Local lake is being drained deep water structure question

[smallieking]

my favorite lake around my area is having the dam to be worked on and the water has been drained 25 feet and should be refilled in the next few weeks  

WELL HERES MY QUESTION

i went to the lake looking for some deep structure and found some

well i found some stumps about 30 yards from the one shore and it is about 20-25 feet deep stump field  well i was wondering if the bass would be in there during the month of march when i am doing alot of bank fishing?  it could be a hot spot just wondering   thanks

[plnoldrick]

out of curiosity what lake is being drawn down?

[smallieking]

the queen   it should be refill pretty soon  they drain almost every year

[jrhennecke]

I would think the bass would move back up as the water does.  Low water times are sure great for finding deep structure.  

[fishizzle]

Bass like to spawn on and near stumps

Bass like wood during Prespawn too

Its also a good post spawn area

Overall I'd say thats a good spot to try all year

deep water cover is a special thing to have

its like a gold mine

[smallieking]

k cool yea im going to give it a try  its tough to get there with a boat because the lake is pretty good size but is a water supply lake which is why its always being worked on  so there can be no gas on it so it is strictly trolling motors no outboards are alot  and the field is a 30 to 40 minute trip and i dont like fishing lakes from shore during most of the year  just march and maybe april

[plnoldrick]

the queen it should be refill pretty soon they drain almost every year

ive never heard of any lake refered to as the queen. im assuming its quemahoning though.

needless to say i would be out there with a lake map marking everything i saw. stump fields, points, road beds, depth transitions, shelves, rock outcroppings etc. i used to hate drawdowns, now i love them.

[smallieking]

yea thats the lake  i though u knew what i was talking about  im too lazy to spell out the big word   yea thats what i was doing  you know the green bridge on it  well the stumps are right beside it kinda and i could spot them while driving over it

[plnoldrick]

yea thats the lake i though u knew what i was talking about im too lazy to spell out the big word yea thats what i was doing you know the green bridge on it well the stumps are right beside it kinda and i could spot them while driving over it

d**n i had today and yesterday off too. if i would have known i would have driven out there. maybe next week if its still down. i wish they would manage that lake a little better. it could be an insane bass fishery with just a little more attention. but as usual fish commissions stand back and watch and only get involved in matters of the glorious trout has led to a decline since it was opened. walleye and bass both went down pretty bad since the beginning.

[smallieking]

lol yea im really glad your aloud to fish it unlike 6 or 7 years ago when it was owned by that bass club    i went for a ride after work one night about 2 weeks ago when it was drained  but idk why i waited so long to make a post about it   as soon as ice out im going to go fish around those stumps  

[fishizzle]

I also take pictures of rocky areas and points from a distance

so I know exactly where they are in the spring

You think you'll remember but when the lake is up it all looks the same

When a lake shows itself, its awesome and it may never happen again.

you can share the pics too

[Branuss04]

What about buying a GPS to waypoint structure.  We had a lake that was down almost 100 feet this year.  I bought a GPS so I could start Waypointing structure. Just another "Expensive" idea for you.

[smallieking]

i have a gps on my bigger boat  not on my jon boat that i fish out of on that lake though  i can remember where those stumps are  its only a few yards of a deep bank   yea im going shopping tonight for different stuff including a rod  im going to head over to the lake if i have time to check it out again    o man another big winter storm hit again last night so me getting on to the lake just got pushed back another few days    as well

[Catt]

Toledo Bend varies in depth as much as 8-10' and 2 years ago it dropped about 20'; the bass always return with the water.  

[WRB]

Suggest anyone that has the opportunity to survey their lakes when drawn down or just low water conditions, take the time to photogragh the areas of interest and areas where you caught bass. I number my maps and the photos and today add way points data to be able to return to those spots after the lake fills. Knowing what is down under water is valuable in several ways; understanding your sonar signals and feeling the lures contact structure or cover is very important. Catching bass off isolated areas not visable to everyone is priceless.

WRB

[Catt]

I hope y'all know if you mark a spot with a GPS that is that far down and return at full pool your GPS marks will be off big time.

[farmpond1]

I hope y'all know if you mark a spot with a GPS that is that far down and return at full pool your GPS marks will be off big time.

Umm...Not professing to know everything about GPS (or geometry)but why would the marks be off?  The relative distance from three (or more) sattellites should be the same, shouldn't it?  Please explain. :-/

[fishizzle]

Ya what WRP said

A photo gives you the cover within the cover

the placement of each stump in relation to others

GPS gives you the general vicinity---its only accurate to within 10' right?

Take a photo.  that way you'll never regret it

its priceless

[smallieking]

im leaving work here in 5 minutes i just printed out a map of the lake from google maps  im going to go see the lake and mark some structure    hopefully they didnt refill it yet

[WRB]

GPS with WAAS gives you altitude, otherwise elevation doesn't affect the way points radically. If you are standing on a stump 100 feet below the water max pool and take a way point; lat/long numbers, and return with your boat when the lake is full, you will be  over the same stump, just 100 feet above it. A good GPS should put you within 6', depending where the antenna is located. You should be close enough to find structure with your sonar, once you are near it's location. Sometimes it can be frustrating as bass boats moving using the big engine are covering ground fast, even idling. If you are using a trolling motor and moving slowly, it's a lot easier to get on top of your way points.

WRB

[smallieking]

i just got back from shopping and visiting the lake   it is about 5 feet higher  they are starting to refill the lake  my stumps are covered u can see some of them sticking out of the water alittle but not much  i cant wait for it to start getting a little warmer out so that i can go fishing there    im not sure if a gps location would be effected by elevation or not  hmm

[GatorTom]

Elevation shouldn't affect a gps reading.  The lake I live on was about 15 feet down last year for repair on a stand pipe.  I went out in my little bass hound with my handheld gps and marked a ton of spots I found.  The lake is back up (actually about 2 feet higher than full with all the rain we've had) and I've been out twice.  The gps readings are almost dead on to the structure I marked.

[smallieking]

hey gator  how is the structure produceing? is it catching fish? and what depths are they  

[GatorTom]

20-25 feet (the tops of the old trees were just sticking out when it was down).  I limited out the first time I went out and only caught 3 nice size ones the second time.

[smallieking]

o thats awesome