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Posts: 126
| now what? You have fished your normal spots that you know with baits that should produce with no results. At this point do most people keep pounding the same spots with the same old or do you try to change up and throw different lures? Do you take this time to explore and experiment with different areas and techniques? |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | new spots with the same old baits. m |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | My first action would be to move off the structures I have been fishing by a cast and look for the fish to be roaming just outside in open water. This technique has been very effective for me, especially if the fish were there and going just prior to the "sour" period.
If that didn't work I would then get way up on the structure and work much slower with a finesse bait and see if I could coax one into eating.
If that doesn't work I go back to run and gun on the original path trying to cover water and looking for the one fish that didn't eat yesterday. |
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Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I do almost exactly what Norm does, but in reverse order. I go into the shallows first; slop if it's sunny, rocks if it's cloudy, hit the edge again on the next pass, and then head deeper. Match the presentation to the area in the water column you expect to see fish, and improvise as you go. Throw jigs more. Hit 'em with a Wabull, worked across the top, down into pockets, and back on top across the slop. Smack them with a Perka, twitched along in 23'. That sort of thing... |
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Posts: 691
Location: nationwide | I would pretty much match what Norm said. Moving deeper and shallower on some fo the same structure, then moving to different structure to try and find active fish. But once evening starts to set in I will hit proven areas where we have seen fish previous, even if previous was a day or two before.
Corey Meyer |
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Posts: 136
| Usually people will only go exploring new water during off peak times. I think the only way you can find out if the unexplored water is worth it is fish it during peak times. Tough to do if you can get out on the water that much. But if you are on a week long trip I think it’s worth it. Then you can add to the milk run. Of course good spots that have produced in the past will continue to produce every year. I think the biggest fish get the best spots. |
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Posts: 724
Location: Southern W.Va. | Like everyone else, fish deeper and slower around areas known to hold fish, but this may also be a time to go exploring.
Just my $.02 worth
Mauser |
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Posts: 32930
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Reading the above ( which is a great point!), I have to mention; I don't have 'favorite spots' really. I fish water differently every day, depending on the weather and winds, and go to areas I have not fished in weeks as a matter of course. That's a luxury I have living amongst 250 good muskie lakes and rivers. |
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Posts: 126
| CommonSense Guy - 2/7/2007 2:08 PM
Usually people will only go exploring new water during off peak times. I think the only way you can find out if the unexplored water is worth it is fish it during peak times. Tough to do if you can get out on the water that much. But if you are on a week long trip I think it’s worth it. Then you can add to the milk run. Of course good spots that have produced in the past will continue to produce every year. I think the biggest fish get the best spots.
I agree with much of what you said. I have been trying to add to the milk run list and the arsenal of baits. Taking this time to go try other spots and sometimes try new lures has paid off for me. I have some times used the same old baits in new spots and it has worked out, some times not, then try a new lure and get action that I would not have gotten had I beaten the dead horse. |
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| I check out areas I've never fished if there are any. If not, I just start from the beginning and do it again. |
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Posts: 128
| I also tend to go way shallower than normal first. Then out deeper. The bite for me super shallow had been awesome the last couple of years for some weird reason. I keep catching fish in spots I wouldn't even think they would be there..Might just have to start out with inside weedlines, slop, etc. for now on if this pattern holds. |
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Posts: 550
Location: So. Illinois | I'll try a new section of water or I will modify my approach to water I know -- move shallow or deeper (an extra cast away from my normal approach) or I will focus hard on my presentation (go slower, more methodical and ensure I cover the areas well). |
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Posts: 157
Location: Wausau/Phillips WI | I'm on a 900 acre lake and thought I knew it well until a few years ago when I started to really use electronics better. Everyone here works the shoreline and some weedy areas but I abandoned those areas and went out and marked some really small humps, isolated weed patches, and turns in the structure that hold fish. Using my locator and GPS I continue to explore and map this lake out in as much detail as I can. I still have not done about 40% of this lake. My old milk run is now kaput and I fish these little pinpoint spots and my catch rate and size of fish has gone up. The fish are still in the spots everyone fishes but for the most part I'm concentrating on fishing where no one else is and it's paid off.
Buddy
Edited by buddysolberg 2/15/2007 8:47 PM
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Posts: 80
Location: Waukesha, WI | Knowing the lake helps a lot. Along with a good depth finder and gps. Finding secondary spots helps a lot when the bite is tough. Spots that don't get that much pressure can be great. Paying attention to the forage fish can help too. If the forage is mainly panfish and the panfish are spawning don't fish deep fish shallower by the panfish. If the forage is suspened Trolling or deep running baits is a good option. I agree with the posts above about going shallow and deep but don't forget about secondary spots.
If you find a secondary spot try to keep it a secret too.
Mike Warren |
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Posts: 126
| Buddy,
That is a big part of what I'm trying to do. Find the smaller, overlooked spots then figuring out exactly how to fish them. |
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