Understanding how to read water

[GoneFishingLTN]

 

Is there a map image that points to coves/points/all types of cover and structure explaining what it is. 

 

Im getting confused on exactly what is what.... for example I'm assuming right now that every point is a point....and I'm sure that can't be right if that makes any sense at all?

 

[J Francho]

You can start with our glossary.  From there, take a spin through the articles and videos section.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/bass_fishing.html

[scaleface]

A lot of new anglers dont recognize a good point on a map or on  the  water . I was  one of those .  I fished short steep points . The longer  tapering  points are the good ones .  When you're a long way from the bank and still at a fishable depth , with deep water on both sides , that spot has potential . Bass like to set up here . It gives them a bottom to relate to where they can   intercept passing schools of baitfish . I spend a lot of time studying a depth finder   on these places looking for fish , cover and irregularities .

[WRB]

The easiest way to give you some help would be posting a lake map (any lake) with 1' elevations to break down.

Tom

[Deleted account]

A point is a point. Fish can't count, much less set up ordinal precedence. (I do hear they are pretty good with HTML though).

 

"Nomenclature is the haven of the incapable"

[RMcDuffee726]

5 hours ago, reason said:

A point is a point. Fish can't count, much less set up ordinal precedence. (I do hear they are pretty good with HTML though).

 

"Nomenclature is the haven of the incapable"

Didn't you know? Largemouth excel in CSS.

[Team9nine]

I had to chuckle a bit when I read the title to this thread, as I was sitting at my computer reading an article by Buck Perry published in Feb. 1974 titled, "Learning To 'Read' Water Tells You Where To Fish In Any Body Of Water."

 

Yes, the answer to your question has been around for over 40 years  Buck wrote, "In the past, I have stressed "Structure" primarily. But structure, although very important, is only one of the Basic Fishing Facts that you and I must be concerned with...When the BASICS of fish behavior, structure, weather, water, and lure presentation is fully understood, the fisherman can then put this knowledge to work and come up with some answers to the many fishing conditions he is faced with."

 

So, to answer your question, I'd suggest either picking up a copy of Buck's book, "Spoonplugging," or digging around the In-Fishrman site for the concept of F+L+P=S as your foundation. Either should get you started in the proper direction, and will provide more than enough info/pics to answer this, and many other questions. 

 

...and yes, every point is a point, but the key is understanding which points will be productive, and why (not all are).

 

-T9

[RoLo]

On 6/7/2017 at 10:03 AM, scaleface said:

A lot of new anglers dont recognize a good point on a map or on  the  water . I was  one of those .  I fished short steep points . The longer  tapering  points are the good ones .  When you're a long way from the bank and still at a fishable depth , with deep water on both sides , that spot has potential . Bass like to set up here . It gives them a bottom to relate to where they can   intercept passing schools of baitfish . I spend a lot of time studying a depth finder   on these places looking for fish , cover and irregularities .

 

 

In my opinion, what you described is the most vital key to location on any lake or stream.

It amazes me how many experienced anglers make the costly mistake

of beginning a chart search by looking for deep water. Actually, deep water

is where chart study should 'end' not begin. A slow-tapering bottom provides the vital food-shelf,

whereas a fast-tapering slope provides the beloved "drop-off", but a drop-off by itself

is not self-sufficient. In the interest of population dynamics, the first step of the chart survey

is to isolate all the best food shelves in the body of water (broad shallow flats). This is where life begins,

this is where forage proliferates and this is what makes an adjoining drop-off a sweet-spot  

 

Roger

 

 

[WRB]

There is a new thread "points of interest" with a map and similar questions.

Tom

[Catt]

@RoLo not disagreeing but on impoundments or reservoirs when I look at a topographic map my eyes are automatically drawn to creek/river channels. 

 

Slow tapering points do not have to be connected to the shoreline to provide that vital food-shelf.

Edited June 10, 2017 by Catt
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