Help With Fishing Big Lakes

[Dtree11]

So I am entering my 3rd year in my fishing club as a Non-Boater. We are based out of East Michigan and only fish Erie, St.Clair and the Detroit River. Naturally we only fish for Small Mouth and sometimes large mouth if we have no choice. I have been fishing with the same guy for the last couple years. And, he knows only one way of fishing big lakes.... Drifting / Dragging. We Drag for hours. Now, do not get me wrong, we catch fish. I came in 3rd place last year, so I cant complain too much. But, the same guys keep beating us and they talk about how they are moving around the lakes (Erie / St. Clair) all day long. My boater is really open minded and agrees that we need to try a different game plan on fishing a more localized area as opposed to drifting over a half mile pile of rocks.

 

My thought is to use the trolling motor more and keep us drifting slower and reel in our lures (tubes) until we find a school and then attack that specific area.

 

Can anyone share their ideas or practices on big water?

 

Additional info: We do not use the fish-finder to spot fish. Even if we catch fish on a specific drift, we will continue on the drift until we hit weeds or not a rocky bottom. 

[Catt]

Hey @A-Jay

[IndianaFinesse]

I would suggest slowing down once you find fish, especially if they are in deeper water they will be in schools.

[fish'n Jim]

Nothing succeeds like success.   It's a constant effort to get to the top and then an even harder one to stay there.  It's also a numbers/probability game, so the odds of winning are steep, so you can;t get bummed out.   You have to constantly be in the hunt and eventually, with the right moves, you break through.  Your options are what you entertain.   Maybe it's time for a change, new ride, if things don't meet your expectations.    A good "expectations" discussion with your partner is in order.   I think it's 80% mental and 80% of the field really has no chance because they don't have the right approach.  Since you doubt your methods, you're vulnerable to mental let down.   Most either aren't prepared, fish last weeks fish, only they're favorite technique, or just don't have it.   Wishful fishing so to speak.  After you recognize that, you only have to compete against 20% of the field.  Same applies to the water. you don't have to fish it all, just the right areas.   We call that the money shots.   You must maximize the casts that catch fish.

First, study the maps for bottom contours and structure they'll use for seasonal migrations.   Gather info from tournament wins, reports, etc.   Temperature is a key variable in seasonal understanding.

Then, on the water, monitor areas with sonar.   The new units can distinguish very well, compared to what we had starting off with flashers.  

Then, work out a milk run plan, based on pretournament practice, and go to these key areas that have fish on them, if none on that day, move on or come back later.   Smallies are depth oriented, eg; if they're shallow, then run that depth all day.  Last year I was on Champlain in July, they sat in 6 ft, and you could catch all you want in all sizes at that depth.   No need to do anything else.   Just troll around sitting in 7-8 ft and casting to rocks, grass line, etc.  If I fished in 10', I was not putting my bait in the right spots to get bit.   Other times, I've had to pick them off one at at time in 15-20'.   Observe other boats and what they're doing/where they frequent for clues.

Sometimes, the big waters will get roiled up and fish will suspend or move, and not relate to bottom, then it's hit or miss and drifting maybe a better plan.   Water and fish can move many miles after a storm, etc, so it's here today, there tomorrow, on big water.   But some areas will hold them mostly.  

[TOXIC]

Vary your lures.  Throw cranks, spinnerbaits and others.  Dragging is only one technique why limit yourself to just that?  

[WRB]

It's not about choice of lures until you locate the bass. Blindly drifting and hope to run a run across a active school of smallies is a very low percentage technique.

1. Does your boater have good sonar and GPS map?

2. Do either of you know how to read maps and locate potential bass holding/feeding areas?

3. Do you have way points set up?

It sounds like your boater drifts areas he has caught bass in the past. That is OK if you know exactly where those bass are and what they feed on. Study the maps at the locations you have had some success and determine what the structure shapes, Rock piles, bouy anchor slabs, breaks and bottom cover that holds bass. Now look at the maps and find similar areas and way point all of those so you can go out and fish those specific spots within the area instead of drifting.

Tom

[slonezp]

Shrink it down. Get a map card if you don't already have one or utilize navionics webapp and fish structure. 

[Dtree11]

Sorry, that I had not responded sooner. I appreciate all of your inputs. Thanks