How Would You Fish This Lake?

[playmaker47]

This is a small 25 acre lake in south-central Kansas near Wichita. I am not sure as to the exact topography of the lake as I have never taken a boat with depth finder on the lake. The lake has been entirely ice-free for about 2 days as we have had around a week straight of 40-50 degree weather. The next 3 days are forecast to be around 65-70 degrees and sunny. The red dots on the lake are brush piles in around 6-8 feet of water. The area noted with small gravel rock is a gentle sloping bank down to around 6-8 feet of water with golf ball sized gravel and smaller. There is no cover that I know of in that area. The area in the NW corner with larger shallow rocks is only around 4-6 feet of water. The water clarity is currently around 2 to 3 feet. Not sure the water temperature.

 

I attempted fishing the brush piles with paca craws and finesse jigs to no avail, how would you go about approaching the lake with this information?

 

 

 

[Brian6428]

In my experience, small lakes can fish way different than their larger counterparts. Given that and no topo map available, I would personally just start fishing anywhere and try to put together a pattern. If the ice just melted the water won't be very warm at all, so try using jigs and, depending on water clarity, jerk baits. 

 

With the water warming up and the sun out, the shallow water will start to warm up and hopefully bring the fish up fairly shallow. The NW part of the lake warms up the fastest, so I may try the chunk rock in that part of the lake. Maybe try the same lures in and around the brush piles, too. The brush piles in the small local lakes near me have never been very good for me, but brush piles are very good at some lakes, especially those without much other cover.

 

Aside from that, it's only a 25-acre lake. You can probably fish the whole lake in a day if you try. Pay attention to where you get bit and what you were doing when you got bit and work from there.

 

Good luck

[Ozark_Basser]

I'd start with that northwest corner and the whole west side of the lake as it will warm up faster with that warming trend you are about to have. Also if you could can see on the bank a sharp transition from the bowling ball sized rocks to gravel on the west side, I'd fish that pretty hard too unless it's one of those lakes that has a smooth bank all the way around which it kind of looks like from the map. I'd also fish any visible cover up shallow which is where a lot of fish are probably going to be along with hitting up the brush piles and points.

[HoosierHawgs]

Definitely fish that rock in the NW area. It will hold heat and bait, bringing the bass. The lake is not warm, but a warming trend will begin, so a flat sided Crankbait like a Spro Little John would be a good bet. I fish a similar lake myself, and I typically just fish every spot I can reach by foot (which is more than one would think, I've trekked through some serious crap before, but it's worth it if the fishing is good). I cover water, and generally fish a Crankbait, spinnerbait, and then follow them up w/something like a jig to get the less active fish! Good luck!

[bonzai22]

I would throw a lip less crank and try a bunch of different retrieves with it. Just a few weeks ago we had open water for about a week and I caught most of my fish on a chrome red eye. Then when you find a good area I would follow up with a shaky head with a wacky worm.

[Bass XL]

I'm here in Missouri and am currently fishing a pond near my place that is similar. Water temps are still going to be freezing, so you gotta really hunker down and be patient. If it's sunny out, find the big rocks that can hold the heat of the sun---it'll have warmer water that may hold slightly more active fish. I would use a senko and or a pointer and dead stick around these areas. Other than that, flip and pitch those brush piles with a jig as tight to the middle of the brush pile as you can. 

[HoosierHawgs]

I'm here in Missouri and am currently fishing a pond near my place that is similar. Water temps are still going to be freezing, so you gotta really hunker down and be patient. If it's sunny out, find the big rocks that can hold the heat of the sun---it'll have warmer water that may hold slightly more active fish. I would use a senko and or a pointer and dead stick around these areas. Other than that, flip and pitch those brush piles with a jig as tight to the middle of the brush pile as you can.

If you are gonna flip w/a jig in these colder temps go w/a compact jig and chunk combo w/out a lot of action. Also, make sure you have confidence at what your throwing. Confidence and attitude can make or break winter fishing.

[Senko lover]

I'd try a squarebill on those rocks.

[scaleface]

I have experience fishing lakes after ice out . After a week of warm weather you may be able to catch the years biggest fish .Id let the sun warm it up some until I commenced fishing .  Afternoons are best .Without knowing the contours , Id concentrate on the steepest banks  or the dam if its steep  .Position the boat close to shore and make parallel cast. My first lure choice would be an old Arbogast  Mudbug but  any medium diving crank might work. Cast close to bank or out a little , as long as the lure can hit bottom and retrieve extremely slow.This is shallow water fishing but on "Steep"' banks , large bass will often be there .  Its a good time to get a lunker but not numbers .

 

 

I left out a crucial point , keep the rod tip low.

[Catt]

Topo map would be helpful!