ethan-333 Posted January 3, 2017 Posted January 3, 2017 when you are breaking down a map how msny spots will you mark? is it dependant on lake size or what you think will hold fish? i typically dont use topo maps as there is only a few spots to fish deep (15+) on the 2 lakes close to me and ive fished the lakes numerous times... but the lake im looking at is a powerplant lake ive never fished of about 2500 acres with an average depth of 18 and max depth around 45... ive started breaking the map down by main lake, and each arm and coves. i have about 30 spots marked that i would like to check out over time as i fish it... also ive searched and read multiple forums and watched videos about breaking them down. any good videos youd recommend?? thanks Quote
Super User WRB Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 Post your the lake you want spots marked and see compare what we suggest to your spots, should be a interesting thread. Tom 5 Quote
Super User Team9nine Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 Mark as many as you need to. Oftentimes it is lake type more than lake size that correlates with higher number of potential spots. On some lakes I have over 250 spots marked. How you break a lake down will vary by individual. There is no one set way. Some like seasonal patterns, others will do it by depth, cover types, sections (size or area), or structure. Sounds like you are starting out right to me. -T9 1 Quote
bobh64 Posted January 3, 2017 Posted January 3, 2017 When I am able to get paper maps of lakes I fish I color code my catch spots to show me shallow,deep sunny. windy, rainy ect type of days so I can identify what worked and when on that spot. Its sounds confusing but tournament time I have my answers ready depending on what type of day it will be. So sometimes I will have more than 50+ 1 Quote
Super User Catt Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 32 minutes ago, Team9nine said: Mark as many as you need to. Oftentimes it is lake type more than lake size that correlates with higher number of potential spots. On some lakes I have over 250 spots marked. How you break a lake down will vary by individual. There is no one set way. Some like seasonal patterns, others will do it by depth, cover types, sections (size or area), or structure. Sounds like you are starting out right to me. -T9 325 spots on Toledo Bend & still marking em! 2 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 Well before getting on the water (especially new ones) and without the need for paper maps, I've been using the Humminbird Contour Elite computer software. The State-of-the-art mapping technology paired with the most accurate lake data available means less time wandering around the lake and more time in what as proven to be mostly productive water. With both CD & down load options it's very convenient. http://contourelite.com/ http://contourelite.com/features/ http://www.humminbird.com/Products/CEGL3/ And to answer the OP's question as to "how many spots do I mark ?" I'll go with Several .. .. .. .. A-Jay 3 Quote
riverbasser Posted January 3, 2017 Posted January 3, 2017 My lake is much bigger than yours and there are many areas I have not explored. With no internet at home I hook up my depthfinder with lakemaster charts and study the lake on the couch. I mark potential areas I want to fish with a different icon than the icons I use to mark known spots. Then on the water if it turns out to be a fish holding area I change the icon. This helps me know what is what. Also the marks I do at home are for "areas" not just specific spots. I might mark the tip of a channel swing but once on the water I will explore the entire area up and down the swing and both sides of channel for example and move the waypoint accordingly. I would take WRB up on his offer to post the lake on here and use some of these senior guys experience to help you find potential areas. That's info that may be priceless @A-Jay im jealous of your mapping strategy. Do those programs require an internet connection? 2 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 6 minutes ago, riverbasser said: @A-Jay im jealous of your mapping strategy. Do those programs require an internet connection? The cd version does not require an internet connection however in advance of you purchase ensure you systen meets the software requirements. http://www.humminbird.com/Products/CEGL3/ A-Jay It is Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10. The Minimum PC Requirements: 1 Ghz Pentium 4 or Athlon CPU (2 Ghz recommended) 512 MB Ram (1024 MB Ram recommended) 10 GB Free hard drive Windows XP or greater DVD-ROM Drive 2 Quote
ethan-333 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Posted January 3, 2017 this is the north half of the lake. im trying to find better maps but not having any luck. this has 5 foot contour intervals... just not a fan of the hotspot locations pre-marked. tho some of them look to be good areas (i think).. the green is the channel. the pink is areas i want to check. and the black is no access zones.. mainly ive marked main lake points. roadbeds in the channel. a couple humps. and some rock banks near a channel swing. if the weather stays nice might make a trip out here next weekend.. and this is the first time ive ever really marked. so criticism is highly appreciated thanks in advance Quote
