What Is Harder???

[Deadeye-1]

Learning to fish a new lure style on waters you know OR fishing with what you know on new waters?

For me I'd say that it is learning new waters. On waters I already know, I know where the fish like to be so I am more likely to catch one on a new lure style than I seem to be trying things I know while trying to find where the fish like to be.

What ya think?

[Sam]

"learning new waters" X2

["BRB"]

Learning in water X3

[islandbass]

Another vote for new water.

[outdoorsman110]

Learning to fly fish effectively was difficult, but learning new waters is definitely the hardest.

[Bluebasser86]

New water.

[Marty]

I guess it's unanimous.

[NCbassmaster4Life]

New water.

[Deadeye-1]

Ok. Since we all seem to agree on New Water, what can we do to make learning new water easier/better?

For one I like to look at Google Maps and study the terrain, In Florida we do not have much for ridges and valleys so I try to find where there are Oxbows in the river that form points. Also look for where feeder streams enter the main river.

Another thing I did that has helped is to download the Navaonics Ap onto my I-Phone. This shows me the channel areas and where the flats should be.

Best of all is get a friend to take you along that has been fishing the area for years and learn from them.

Another option (one I haven't done) is if they hold a lot of tournyments on the area go fishing that night/day and spend most of your time just looking/studying where those entered are fishing. Go back later and see why they were there, then look for other areas that offer the same situation.

What do you do that helps you with new water?

[Bassun]

Any experienced angler of that water is a HUGE HUGE HUGE advantage! But assuming you can't talk to someone (follow around etc)... map study, is in my opinion, hands down the best way to prepare for new waters. ** IF these are big waters like say Lake Toho, etc. then you can do tons of reseach in old issues of your favorite magazines and online as well. Do not discount that option! But, if its a fairly unknown lake I study the map and would as well for a big name lake. I look first for wintering and summering holes, idealy close to where you will be launching from.

Once I find those I start working out from "winter" to spring as the bass would. Where would the fish be most likely to go? Are there primary and secondary flats and or points? Creek channels that feed into a good wintering hole with a flat and a point? A long flat on the inside of a turn, with standing timber, then further down rocks next to a 25 foot creek channel with one more small point and ledge before opening into the main lake? Etc. I keep looking around until I find the "best" scenario in my opinion (ideally the spot that has the most of everything). If you are lucky enough to have a good map that not only shows contours but marks off stumps, old road ways, rocky areas etc, then that makes it even easier.

So I find that "one" spot that looks perfect, and I start looking at the map for other places with similar components. Maybe its just a flat with standing timber, or rocky point leading into the main lake off the edge of a creek channel, or just some flats in the back of creekless coves. I like to find places that are similar, then once you start finding your pattern (hopefully) in the "best" area you already have an idea of where you can begin to duplicate it in other places of the lake. Maybe you're not catching fish where you expect, but up and across from you is a flat that didn't look that good but it's windblown and shadey...and you keep seeing / hearing blow ups. Go fish it. Then dupliate that pattern even though its not what you expected. If you put the time in on your map, then you can often find similar areas quickly. As long as you are willing to be flexible, and listen to what the fish are telling you, you can find fish.

Anywho, thats my opinion anyway --

Tight Lines!

Bassun

[Deadeye-1]

Any experienced angler of that water is a HUGE HUGE HUGE advantage! But assuming you can't talk to someone (follow around etc)... map study, is in my opinion, hands down the best way to prepare for new waters. ** IF these are big waters like say Lake Toho, etc. then you can do tons of reseach in old issues of your favorite magazines and online as well. Do not discount that option! But, if its a fairly unknown lake I study the map and would as well for a big name lake. I look first for wintering and summering holes, idealy close to where you will be launching from.

Once I find those I start working out from "winter" to spring as the bass would. Where would the fish be most likely to go? Are there primary and secondary flats and or points? Creek channels that feed into a good wintering hole with a flat and a point? A long flat on the inside of a turn, with standing timber, then further down rocks next to a 25 foot creek channel with one more small point and ledge before opening into the main lake? Etc. I keep looking around until I find the "best" scenario in my opinion (ideally the spot that has the most of everything). If you are lucky enough to have a good map that not only shows contours but marks off stumps, old road ways, rocky areas etc, then that makes it even easier.

So I find that "one" spot that looks perfect, and I start looking at the map for other places with similar components. Maybe its just a flat with standing timber, or rocky point leading into the main lake off the edge of a creek channel, or just some flats in the back of creekless coves. I like to find places that are similar, then once you start finding your pattern (hopefully) in the "best" area you already have an idea of where you can begin to duplicate it in other places of the lake. Maybe you're not catching fish where you expect, but up and across from you is a flat that didn't look that good but it's windblown and shadey...and you keep seeing / hearing blow ups. Go fish it. Then dupliate that pattern even though its not what you expected. If you put the time in on your map, then you can often find similar areas quickly. As long as you are willing to be flexible, and listen to what the fish are telling you, you can find fish.

Anywho, thats my opinion anyway --

Tight Lines!

Bassun

Great ponits.

I fished a spot this week where a friend of mine told me he always caught fish in the main river (St Johns). I set on what I thought looked like the best spot on the Navaonics Ap for 3+ hrs and never got a hit, although there were fish busting all around me. The next day I talked to my friend about it and showed him a picture of the spot on Google Maps. He pointed out that where I was sitting is where EVERYBODY that he see fishing the spot sits. He then showed me where he sits.

Afterwards I looked up the spot again on Navaonics and found a slight, suttle difference on the spot where he was sitting. Suddenly it made sense. He has never used anything to look at areas, just has fished there his whole life and knows where he catches fish. By then looking at the river for other spots that offered the same things as his spot, I believe I have found at least 4-5 other spots that should produce as well.

If I didn't have a friend offer me a little help I probably would of never realised the slight difference that seems to make all the difference in fishing the river. Can't wait to get back and check it out now!