How can I approach a small lake?

[LunkerJunky]

I live about 20 minutes from a small lake. I live in Pennsylvania and we are notorious for tough bass fishing, mostly because we are famous for trout. Our smallmouth fishing is awesome in the rivers but largemouth fishing is a bit lacking. The lake is about 47 acres, so not that big. The main lake has a small surface area and is about 20 feet deep. Most of the acreage is in the amount of coves and creeks in the lake. The shoreline is dotted with laydowns and overhanging trees. The far north side turns into a lily pad field in the summer but I had a 5 pounder strike a frog there. The eastern shoreline is covered in tall grass and cattails with a few bundles of lily pads here and there. The bottom is spotted with brush piles and trees with a few rocks. The lake is stocked with bluegill, crappie, perch, and golden shiners as the baitfish. I mostly have luck there on Texas rigs and top water poppers. The lake does have potential as someone caught a nine pounder there and I usually catch a few 3 pounders once in a while. I wanted to hear your guys suggestions for what baits to throw to catch more bass and bigger bass there. 

[casts_by_fly]

What part of PA are you in?  Opossum lake?

 

That's a lot of what I fish here, so jigs in all of the cover, texas rigs as you're already fishing them, frogs when the vegetation gets up again, and buzzbaits before it does.  If you're in a boat, the outside weed lines with plastics, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits.

 

[Catt]

39 minutes ago, LunkerJunky said:

I wanted to hear your guys suggestions for what baits to throw to catch more bass and bigger bass there. 

 

Location, Location,Location 

 

Learn the structure 

Learn the baitfish 

Learn the cover

 

[LunkerJunky]

Ok thanks! 

[LrgmouthShad]

This is probably an uneducated answer that ignores a lot that could be going on in your lake, but im fishing the lily pads. Swim jigs, spinnerbaits, swimming worms, frogs, Johnson silver minnows… etc 

[Basser2021]

I would focus on the  the creeks. That works well for me in a small lake around me. I don't catch huge fish but have caught some decent ones doing this. I've been doing well on a zoom u-vibe speed worm texas rigged.

 

(fished shallow)

[NorthernBasser]

Very quietly.

 

(I'll see my way out)

[papajoe222]

No  doubt, there's plenty of cover. What about structure? I'd be looking at that last good structure outside the spawning areas. The depth and cover there would determine what baits to throw.  A jig for sure, but other than that, I wouldn't venture a guess.

[scaleface]

47 acres , I would put the trolling motor down and fish the whole thing . Sounds like there is a lot of cover . Texas rigs , jigs , spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are my favorite around lay downs and lily pads . 

[rtwvumtneer6]

I'm in south west PA and I'm catching them dirt shallow.  Any rock or wood that I find on a bank has a chance to hold fish right now.  Lots of bucks. Crankbaits and underspins are shining for me.  I can't imagine the females are too far behind, and in my experience the larger ones will come up and do their thing first.  The bladed jig is still a player, and if you have the patience to keep a topwater in your hand and fish it slow, the bites are few and far between but are typically pretty good quality.  I've also seen success slow rolling a 3.8 on a 1/4oz jig head through any new vegetation that is starting to come up.  With that bite, I always repeat the same cast at least a few times after catching one.  When they fire, it can be a lot of fun!