Need To Up My Game: How Would You Fish These Two Lakes?

[tcbass]

So my friend got me into bass fishing a few years ago and I got hooked. Although the lakes get quite deep, I've almost always fished shallow, fishing docks and between docks. When I fish between docks I'm usually using a Ragetail Toad, spinnerbait, or jig. As I go down the shore and get to docks I use a senko for under the docks. When I get to big plots of lilypads and slop I will fish the Ragetail Toad, Heddon Moss Boss, or other topwater. I've done ok for years doing this. But I want to up my game and catch more fish and be more effective during all times of the season. Sometimes I do very well doing what I'm doing, othertimes I barely get a bite. I do fish from a 17' foot Crestliner Fishhawk with Minnekota Terrova, not from shore.

 

I want to up my game and successfully catch fish all times of the year and I know that means fishing structure. I know I need to fish deeper and fish structure but I've never really known how. One of the lakes has a large spot that is probably about 10 feet deep with weeds going up to about 6-8 feet. I've rolled a spinnerbait over the top of the weeds in the past and done really good sometimes with 1-3lbs bass. Other times I've caught nothing.

 

 

 

So how would you fish these lakes during the Spring, Summer, and Fall?

 

 

 

 

Minnesota:  Bald Eagle Lake

 

 

 

 

Minnesota:  White Bear Lake 

 

[tcbass]

ttt

[gripnrip]

My suggestion is to watch bassresource's videos.  They have a tremendous amount of info on all types of baits and how to fish them.  They just posted a video a few weeks ago on finding fish on your lake.  

 

Think outside the box and you'll catch more fish.

[ThypeBassin]

Go deeper like you said, use search baits to find new spots like a crank bait or spinner bait. And a must use if your trying to locate good deep structure is a Carolina rig. With the C rig you will feel every little stump, rock, etc.. Also think about what the bass are feeding on at the lake most of the time, match the hatch. If you know what there feeding on and can use a lure to Match that type of presentation and find new spots then your gonna step your game up. It might take a lot of time and patience but it does pay off. Bigger fish tend to stay deeper. Just go hunting for some offshore brush piles, ledges, or some chunk rock, and even deeper vegetation. Best of luck.

[tcbass]

Go deeper like you said, use search baits to find new spots like a crank bait or spinner bait. And a must use if your trying to locate good deep structure is a Carolina rig. With the C rig you will feel every little stump, rock, etc.. Also think about what the bass are feeding on at the lake most of the time, match the hatch. If you know what there feeding on and can use a lure to Match that type of presentation and find new spots then your gonna step your game up. It might take a lot of time and patience but it does pay off. Bigger fish tend to stay deeper. Just go hunting for some offshore brush piles, ledges, or some chunk rock, and even deeper vegetation. Best of luck.

Cool. I'll try that.

[martintheduck]

POINTS, RIDGES, CREEK CHANNELS, HUMPS, FLATS!!! Thats where you'll find bass in deeper water.

 

First --- It's going to be close to a crap shoot without a depth finder... with a depth finder you can find exactly where the water drops, how aggressively it drops, where to position the boat.....

 

 

Lets continue while assuming you don't have a depth finder....

 

 

Second ---  have three lures tied on. Carolina rig with a 1/2oz tungsten weight and a black/blue flake 8in power worm, 1/2oz-1oz football head jig in black and blue with a black/blue rage craw trailer, and a deep crank bait on a snap clip -- (Norman DD22's in sx shad for average conditions and chartreuse/blue for staind water). 

 

 

Now lets tackle bald eagle lake....

 

 

On the map, it shows a decent island on the west side and that island has a good drop off on the south point. Start there. Cast out the c-rig and pull it up that drop off. Run the crank bait up that drop. You'll catch fish at that point... I'd bet money on it. If you had a depth finder, you could troll east and keep your casts along the contour, but since you don't have one, it'll be a crap shoot just aimlessly casting. Bass like to ride contour lines...a lot. Another spot I'd try is in the north west corner where there appears to be a flat-or-ditch in open water. I'd fish that whole thing with a drop-shot, c-rig, or jig -- maybe a crank if its not too deep... but once again it'll be hard to even find it without a graph.

 

Now on the east most side of the lake there appears to be an area where it's 8ft with a flat around 17ft... if fish that flat with the any of the above lures. 

