How would you fish this?

[chromedog]

575 acre lake (Old reservoir)

Average depth: 17.5 ft

End A) 20 ft in center, shorelines 2-4 ft dropping to 10-12 ft on a even slope (no real drop off, just taper out)

End 30-40 ft in center, shorelines the same as End A.

Lake has tall 5-6ft scattered weeds, nothing real thick, and some of the bottom has 2-4 inch short grass. Some shorelines are rock and sand bottom. End B is more of the rock and sand bottom.

Water is gin clear

Plenty of boat docks and floating docks around entire lake

Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass are present

Air temp 60-70 degrees

Water temp vary by depth 55-65 degrees

What do you do? How do you approach it seeing how you have never fished it and know very little about the waterway?

[IdahoLunkerHunter]

It all depends on what type of fish I was fishing. If I was targeting the smallies I would be fishing the END B with more rock and sand. I would be flipping a tube and/or jig for slow presentation. If I was going for more covering water medium running crank and/or spinnerbait.

Largemouth I would be flipping any shorelines with reeds or cover. I would also be targeting points and humps with sandy and pea gravel bottoms in the 5-10 foot range.

Jig/tube for slow presentation and spinnerbait for searching. I would rule out the floating docks, just because they have never really produced for me and target the docks with pilings.

If there is any wind I would target the coves and areas where the wind is pushing fish into it. Morning I would fish northern areas where water warms up first and transition to cover and shady areas in the afternoon.

[aarogb]

  Quote

It all depends on what type of fish I was fishing. If I was targeting the smallies I would be fishing the END B with more rock and sand. I would be flipping a tube and/or jig for slow presentation. If I was going for more covering water medium running crank and/or spinnerbait.

Largemouth I would be flipping any shorelines with reeds or cover. I would also be targeting points and humps with sandy and pea gravel bottoms in the 5-10 foot range.

Jig/tube for slow presentation and spinnerbait for searching. I would rule out the floating docks, just because they have never really produced for me and target the docks with pilings.

If there is any wind I would target the coves and areas where the wind is pushing fish into it. Morning I would fish northern areas where water warms up first and transition to cover and shady areas in the afternoon.

    x2.  Stick to this and you will be set.  

[JuniorFisherJJ08]

Search fishing to start: Throw something like cranks or spinners. After you find a fish r 2 go over them solid with a jig or tube

[fishfordollars]

At 575 acres I would put the trolling motor on high 24 and cover water with cranks stopping to fish any significant change in bottom, weed lines, or other structure with a plastic or two until I got bit. The first bite should let you know what to do.

[chromedog]

I think what I am going to try today is:

Black spinnerbaits

White spinnerbaits

Jerkbaits (Rapala's and soft jerks like Super Flukes)

Maybe throw a 0-4' crank bait

Yum dancing tadpole

Then mix in some tube swimming

A soft plastic or two up to the shore and worked back (Gulp sinking minnow, salamander, senco worm, all texas rigged)

Might try and dropshot a watermelon fluke

Gonna try and stick with as many natural colors as possible.  Probably try and sit in 12-15 foot of water and work the shorelines.

Thanks for the input guys!

[J Francho]

Depending on water temp, you are going to find fish in all stages - pre, spawn, and post spawn.  I'd be prepared for anything.  Super Flukes on both inside and outside weed edges, pegged creature baits for any bedder, with a Senko or Drop shot 3-4" worm as a follow up to the creatures, spinnerbaits and rattletraps for the secondary weed line (usually coontail around here), football jigs just past the weeds in that 10-14 FOW range, Fat Ikas and Senkos skipped under docks....  Just try a few different patterns, and establish which fish are actively feeding, and that should play out all over the lake.

[chromedog]

Yes, thanks.  The water had a definite difference in water temp from one side to the other.  The colder side didn't produce much the other night, other than pickerel.  With the way the weather has been, I assume a lot of the fish are spawn and post spawn.  Gonna be about 70 and slightly overcast today with winds 5-10 mph.  I think the only water I have ever fished that was this clear was Skaneateles.  The weeds are funny on this lake.  No real edge per say.  They are just tall, and misc. placed.  I have a feeling that the fish sit in the deeper water, 15ft and move in and out of the shallower water to feed.  THe sun will be out somewhat so I am thinking that using a black spinner bait, perch rattletrap and superflukes weightless being jerked will help in locating them and then I can switch over and fish them slower to pick them apart.

[IdahoLunkerHunter]

If the sun is out and gin clear water I would be using a bright color spinner bait, not black. Chrome, Bronze or Gold blade.  

[chromedog]

You think chartreuse, yellows and oranges would work better in clear water, than say black or whites?  

I kinda thought the silhouettes would stand out, I hadn't really thought about using that color as I figured with the clarity, the more natural color would stand out and be less alarming to the fish.

What about chartreuse and those type of colors for hard jerkbaits?  Say clownfish colored rapala suspended or shad suspended?

[chromedog]

As the evening wears on, what about frogs, poppers, pencil baits and buzzbaits with the water being so clear?

[DawsonH]

You won't have time to throw the whole tacklebox in one day. If you find something working stick with it until it doesn't.