Mid June Fishing

[6pointbuck2003]

If you are going to start out on a new lake what would you do? What areas would you start at? What structure would you look for? Lures would you throw?

[papajoe222]

You didn't give us much information about the lake, but assuming it's in your neck of the woods, I'll assume its a natural lake. Mid june would put the bass somewhere between late spawn and post spawn, even venturing to summer haunts.  If a map of the lake is available, look for possible spawning areas and concentrate your efforts near them.  If it's a shallower body of water, your search will be easier as most of the post spawn areas will be the same one used for deep,summer fish and the spawning areas will become feeding flats for both fish that call deep water and the shallows their home.

Until all the fish have transitioned to summer mode, you'll want to cover water until you contact active fish and a crankbait and spinnerbait (or swim jig) are just the ticket.  The weeds should be up and a well defined weedline is a good indicator of either a bottom transition area or a drop to deeper water.  Either way, an inside our outside weedline is a prime area.

Natural lakes don't have an abundance of points that are extensions from shore, but the weedline has plenty. if you can locate a section of it with multiple points and pockets, slow down and grab a jig or worm and work both starting with the points.  Same goes for your approach after contacting fish along a stretch of weeds.

The other area I'd concentrate on would be any major break close to either that spawning area or the shoreline.  Weeds or not, that will be the 'road most traveled' and an approach that covers the entire water column will not only get you in contact with fish, it will tell you whether they are active, indifferent, or inactive. Use your faster moving baits shallow and deep and slower presentation in the mid water areas for any inactive fish. 

If I'm off base about your targeting a natural lake, I'm sure there are guys that can help you out.

[Fishes in trees]

You start with Buck Perry's slogan, i.e. "The fish are deep. . . .or shallow. . . .or somewhere in-between."

Then you apply the In-fisherman formula, i.e. "Fish + Location + Presentation = Success"

 

What this means in real-speak is that you make an educated guess as to where the fish might probably oughta be, according to what you know about seasonal patterns and go from there.