Zack, you have asked the $64,000 Question. Your query highlights the challenge we all face on a new and old body of water.
Things under the water are in constant flux. They change so that one day the bass will stack up in the back of a creek and the next day they are half a mile away on the main lake. This can drive a grown man to cry.
So what do you do? You do your homework to try to figure out the body of water. And how do you do that? Easier said then done.
First, paper maps. The ones that show contours, points, humps, channels, sunken boats, bridges, roads so you will know where the docks and piers are located, and any thing else you can find to give you an idea of what you will be facing.
Second, you hit Google Earth and see the lake or river from the air. You can then see the grasses, downed trees along a bank, homes, piers, docks, bridges, etc. in real time.
Third, you go to the water and use your electronics to locate spots that looked promising on the maps and Google Earth. Take your boat out and using your electronics check out the places you found on your maps and Google Earth. No fishing, just check out the places you think the fish will be holding.
Fourth, while on the water note the water temperature so you will know where the bass "should" be and if they will be aggressive depending on the season.
Fifth, talk to others who have fished that body of water and go to the water's blog, if there is one, and read those posts. Ask your questions but be ready to receive very little helpful information if the guys on the blog are protective of the body of water. However, it has been my experience that the guys will give you some helpful tips if you are nice when you pen your queries.
Sixth, go to the section of this Forum that the waters are located and look up under the search option the names of the waters you fish. If they have been discussed you will find the data plus the names of the guys and gals fishing them. Send them a personal message or just ask your questions on a new thread regarding where you are fishing. We all do it. Sometimes we get good feedback and sometimes we get skunked.
With these six items on your bucket list completed, the time has arrived to try to find the bass. And were can they be? Top, middle or bottom of the water column. Holding tight to trees. Sunny day and under docks, piers and boats. Cloudy days around rip rap and just swimming around. This is your challenge. Use your favorite baits for each of the three depths. Experiment with speed of retrieve and colors. Change baits as often as necessary. Do what your gut tells you. Fish those techniques you have confidence.
You know the body of water now but the bass are doing their own thing. This is your challenge. To find out what the bass are doing and where they are holding. At least for that day or hour. Bass movements change with the wind, water temperature, sunny/cloudy days.......you know all the tricks the bass use to fool us. Top, middle or bottom. One or a combination of them. You have to experiment to find out where they are and what they want.
While on the water look to see what the other guys are doing. Are they way off the bank throwing big spinnerbaits? Close to the banks flipping and pitching plastics? Fishing in the middle of nothing that could signal a submerged brush pile, sunken boat or other structure that could hold the bass? Fast retrieve. Slow retrieve? Colors they are using? Anything you can glean from them will be helpful, especially if they know the waters better than you.
The "Eastern US" as your location is not helpful to us. "Eastern US" starts in Maine and goes all the way to Florida and includes states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia for starters. Each state has different bodies of water; different fishing techniques; and the seasons of the year occur at difference times. Please consider adding your specific location and the bodies of water you fish to your avatar to help us help you.
If you do all that is mentioned in this thread there is still no guarantee you will locate the bass on your first or second adventure. You can always throw a crankbait fast to eliminate water but if you are not sure if the bass are in the area you are not doing yourself a favor. You may be eliminating water that will come alive in the afternoon or has already been active in the morning. Only time on the water will give you this data.
If you get totally frustrated, how about hiring a guide for a day? Good money spent to help you understand the waters and what the bass are doing at that time. I have used guides on a lot of waterways and every trip has been helpful in locating places where the bass will be holding. Or should be holding. You want to see where the guide fishes and what baits he suggests you throw. This is a great short-cut to learning about any body of water.
And yes, you get on the Internet and look up blogs regarding the bodies of water you fish; get any state fish and game publications that list the fish in the waters so you can note the forage. After you catch a bass feel its stomach. If it is squishy they are eating shad, bream and bluegills. If it is hard they are eating crawfish. Go from there in type, size and color of your baits to try to match what they are eating at that time.
No one can give you the "magic bullet" as to where the bass will be on the days you fish. You can gather a lot of info on this Forum and blogs to point you in the right direction. And you can subscribe to some wonderful magazines and Facebook publications to help you learn more about that little green monster that bring grown me to tears.
Keep a diary. Yes, a diary. Check out the Free Fishing Log data in Tools at the top of this page and start a diary on the waters you fish. You will be surprised as how fast you can find out things after writing down the details of each venture to help you master your bodies of water.
All of us could go on for a long time as to how to take a new lake or river apart. It is up to you to find the tools and data you need to accomplish that mission with the understanding that the bass can still make you look silly.
Good luck and let us know how you do. Tight Lines!!!!
