Map study

[riverbasser]

As it starts to get colder and I fish much less I like to pull out my map or hook up my depthfinder GPS in the house and just look at my local lake. Just trying to use what I know and places ive caught fish to sort of map out how the bass travel around. Im also always looking for things that aren't as obvious and maybe get overlooked and not fished as much. Fresh eyes are always good and if anyone cares too look maybe you will see something I have overlooked. Its a big lake but seems to have a lot of unproductive water and most of the obvious areas are very pressured. So if anyone has time to look id be glad to hear anything you see worthwhile. Thanks

https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@8&key=m|faEjzlfO

[WRB]

I fished this reservoir a long time ago and believe ended up around the Sandy Hill creek area and main river channel across form that area. Big lake about 30 miles long with lots bass fishing history and full of outside structure like humps and channels. What I remember is the locals didn't fish any deeper than 20' mostly weed bed and shoreline anglers and I caught some good size bass on breaks 20' to 30' using purple jigs. The thermocline as I recall was about 30' during the early summer. 

This will take more time than I have right now, get back to you later.

Tom

[Catt]

I know nuttin!

[riverbasser]

18 minutes ago, Catt said:

I know nuttin!

I've got all your stuff marked. Will be testing your spawn advice this spring

[riverbasser]

56 minutes ago, WRB said:

I fished this reservoir a long time ago and believe ended up around the Sandy Hill creek area and main river channel across form that area. Big lake about 30 miles long with lots bass fishing history and full of outside structure like humps and channels. What I remember is the locals didn't fish any deeper than 20' mostly weed bed and shoreline anglers and I caught some good size bass on breaks 20' to 30' using purple jigs. The thermocline as I recall was about 30' during the early summer.

Tom

This still holds true today. Most of the offshore fishing only gets done around some planted brush piles. This 15 to 30' range is what I'm most interested in. I have a couple ledges that hold fish but they may only bite for an hour throughout the whole day. I need more places to bounce around

[WRB]

The type of structure on a lake like this are saddles or 2 high spots connected by a lower saddle that is close to a river/creek channel bend. Patula point look good, very obvious, has these features plus a few small flat areas and flooded timber nearby. The flooded bridge over the creek channel with adjacent saddle, although only 5' difference, prefer it was more, is the saddle element to look for. Bass can move from the trees to the channel and cross over to the bridge and out towards the main river channel. Look around for similar structure elements, Sandy creek area is another example, the lake has lots of them to check out.

Tom

[riverbasser]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

The type of structure on a lake like this are saddles or 2 high spots connected by a lower saddle that is close to a river/creek channel bend. Patula point look good, very obvious, has these features plus a few small flat areas and flooded timber nearby. The flooded bridge over the creek channel with adjacent saddle, although only 5' difference, prefer it was more, is the saddle element to look for. Bass can move from the trees to the channel and cross over to the bridge and out towards the main river channel. Look around for similar structure elements, Sandy creek area is another example, the lake has lots of them to check out.

Tom

Yes the mouth of pautaula has a lot of good structure in one place but it is also probably the most fished creek mouth on the lake(for good reason). I will look for more saddles though. This is something Im not used to looking for so will have to train my eyes. Thank you

How do bass like to stage on saddles like this? Or are you saying that its just a transition area out into the main lake?

[WRB]

35 minutes ago, riverbasser said:

Yes the mouth of pautaula has a lot of good structure in one place but it is also probably the most fished creek mouth on the lake(for good reason). I will look for more saddles though. This is something Im not used to looking for so will have to train my eyes. Thank you

How do bass like to stage on saddles like this? Or are you saying that its just a transition area out into the main lake?

Saddles and flat spots on steep structure are good stagging areas near spawning coves or part of a secondary Y creek arm point near a spawning area with deep water close by. Just trying to get you to look at what types of structure elements hold populations of big bass. Today it's more difficult because bass anglers in general have lots of resources to learn from, the most obvious areas become known. Just becuase they are known doesn't mean there isn't bass there!

Tom

["hamma"]

As I stated in another thread,..

 The area around Georgetown has not only 1 but 2 bridges creating compression areas, during times of water movement at the dam these will create current packed areas which will locate the fish for you, nevermind the channel being defined as well. Predatory fish will use this to their advantage. 

I seek these "compression areas" wherever I fish, as I have done quite well up here using them in tourneys and funfishing as well. they work well when there is no current, and even better when there is current present.

 Another area I liked was Patuala (sp?) looks like a promising area as well.

 Just what I saw, and would check out first. These "may" already be  well known areas, but Im not sure as I've never fished there and have no experience down south other than a week on wilson lake.

9 minutes ago, "hamma" said:

As I stated in another thread,..

 The area around Georgetown has not only 1 but 2 bridges creating compression areas, during times of water movement at the dam these will create current packed areas which will locate the fish for you, nevermind the channel being defined as well. Predatory fish will use this to their advantage. 

I seek these "compression areas" wherever I fish, as I have done quite well up here using them in tourneys and funfishing as well. they work well when there is no current, and even better when there is current present.

 Another area I liked was Patuala (sp?) looks like a promising area as well.

 Just what I saw, and would check out first. These "may" already be  well known areas, but Im not sure as I've never fished there and have no experience down south other than a week on wilson lake.

lol,...Catt knows nuttin,...and Toms also pointed out Patuala, ,...iteresting

[Sam]

During the winter when the temperature falls below 70* I inventory and rearrange my tackle in addition to going through my file folders for each body of water I fish.

I look at each map and make any updates that I did not make the last time I fished those waters.

At the next Richmond Fishing Expo in late January I will ask the GMCO owner, George Martin, if I need to update any maps. George is a great guy and his maps in Virginia are the bible of all fishing maps. Here is his link:  http://www.gmcomaps.com/

I will also ask George if he would consider being a Forum advertiser as new bass fishermen in this neck of the woods do not know about his maps and I think being on the Forum will give him some great exposure.

So, to answer you question, yes, I look at my maps and continue to mark them while studying the contours, humps, creeks, etc. 

[Catt]

55 minutes ago, "hamma" said:

lol,...Catt knows nuttin,...and Toms also pointed out Patuala, ,...iteresting

 

riverbasser got enough in PMs to keep him busy all winter!