Map study

[GoneFishingLTN]

Hey everyone I would just like to thank everyone that’s been so helpful on this forum there are to many to list.  That being said I want to heavily improve on my map study this year I seen the new video posted on here and enjoyed it. 
 

If you knew the basics I know creek channels points, humps, flats ( sorta hard for me because there are a lot here in Iowa atleast I think without to many creek channels close to them). And etc structure but want to just learn as much as possible what resources besides mapping and google earth did you use to learn how to really get a understanding of the lake maps. 

[A-Jay]

 If you haven't done so already, perhaps consider becoming familiar

with the seasonal movements of bass.  Usually comes in handy when looking at a map if we have some idea of where the bass want to be, why they want to be there and perhaps most importantly; when.

Here's a couple to get you going . . .

https://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/seasonal_patterns.html

https://www.bassmaster.com/vandams-6-season-bass-guide

A-Jay

[WRB]

Seasonal period*  recognition is important because it’s a basic bass behavior for location. Location is the key to successful map reading....where should I look? Location includes several factors based on the terrain.

1. Depth, depth is based on seasonal periods and topography or terrain and prey sources. 

2. Lake classification; natural and man made. Man made impoundments come in High Land ( mountainous) , Hill Land (hilly in lieu of mountains), Flat Land ( no hills or mountains), Low Land ( near coastal river deltas) and Canyon (deep steep river valleys). Natural lakes are just, no dams.

3. Bass species,Largemouth,Small outs and Spotted bass make up 90% of the fish we call call bass.

Map reading needs to start by identifying all the above to focus on what to look for.

For this reason I like to ask the regional location of the lake before trying to give detailed advice.

Tom

* look up my Cosmic Clock and Bass Behavior.

[Catt]

 

 

 

 

[Sir Shamsalot]

Ya know, one thing that drove me crazy for years was mapping terminology. Having been a military guy that excelled at land nav, it was like trying to learn a foreign language. "That's not a point. That's a spur." was a common saying for me. 

 

As has been stated, learning the target species life cycle along with the body of water's life cycle is key to finding them. 

[Bankc]

I don't know if this applies everywhere, but one thing I've noticed with my local lakes is the maps available for them aren't very accurate.  There will often be features that look great on a map, but then you get to the actual lake, and they're not nearly as attractive.  Or there might be features (and sometimes large features) you'll find on the water with your depth finder that don't appear on any map.  So I tend to use maps to look more for large, generalized areas, rather than small, specific points of interest.  I view the map as a starting point and don't plan my whole day of fishing with it.  

 

In other words, I just use the maps to figure out where to launch and which direction to head.  I use my sonar to tell me where to fish.  

 

[Linewinder]

10 hours ago, WRB said:

Seasonal period*  recognition is important because it’s a basic bass behavior for location.

...

* look up my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar.

 

This, right?  The Cosmic Clock and Bass Behavior by Tom Young

[senile1]

1 hour ago, Bankc said:

I don't know if this applies everywhere, but one thing I've noticed with my local lakes is the maps available for them aren't very accurate.  There will often be features that look great on a map, but then you get to the actual lake, and they're not nearly as attractive.  Or there might be features (and sometimes large features) you'll find on the water with your depth finder that don't appear on any map.  So I tend to use maps to look more for large, generalized areas, rather than small, specific points of interest.  I view the map as a starting point and don't plan my whole day of fishing with it.  

 

In other words, I just use the maps to figure out where to launch and which direction to head.  I use my sonar to tell me where to fish.  

 

 

As you state maps can be somewhat inaccurate, especially those that are hard copies.  I don't see my Garmin updates for my software maps being perfect either.  It is difficult to incorporate every change to a lake bottom into maps due to the ongoing occurrence of siltation, and the movement and breakdown of items on the bottom of the lake.  However, maps are great to obtain the general lay of the land and they are the starting point for finding potential bass locations, along with understanding bass behavior in the seasons.  Once we get on the water we can then hone in on spots using our sonar. 

[Paul Roberts]

3 minutes ago, senile1 said:

 

As you state maps can be somewhat inaccurate, especially those that are hard copies.  I don't see my Garmin updates for my software maps being perfect either.  It is difficult to incorporate every change to a lake bottom into maps due to the ongoing occurrence of siltation, and the movement and breakdown of items on the bottom of the lake.  However, maps are great to obtain the general lay of the land and they are the starting point for finding potential bass locations, along with understanding bass behavior in the seasons.  Once we get on the water we can then hone in on spots using our sonar. 

And then factor in the functional (biological/ecological) of these areas, under the -albeit potentially broad- filter of the species you're targeting. Map areas can best be considered zones where biological activity takes place. Also realize that bass, esp LM's, are "object-oriented" critters, so learning a lake really must happen at a much finer scale than almost any map out there. Until you make your own by drawing in the details of what you learn. And, as the lucid1 mentions, things change over time, more so than many might expect. 

[Catt]

There are quite a few detailed maps out there if one is willing to put in the effort.

 

USGS U.S. Geological Survey is good place to start, spend some time exploring the site.

 

You also have state & county survey agencies, you may have to look at paper maps. 

 

For man made lakes you can get maps prior to the lake being flooded. On this maps you can find hard spots of all kinds.

 

Lots of this kind of information ain't on line yet.

[Big Hands]

It's quite interesting to see what's actually there compared to what is shown on maps. The lake I primarily fish has water level fluctuations that could be considered significant to extreme at times so we get to see what's actually there every so often. The time slider feature on Google Earth is your friend

 

Some structure gets to be more extreme over time, and other structure erodes and even goes away over time. Creek channels move in some cases. Things get silted in and disappear completely. A feature that might be interesting in twenty feet of water isn't nearly as interesting when it sits in seventy feet of water. . . . most of the time . . . . unless perhaps it is a submerged tree that is forty feet tall. And sometimes bass are found out in open water not really relating to structure at all.

 

I think it was Rick Clunn that said he wished he'd spent more time learning about the forage that bass prey on instead of focusing so much on the bass themselves. It's all of the pieces of the puzzle that add up, but two things are certain, and those are that 1) bass must eat to survive, and 2) they must spawn for the species to survive long term. Anglers can use both of those facts to their advantage.

 

Even if the bass wouldn't choose to hang out where their food hangs out, they must have access and visit there on a regular basis. The need to feed may not be the only reason a bass might choose to ingest a lure, but it's probably the most significant.

 

Maps can be helpful, but are far from conclusive evidence. They are only a single piece of the puzzle. Thankfully, we have some pretty good technology at our disposal that can be used in conjunction with maps to confirm or cast doubt on an area's potential.

[WRB]

4 hours ago, Linewinder said:

 

This, right?  The Cosmic Clock and Bass Behavior by Tom Young

Yes, should Behavior not Calendar?