Don't waste your time fishing where there aren't fish.

[IdahoLunkerHunter]

So this winter I've been doing a lot of reading about bass habitats and living conditions, and I'd like to maybe help some of us by my findings/

Before even picking up my rod I am going to pay much more attention to the Fish Finder enroute to my location. It does me no good to have a particular area to fish if I don't know what depth the fish are at. After thinking about last year I spent so much time fishing waters I knew "might" be holding bass but didn't pay much attention to the FF on my way to where I was going to fish. It also doen't do any good to be fishing the right lure at the wrong depth. I think depth is going to be key this year in helping me locate fish much faster.

I am not saying that if you see suspending fish in 20-25 water that I'm gonna stop the boat and fish for those fish. You can use the general information you gather, to then target the areas in a more precise area.

Example: If you are enroute to a creek and you are leaving the launch I would probably take 5 or so minutes just watching the graph. If you are traveling over structure at 10-15 deep and don't see any fish I would then assume that fish are probably deeper or shallower depending on the time of year. If you are starting to see fish suspending at a certain depth then target the structure that is within close proximity to that suspended fish.

Any thoughts, does anyone use this strategy? I just think that concentrating on the depth, rather than targeting areas you think or know in the past have held fish will give a much better chance of finding fish a little easier.

[fishfordollars]

First, I do take the time to read the depth of activity; however, not bass. It is totally a guessing game as to what type of fish you are seeing, if in fact they are fish. what really interest me are the pods of baitfish and the level they are showing. If they are at 10-14 feet that is where I start my search.  

[CWB]

First, I do take the time to read the depth of activity; however, not bass. It is totally a guessing game as to what type of fish you are seeing, if in fact they are fish. what really interest me are the pods of baitfish and the level they are showing. If they are at 10-14 feet that is where I start my search.

X2

It's a bonus when what you see are bass. Looking for the balls of bait will help you locate suspending fish. Most of your graph time is looking for structure that should hold fish and then looking for that magic spot on the spot. Search out breaks, points etc and if you see bait fish it!

Saw an episode of Angling Edge and Al thought he found the motherload of bass but couldn't get a bite. He sent the aquaview down and found they were carp!  

[Catt]

First, I do take the time to read the depth of activity; however, not bass. It is totally a guessing game as to what type of fish you are seeing, if in fact they are fish. what really interest me are the pods of baitfish and the level they are showing. If they are at 10-14 feet that is where I start my search.

X3  

Just because you do not see fish on your depth finder doesn't mean they aint there, it only means they aint under your transducer.

[Redtail]

What does a pod of baitfish look like on your fisfinder?

[Sam]

It boils down to preperation and experience.

You need to know the waters or have reviewed a map before heading out to fish.

You need to understand weather patterns, water clarity, time of the season, moon phases, and the forage.

Sonar is just one of the tools you can use to help you decide where to fish and what to throw.

Then, no matter what you do, you have to find the fish and the pattern they are seeking.

It is just that simple.        

[zbass]

redtail, pod of bait looks like a "cloud" under the surface.

I use the depth of activity spotted enroute to start my search also. Gives me a starting point and then factor in time of year, temp, clarity,etc... There are so many variables involved. The activity level is a good starting point but not a rule of thumb.

[fishizzle]

one time at band camp:

I thought a thermocline was bait fish suspended.  It was a cloudy line that went for miles.

[skunked_again]

What does a pod of baitfish look like on your fisfinder?

thats what they look like on my fishfinder. the cloudy color is the baitfish.

[SLO_ROLL]

First, I do take the time to read the depth of activity; however, not bass. It is totally a guessing game as to what type of fish you are seeing, if in fact they are fish. what really interest me are the pods of baitfish and the level they are showing. If they are at 10-14 feet that is where I start my search.

X3

Just because you do not see fish on your depth finder doesn't mean they aint there, it only means they aint under your transducer.

THIS POST IS GOLD. Fish that are on a graph could be any thing and unless you are fishing vert. what does it matter. "PRIME REAL ESTATE" and the proof is in the fishing. Just my 2 cents. Fire away

[frogtog]

I have been fishing for the better part of 45 years. I have owned a Dept finder 40 of those years. In all these years I have never seen a fish on the finder and caught it. I have found some brush piles, humps, ledges and drop offs with it and caught fish. Not so sure about water temps either. I fished the back of a creek this past weekend. The water temp was 51 and had no takers. I then went back to the mouth of the creek where the water was 42 and caught four nice bass in three foot of water. I'm not saying that fish don't relate to warm water I just catch just as many in colder water as I do In warm water. I also watch guys fish in twenty foot of water and I will be catching them in two to three foot of water. The fish must be like humans, old guys have to go deep to stay warm and the young guys can take the cold shallow water. :