes up.
chukin baits is cool, but putting em into a spot is even better
there is a place i know called "the staircase" ... it's a heave in a rock formation that is obvious, there are usually fish there. it makes sense that the same formation goes below the water and has many, many slots and holding spots.
what "rock" is your favorite "rock" and why? or is a "rock" just a "rock"??
Hey, I like chuckin baits and I knew that rock was there!
your rock/structure memory is almost too good ... lucky my gut blocks your view. just got the irony of your screen handle.
Edited by jonnysled 9/20/2013 3:31 PM
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Posts: 360
Location: Algonac, MI | Countour
Ridges
Humps
Hump
Fingers
Rabbit Ears
Black Forest
ESPN hole
Dumps
Sand bar
Wreck
Middle Grounds
Cow Pasture
Sturgeon hole
Iron Man
Big Brother
Fire Cracker
the Bay
the Corner
Yacht Club
5 min fish hole
Hour Glass
Wine Glass
Radio Tower
Red Barn
"any letter" marker
Bouy 'any number"
the Ditch
Lone Tree
Spire
Silos
High Banks
Rock Cut
Trailer Park
Whale Back
Whiskey plant
Free Press
Post Office
Power plant
sand piles
...
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...
...and I haven't even left the SCR, LSC and DR
Edited by Contender 9/20/2013 7:15 PM
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Dead Sea |
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Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Bar rails. You can't out drink Howie Meyer, and PointerPride looks pretty tough the next morning. ...
Bar joke's. Howie's daughter has some pretty darn good ones!
Other than that, I'm lost on the water........
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 399
Location: WI | After a very disappointing week on Vermilion, my favorite term is "beer fridge"! |
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Posts: 1168
| A lot of similar terms here.
What sled calls a cup I call a horseshoe.
Others...
THAT spot - refers to a specific v-shaped hump on home water that always has a quality fish on it.
THAT other spot - same as above.
Frog ponds - little backwaters on decent sized rivers that hold fish. Maybe the size of a tennis court and they have slack water
Geoffrey - Distinct lawn ornament
Desperation Bay - When all else fails go there
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Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Complexes - I firmly the best muskie spot's are "complexes". They typically include multiple features listed above by other's, the more the better. Thanks to side imaging sonar, I've learned what complexes really are from an underwater perspective. ....
F. ex. not all rock reef's hold fish, some are just a big hunk of rock. The good one's are complexes, these typically have boulder and rock fields that extend outward and downward. Some can be quite broad and others can be unusual like a J shape with gaps, etc.
Have fun!
Al |
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Terminology ...