How do you prepare?

[Gera]

A stop by the restroom and a shower is all my preparation for a day of fishing. anything goes after that. 

 

[Choporoz]

4 minutes ago, Gera said:

A stop by the restroom and a shower is all my preparation for a day of fishing. anything goes after that. 

 

Wait a few years.  You will exchange that shower for an absolute minimum of two trips to the restroom before you head to the ramp.

[Bankc]

A week before, I'll start checking the weather.  The wind speed and direction can affect my plans.  Then, I load everything up the night before.  If it's a new lake, I'll look up satellite images and depth maps if available to get a plan of attack.  

 

I don't worry about baits until I'm on the water.  I also don't stick to my gameplan long if it's not working.  Fishing is more about paying attention and reacting than coming up with the perfect plan.  I'm wrong more often than I'm right.  But a gameplan is as good of a place as any to start.  

[Deleted account]

Unless it's a place I've never fished before, I just go there. The time of year, and the weather for the last few days gets me started, after that, I let the day dictate. 

[mamdlwk]

I really love sitting down the night before, checking my leaders, and tying on some old faithfuls. I put away any stray plastics, organize everything, and re-set for the day. 

[Spankey]

On 9/14/2022 at 11:36 PM, AustonW said:

Do you guys plan out the structures you’re going to fish or just wait till you get on the water to decide? Of course you’re going to take seasons, water temps, etc. into play. 

I pretty much know where I’m gonna start ahead of time. I’ll hit a couple of points I want to fish first or be the first person on them at least. Can’t say I get distracted and do something I didn’t have planned. Than drift river sections I normally fish. Lake fishing is the same thing. 

[Woody B]

On my way home from fishing I fill the boat with gas.   I hook up the charger and cover the boat when I get home.   

 

The night before going I uncover the boat and retire everything or change lures, and check the oil in the boat engine.   If I've got line that needs changed or reels that need maintenance I do that the night before going.   I pack my cooler and put it in the boat.  I'll forget it if I don't.   I also put my tablet in the boat.  (I use it for navionics charts and vessel view mobile)  I normally use the lures I was using the week before.   Any changes are usually made on the water.   

 

I check tire pressure and jack up the trailer to feel the wheel bearings monthly.  (I kick the tires every trip)   I clean and repack wheel bearings every 6 months.   I do this stuff on weeknights after work.   (I usually fish on the weekends only)

 

The truck I tow with is my daily driver so nothing special is needed before a fishing trip.   

 

If I'm going to a lake I haven't been to, or haven't been to in a while I'll look at maps.   

 

There's several lakes within an hour or so that I'm pretty familiar with so I don't do much actual "fishing" planning.   

 

I usually go a while before dawn.  I have 2 headlights that stay in the boat.   I also have batteries for them in the boat.   The night before (if I'm going early) I'll dim the displays on my graphs and tablets.   I also tape over the lights on my trolling motor and pedal.   They're bright enough to mess up night vision.  A piece of masking tape dims them "enough" but I can still see them.   

 

I check truck, trailer and boat lights the night before also.  I park the boat and trailer under my carport, hooked to my truck so all I have to do is disconnect the battery charger and go.   

 

 

[papajoe222]

The first thing I do is check the weather reports for the days leading up to that day. I'm looking for stable patterns, wind, barometer, day/night temps, etc

Then, I'm checking fishing reports looking for any changes in fish locations, water level, productive lures, patterns; basically whatever others are willing to 'share.'

Then, I break out a topo map of the lake and check out potential spots based on whatever info I've obtained.

I keep my rods in my vehicle, so I don't rig the ones I'll be using treble hooks on. For those, I just make up a small assortment in a Plano.  The single hook presentations get tied on the night before.

As for structure, I look for transition areas that will likely have some form of cover or bottom composition change. I base my starting points on the season. along with many of my lure choices.