I don't think you hijacked it, you just took it in the direction it needed to go sooner or later. Because in my opinion, the idea that location is 99% of the game doesn't allow for enough left for the other remaining aspects.
Earlier, I stated that success comes about through a combination of three parts. This theory was put forth many years ago by the staff of In-Fisherman, and is the best explanation I've ever heard. So in trying to answer your question regarding location, I'll ask you a few questions.
What are the bass looking for at this time of year?
That should be fairly easy. Understanding that bass have three main instincts that dominate their life, Food, Shelter, and Reproduction, can narrow your search. In this instance, pre-spawn is going to tell you that the bass will be staging somewhere near spawning areas on the lake you are looking at.
What kind of lake are you going to fish on?
The second part of this puzzle lays in the type of lake that you are targeting. It would do little good to try to fish a midwestern natural eutrophic lake using tactics suited to a southern impoundment. You can't follow creek channels into spawning coves on a lake that was formed without any creek channels in it. So after you have learned of the habits of the bass, you need to learn as much about the various types of lakes, rivers, or impoundments there are, and the types of structure and cover you will find on these types of waters.
By combining your knowledge of the bass' seasonal needs and how these fish will relate to current conditions, you should be able to determine what types of structure or cover they will be focused on given those same seasons and conditions. Once you have these two factors figured out, you come to the final question.
What baits should I use?
Almost every bait you can buy on the market will catch fish at some point in time, while very few will catch fish all of the time. You need to think about the first two aspects of this effort to figure out which bait completes your entire plan for success. If the season and conditions tell you that the bass will be actively feeding, then you should focus on baits that give you the best chance to quickly take advantage of this. Conversely, if conditions tell you that most fish will be suffering from a case of lockjaw, then you will need to focus your efforts with baits that work better for neutral or negative bass.
So now taking all of this into consideration, I'll tackle your challenge of facing a new lake. It doesn't matter if it's March, July, or December. I should be able to look at what the bass are doing based on the season, I should understand the attributes of the type of lake it is, and taking current conditions into mind, I should be able to find fish and determine what type of mood they will most likely be in.
Case in point - Kentucky Lake and the upcoming Roadtrip. I have only been on that lake once in my life. I was 13 years old, and we fished for nothing but crappie. Now I'm getting ready to go there this spring to fish for bass. The lake is huge by the standards of the lakes I normally fish. But I have confidence that I can catch fish down there. I won't do as well as the guys who fish it all the time, but I should avoid the skunk. This is because I know the fish I'm going after, I have fished impoundments like it before, and I know what the season is. The challenges I will face are going to be based on the actual conditions for the time I'm there, and what baits I'll need to throw to maximize my chances based on the fishes mood.
I'm sorry this is so long, but I don't know how to explain it any other way. It's F + L + P = Success.
x2.
knowledge and versatility can trump local knowledge regularly.
take a look at major tournements... esp those of the b.a.s.s. elite or F.l.w pro tour and you will see that RARELY does the "home angler" win. i think local knowledge gives you an upperhand in sudden game changing scenarios... but for the most part the advantage tops out at a good chance of at least being in the money.
if you fish a body of water regularly then you know that even the "hot" spots can skunk people or not have the weight to win a tourney. you know that even within a certain season the fish change mood day to day...hour to hour even. and certainly from one week to the next.
knowing how to figure out the puzzle is much more productive than having "spots". this is why kvd could come to your home lake and outfish its best guide more times than not. wheather hes been on it or not.
