How do you approach a new body of water?

[CrawfordXL]

This has been a topic of discussion between me and my fishing partner. It's really a two part scenario.

I think we should try to use the thousands of dollars in electronics we have, find fish then try to catch them.

He thinks, just find a bank and start casting at it and keep moving to eventually catch fish. 

(This is playing the law of averages, where if you cast enough you'll eventually catch something. Although he thinks he's figured out a whole new way of approaching fishing. I didn't want to argue with him so I didn't go into the whole law of averages thing.)

 

The second part is once you find fish, do you stay there and wait for them to bite, try to entice them with different baits and get them to bite, knowing eventually they are going to feed or do you set yourself a time limit and move on?

 

Would really like to know how others approach these scenarios and what kind of results you see. 

`

[WRB]

Fishing blind by hoping bass will be where think looks good is a crap shoot.

Take some and check out a good map with 1’ elevation if possible. Determine what the seasonal period is the bass are on not what month it is!

Survey the marina you launch the boat at and look at water color and temperature, depth any bait fish or bass are at. 
Now look at the map again after factoring in the information in front of you and go to the high percentage areas based on seasonal period. 
The easiest seasonal period is the spawn bass are always located is wind protected areas in water between 2’ to 6’ back of coves etc. When water temps are warming from 60 degrees to around 65 degrees. If the water is still colder from the winter period less than 50 degrees the will not be in spawn cycle. Above 55 to 58 degrees warming the bass are pre spawn and located in staging areas deeper water adjacent to moving into spawning areas. 
You can determine all this in the marina and the maps before deciding where to start fishing.

Water during the summer warm water period or post spawn the bass can be everywhere with a wide variety of prey to eat. You start near the pre spawn major points and work into creek arms looking for ambush zones and cove.

Fall go further back into creek arms looking for schooled bait fish.

That is how I fish all highland and boil land bass lakes.

Sonar is you friend use it!

Tom

[BassSteve]

I mean, I don't own a boat or expensive sonar/fish targeting equipment, but I think just getting out there and discovering what will hit your bait is part of the thrill. I am a bank fisherman, and even if I don't catch anything, I still enjoy walking around and the outdoors. it may be the old school way but I think it's more fun not knowing what is lurking in a body of water and trying to find out 

[scaleface]

I kind of do both. I dont have forward facing sonar but will scan and fish points, humps... . As far as going down the bank and casting , I do that a lot . Its not blind casting. I'm attempting to make every cast count.

[buckmaster27012]

do as much research at home as possible prior to going to the lake. have a plan and an area picked before you get there. if that doesnt work move out or in depending on conditions. between google earth and contour maps you could have plenty of good starting spots already marked on your graph. 

[Jar11591]

I study a contour map pretty thoroughly and have spots picked out that I want to scan. So when I get to the lake I’m not just hoping to come across something on the depth finder. If I do find something on the way to a spot I wanted to scan, I’ll stop and fish it. 

[Reel]

Survey the marina you launch the boat at ( or the shoreline) and look at water color and temperature, depth any bait fish or bass are at. 

 

Like WRB said : This is really, really, important.  Something to do before anything else.  It should have an impact on everything else you are going to do during the day.

[greentrout]

I mostly fish waters that don't allow outboard motors. Up to 60 to 80 acres of water. When in a boat, like your buddy will stick to the bank when fishing a new body of water casting looking for docks and piers, lily pads, wood and the bare bank casting parallel when possible. Old school fishing in a jon boat with no electronics. 

Good Fishing

[Bankbeater]

I start out by looking at Google Earth and contour maps.  After I get out on the water I'll look for cover on the spots that I picked out on the map. 

[Bird]

Talk to a local, you'd be surprised.

 

Was fishing a big lake last August, water temps were in the 80's and the lake was down 10ft due to drought.

As I approach the ramp, 2 guys were standing beside a bass boat so I figured why not.

Explained to the guys that I was not a local, just wanted to catch a few fish.

They kindly marked my map and gave bait recommendations.

Went on to have a great day of fishing.

[Swamp Girl]

It's cool how we all fish so differently. Whereas I would never disagree with Tom(@WRB) aka Bass Resource's Yoda, I have no marinas and I usually launch in inches of water. So, there's no one to consult and not much to see, especially at four in the morning when it's dark. I used to consult maps, but following @PhishLI's and @AlabamaSpothunter's advice, I focused on fewer ponds and bogs last year, so I pretty much know the depths of the water I fish. Wind speed and direction largely determine where I fish. I do leave fish to find fish. I also know that I'm not supposed to do this, but I'm fishing for the most active bass and I usually catch those most active bass within minutes of arriving. So, yeah, I could linger and catch less active bass, but I don't. There are more active bass around the bend.

 

I usually launch with six lures and try all those lures each morning or evening. I am curious about bass, so oftentimes I'll catch a bass with one lure and immediately switch to another lure to see what else they'll hit. However, if they clearly prefer one lure, I'll stick to that. I had that happen with poppers a few times last year and those were my 60-75 bass outings, but if I can catch bass with multiple lures, I enjoy that approach. I feel I learn more that way. 

 

Basically, I'm like your buddy and @greentrout: I'm old school.

 

Lastly, welcome to Bass Resource, Crawford!

 

[Glenn]

 

 

[CrawfordXL]

All great responces. Thanks everyone, I'm glad a found this group.

[Swamp Girl]

46 minutes ago, CrawfordXL said:

All great responces. Thanks everyone, I'm glad a found this group.

 

We're happy you're here!

[MonsterZero]

My first move is always scoping it out on Google Earth and figuring out where I am even able of approaching from. I fish a lot from the bank and some from my kayak, so I have options, but sometimes there is no launch available, or no footpath through the brush. So I use GE to scope out parking, access, kayak launching, potential habitat locations, etc. Then when I get there, I assess the conditions on that particular day; are there lots of lily pads? What kind of permanent structure is available? How heavily fished by other people is it?

 

After those considerations, I just continue as normal. Throw what I think will work until I find something they want.