ethan-333 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Posted January 3, 2017 also. havent really paid much attention to the south end yet. as being winter i feel the better fishing will be up near the dam to the north where the warm water discharge is Quote
ethan-333 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Posted January 3, 2017 if i color in the whole map pink.. does that count???? Quote
Super User Team9nine Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 You are on the right track with what you've highlighted. Focus more main lake in winter and summer, and more cove/embayments in the spring and fall. The area down toward the dam produces a lot of bass at times. Plan on working what you have marked (which will take a while) so you don't end up marking so much you skip through them too quickly and never really learn each spot. -T9 1 Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted January 3, 2017 Global Moderator Posted January 3, 2017 I marked around 70 I think on half of a 7k acre lake that I fish often for another member that was visiting from out of town. I don't think you can really have too many spots marked if you have time to fish them all correctly at some point. 1 Quote
riverbasser Posted January 3, 2017 Posted January 3, 2017 I would spend a good amount of time exploring around spot 35. Also for this time of year the mouths of Shawnee bay and sugar neck creek might be good. Idk if its just the map but this lake doesn't seem to have a very defined channel. You marked some good places as well. Enough to keep you busy. Quote
ethan-333 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Posted January 3, 2017 i would agree the channel is hard to pick out farther south on the map or so it seems Quote
Super User Wayne P. Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 For waters covered, don't need to pre-mark any potential fishing locations with Lakemaster Smartstrike. Just enter the species, time of year, water color, and lake area, then the software will predict fishing locations: 4 Quote
riverbasser Posted January 3, 2017 Posted January 3, 2017 9 minutes ago, Wayne P. said: For waters covered, don't need to pre-mark any potential fishing locations with Lakemaster Smartstrike. Just enter the species, time of year, water color, and lake area, then the software will predict fishing locations: That's cheating Wayne Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 12 minutes ago, Wayne P. said: For waters covered, don't need to pre-mark any potential fishing locations with Lakemaster Smartstrike. Just enter the species, time of year, water color, and lake area, then the software will predict fishing locations: Perfect Wayne ~ I don't remember if I have mentioned it yet here on BR or not ~ but I've been a Smart Strike User & Abuser since late spring this past season. Remarkable is one way to describe it but so is "hit or miss" as well. Certainly offers a starting point on new water. And when I wasn't getting bit in the designated spots, often times if I just "expanded" it area a little - I did. A-Jay Quote
Super User Team9nine Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 lol - Sorry, but I'm not dropping $140 for a program to suggest fishing spots to me ? They already gouge you enough just on basic mapping applications. -T9 1 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 57 minutes ago, Team9nine said: lol - Sorry, but I'm not dropping $140 for a program to suggest fishing spots to me ? They already gouge you enough just on basic mapping applications. -T9 Duly Noted. No Apology Necessary. A-Jay Quote
Super User Bankbeater Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 I will look at a map for a general idea of where I am going and the layout of the lake. I don't mark spots until I have fished the area. Quote
Super User Team9nine Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 29 minutes ago, A-Jay said: Duly Noted. No Apology Necessary. A-Jay Lol - Humminbird got on my bad side today Guess I'm just taking it out on their apparent $$ greediness since mine was a mapping issue also. Would be much better if they integrated all these separate applications at least to some degree so you didn't have to lay out good change for every little thing they come up with. - Rant over - -T9 1 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 3, 2017 Super User Posted January 3, 2017 23 minutes ago, Team9nine said: Lol - Humminbird got on my bad side today Guess I'm just taking it out on their apparent $$ greediness since mine was a mapping issue also. Would be much better if they integrated all these separate applications at least to some degree so you didn't have to lay out good change for every little thing they come up with. - Rant over - -T9 Can't Disagree .. .. .. It's not a magic bullet but it does have some value. A-Jay Quote
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