New Lake Tomorrow - break it down

[The Baron]

Hitting a new lake tomorrow.  Well, I did fish it once a few years ago with a friend, and we did very well just casting the shore.  But this time I’ve been looking at maps, planning a bit better now that I’ve advanced from zero knowledge to basic.  lol

 

The lake has smallmouth and largemouth, and as (almost) always up here, lure stealing pike.  I don’t know about water clarity yet - likely medium to fairly clear.  Night temps have been getting cool, so we’re a good couple of weeks into the fall transition. It’s a very deep, natural lake. Forecast is light rain overnight, changing to just cloudy all day tomorrow with NE winds 5-10mph.  If you’re bored and want to tell me where we’ll catch ‘em, it’s called Desert Lake up here in E. Ontario.  My plan is to start at the major point up the west side of the lake, and focus on that SW arm.  Topwater, jerkbait, squarebill, medium  crankbaits and chatterbait are my preferred weapons of choice.  Focussing on hard banks, hard cover and fairly shallow (<15ft).  We’ll see…

 

https://www.gpsnauticalcharts.com/main/ca_on_v_103382205-desert-lake-nautical-chart.html

[Swamp Girl]

I'd focus on that big blue hump in the middle. I'd bounce crankbaits off all its sides and work the top too. Let us know how it goes.

 

I envy you times 3000. I love fishing Ontario and you LIVE THERE!

[The Baron]

A pretty disappointing day.  Caught about a dozen each of largemouth and smallmouth, plus a few pike. Everything small - biggest bass might have made 2#, but I doubt it. ??

 

We tried it all - spooks, cranks, jerkbaits, dropshot and chatterbaits. Caught them everywhere from 2ft. to 25ft., with no apparent pattern.  I cannot figure out this fall fishing thing.?  But it’s a very clear water lake and we saw several deep weed beds that deserve a summer visit.

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

On 9/10/2023 at 7:01 PM, The Baron said:

 I cannot figure out this fall fishing thing

 

I'm with ya on ^this.^ Last fall, I caught good numbers of bass, but not the big bass that so many catch in fall. I'm hoping this fall will be different. 

 

Many years ago, I fished a bass lake in northwestern Ontario and did quite well trolling crankbaits. Drifting with bait also worked.

[The Baron]

Well, I talked with a buddy who fishes Desert Lake regularly and he said he doesn't bother in September, said fish are scattered and it's too tough.  He's fishing lake trout now but said the fishing will heat up in October and even better well into November.  Seems like unless you really know exactly where your fish were and where they're going, the transition is a struggle.  And so, a very bad time to try and learn a new lake.

[Swamp Girl]

It doesn't help that Desert Lake is already muddled. It's a lake that thinks it's a desert. 

[The Baron]

@ol'crickety lol.  We found a sandy bottom in a lot of areas, so we’re assuming that’s where the name came from.  

[roadwarrior]

It's the season for an Alabama Rig.

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

^That^ guy hung onto that carp way longer than I could have. Say, is it really the season for an Alabama rig?

[roadwarrior]

Fall is the best season for The Rig.