 

 

The moral of the story is this --- POINTS, RIDGES, CREEK CHANNELS, HUMPS, FLATS!!! Thats where you'll find bass in deeper water. If you don't have a graph, you're going to be shooting blindly almost. 

 

I learned bass fishing in open water in summer months. Heck, I just recently fished my first spawn even!!! I'm telling you --- purchase electronics and learn them. Otherwise, your best bet is going to be flipping docks in 10ft of water on bluebird days.

[tcbass]

POINTS, RIDGES, CREEK CHANNELS, HUMPS, FLATS!!! Thats where you'll find bass in deeper water.

 

First --- It's going to be close to a crap shoot without a depth finder... with a depth finder you can find exactly where the water drops, how aggressively it drops, where to position the boat.....

 

 

Lets continue while assuming you don't have a depth finder....

 

 

Second ---  have three lures tied on. Carolina rig with a 1/2oz tungsten weight and a black/blue flake 8in power worm, 1/2oz-1oz football head jig in black and blue with a black/blue rage craw trailer, and a deep crank bait on a snap clip -- (Norman DD22's in sx shad for average conditions and chartreuse/blue for staind water). 

 

 

Now lets tackle bald eagle lake....

 

 

On the map, it shows a decent island on the west side and that island has a good drop off on the south point. Start there. Cast out the c-rig and pull it up that drop off. Run the crank bait up that drop. You'll catch fish at that point... I'd bet money on it. If you had a depth finder, you could troll east and keep your casts along the contour, but since you don't have one, it'll be a crap shoot just aimlessly casting. Bass like to ride contour lines...a lot. Another spot I'd try is in the north west corner where there appears to be a flat-or-ditch in open water. I'd fish that whole thing with a drop-shot, c-rig, or jig -- maybe a crank if its not too deep... but once again it'll be hard to even find it without a graph.

 

Now on the east most side of the lake there appears to be an area where it's 8ft with a flat around 17ft... if fish that flat with the any of the above lures. 

 

 

The moral of the story is this --- POINTS, RIDGES, CREEK CHANNELS, HUMPS, FLATS!!! Thats where you'll find bass in deeper water. If you don't have a graph, you're going to be shooting blindly almost. 

 

I learned bass fishing in open water in summer months. Heck, I just recently fished my first spawn even!!! I'm telling you --- purchase electronics and learn them. Otherwise, your best bet is going to be flipping docks in 10ft of water on bluebird days.

Wow. That's a great post.

I will try that. My boat has 2 older depth finders (circa 2000) that at least tell depth. I'm not sure how accurate they are.

[martintheduck]

Just depth will come in handy for sure... for example... on the west side island, you can fish the good drop on the southern point. Ideally it would be a pretty drastic depth change from say 10ft to 18ft. troll out the where it is 18ft and ride that 18ft "wall" fishing all of it. Theres some really good books available that aren't exactly specific to open water tactics, but there is really good information on the subject in one book in particular. Check out Big Bass Zone by Bill Siemantel. That's where I found the simplified version of what I told you --- POINTS, RIDGES, CREEK CHANNELS, HUMPS, FLATS. Lot's of good information in there. 

 

Also -- you'd be surprised how incredible just regular sonar usage can be. I actually tend to use my sonar more than sidescan or downscan. Whatever electronics you have, do they have sonar? Learn how to use the sonar (adjust the settings more than anything). 

[papajoe222]

If you want to up your game, but are hesitant to fish deeper structure for whatever reason, you could always apply your strengths to other areas of the lakes than shorline shallows.  Unless I'm reading the map incorrectly, there are a number of off shore shallow areas and although they don't have docks, other cover may be present to offer you a similar opportunity.

[tcbass]

Just depth will come in handy for sure... for example... on the west side island, you can fish the good drop on the southern point. Ideally it would be a pretty drastic depth change from say 10ft to 18ft. troll out the where it is 18ft and ride that 18ft "wall" fishing all of it. Theres some really good books available that aren't exactly specific to open water tactics, but there is really good information on the subject in one book in particular. Check out Big Bass Zone by Bill Siemantel. That's where I found the simplified version of what I told you --- POINTS, RIDGES, CREEK CHANNELS, HUMPS, FLATS. Lot's of good information in there. 

 

Also -- you'd be surprised how incredible just regular sonar usage can be. I actually tend to use my sonar more than sidescan or downscan. Whatever electronics you have, do they have sonar? Learn how to use the sonar (adjust the settings more than anything). 

 

 

 

Just regular old depth finder circa 1999.