Big Water Or Small Water Preference?

[kudagra]

Simply put, do you prefer large lakes or smaller bodies of water?

 

For me, I don't know anymore. Use to love big lakes, switched to kayak fishing and now I either have a great day or get skunked. Whereas, I seem to be more consistent on smaller bodies of water.

[bigbill]

I fish from shore in small places and man-made dams constructed for water power 200 years ago. I have access to fish larger lakes too.

I fish anywhere I can throw a line. My favorite places are the ones everyone just passes by. Some have never been fished. Even a water catch basin pond at a mall can hold 3lb bass.

If a shore fisherman stays focused and motivated success will follow. After all from a boat were fishing the same spot only backwards from shore. Where are the bass feeding at night? Along the shoreline. I have fishing spots that are close together I can gun and run with no boat to move.

My point is shore fisherman stop wishing and start fishing.

[Senko lover]

I love small waters, all I've fished. I would love the challenge of breaking down bigger waters too, but I don't have a boat. 

[Rob96]

With my canoe and trolling motor I prefer smaller lakes or horsepower restricted. The smaller lakes are electric only or unpowered and the 1450 acre lake I fish is HP restricted and has four launches.

[A-Jay]

With my canoe and trolling motor I prefer smaller lakes or horsepower restricted. The smaller lakes are electric only or unpowered and the 1450 acre lake I fish is HP restricted and has four launches.

 

Me Too ~ 

 

I also like lakes that require a concerted effort just to get to; especially the ones WITHOUT a boat ramp.

 

A-Jay

[Rob96]

The 1,450 acre lake I fish as regular launches as well as lots and grassy launch areas strictly for paddle type craft.

[lo n slo]

My all time favorite body of water is a small lake that is connected to a much larger lake via overflow culverts only and separated from it by an interstate highway. It is 10 minutes from the house and has some quality bass in it. It is primarily a structure lake with little in the way of docks or fallen timber. Deepest water in the 35-40' range with plenty of 15-25' zones. Red clay, rocks, stumps, drop offs, points, a mile long stretch of rip rap, and those sweet brush piles, are the main features. It used to have only largemouth but we are catching alot of spots these days. I have been fishing this lake for about 30 years. My pb came from there in the fall of '98 and weighed in at 8.6 lbs, a monster for my neck of the woods. If something ever happened where I could not fish that lake it would hurt me bad.

[doyle8218]

No real preference. 

[Catt]

I love bass fishing!

[MIbassyaker]

Overwhelming preference for small and quiet. I regularly fish about 12-15 different lakes, rivers, and river bayous within an hour's drive of my home. But my three favorite lakes are:
1. 50 acres, surrounded by county park and a no motors restriction at the launch; excellent for numbers but not many big fish (although my PB came from it)

2. 30 acres, lightly developed on one side with a handful of houses and about 5-6 docks; no public launch, but can paddle in 1/4 mile with a canoe or kayak through a creek channel with roadside access. The docks are so overgrown I don't think even the residents use the lake much.

3. 100 acres, public launch, but very minimal parking. Good thing, too, otherwise it might get a lot more traffic -- not huge numbers of bass  and it's easy to get skunked, but the average size bass living in here is probably bigger than that of all but a few of the other lakes in the immediate area. All developed, but the residents rarely seem to fish it and don't get up before about 10am. 

[Josh Smith]

Small. Quiet. If I can't enjoy nature there's no point.

Josh

[mnbassman23]

I split my time between the two about 50/50 but prefer smaller lakes due to being more relaxing. No added boat traffic from jet skiers and leisure boats is a plus in my eyes, but ultimately it's about catching fish. 

[ww2farmer]

I like medium water......not so big so that I can get around the whole place comfortably in my aluminum boat, but not so small that I can fish it all in a single day.

[Kentuckysteve]

I will take a farm pond over a big lake any day.

[Bluebasser86]

I like the one I'm fishing at the moment, especially if it has big bass in it!

[SirSnookalot]

Hard to be specif, your personal location has a lot to do with it.  My basic training is great lakes as well as inland lakes back in MIch.  I'm in South Florida now fishing pretty much small water.  No thought involved for me in numbers, size and ease, Florida is a pretty easy venue to catch bass, 20" is barely worth an honorable mention.

You want big fish the 2 best options are the ocean and/or areas known for big bass and hire guide.

[Lund Explorer]

My "home lake" is rather small at only 140 acres and its claim to fame is the fact that it is only 5 miles from the house and has very little in the way of water fleas.  There are many other lakes just as close but they are mostly overrun by jet skis or a pain to launch at.  Its biggest drawback is the fact that a lake that small only has just so many "spots". 

 

The better lakes I fish are mostly between 2,500 and 4,000 acres in size.  They provide way more places to hit during a day which increases the chance that I'm going to find active fish.  I wish they were closer than a hour plus long trip from home so most of them are destination lakes for week long camping trips.

[SirSnookalot]

My "home" places to fish are walking distance, 2-3 acres.  An issue I read a lot about are people saying they want to be the best fishermen they can be.  Who's to say you aren't already.  People tend to use the wrong yardstick as a measure of ability, numbers probably is a better measure than size. Just because JOE BLOW in another part of the country catches bigger fish does not make him a better fisherman, just fishes locations that hold bigger fish.  How does one compete with a resident of big bass state or another country, you can't.  Your measurement of success can only be based on where you fish and what's available to you.

[the reel ess]

Simply put, do you prefer large lakes or smaller bodies of water?

 

For me, I don't know anymore. Use to love big lakes, switched to kayak fishing and now I either have a great day or get skunked. Whereas, I seem to be more consistent on smaller bodies of water.

I kayak fish as well. And I like CATCHING fish. At this point in my fishing life, it's about looking for a trophy and getting a pic with it . I've got a local reservoir that is private and maybe 10 other people fish it. It's not pressured and has some real bruisers in it. I've been skunked once since the temp warmed into the 50's and really got rained out after 5 min. I can carry the kayak about 2 miles from home and catch quality or tow the boat 40 miles each way, use a public ramp and compete over a few dinks. No brainer.

[the reel ess]

 does not make him a better fisherman, just fishes locations that hold bigger fish.  

Absolutely. You can't catch a 10 pounder if there aren't even 5 pounders there. I fish a couple places where 3 pounds is a big fish. But they're good for numbers. And one is good for food.

[Random Tackle]

small to medium rivers, creeks and the occasional farm pond here.

[scaleface]

I like them both. Its a lot nicer to fish in a  boat that you can move in  than a small john boat. I purchased a 22 foot Lowe last year and havent had a chance to really use it. I'm hoping to get to Toledo Bend or Eufala this winter .

[Catt]

First & foremost I love bass fishing, the body of water is irrelevant.

Do I like Toledo Bend?

Ya bet ya!

Do I like catching double digit bass?

Ya bet ya!

Every bass I catch in every body of water is a learning experience & makes me a better angler!

[MIbassin]

Big water no question

[Neil McCauley]

Big waters = big fish. Yes, there are a few exceptions, but the numbers of large (for the Northeast) fish in the Great Lakes, Champlain, and other similar lakes, is incredible. If you play it right, every time out is a great day and you can catch dozens of fish the size of the largest pond/small lake fish. Monster after monster. Just can't find that experience on small lakes.

I will say the experience of small back-country ponds with no road access or shoreline development is nice, too. Panfishing with a fly rod from a canoe is a blast.