How would you fish this lake?

[ukfan03]

It has A LOT of standing timber (usually a creek channel that runs into the main lake), some coves with aquatic vegetation, points, and a lot of road beds. It's a creek channel lake. I've had some success fishing the shorelines around points and lay downs in the early morning but i'm targeting quality of quanity. Almost everyone is fishing the standing timber lately. I've caught some dinks in the timber but nothing that big. The primary forage is shad right now. Water temps are around 85-88. The depth finder shows the thermocline at approx 10 ft. Thanks in advance

[Nick94]

try dropshotting a fluke

[Raul]

If you say there 's a thermocline at 10 ft then anything between the surface and the thermocline is fair game, no point in fishing deeper because there 's nobody there, you say there 's standing timber, standing timber how ?

1.- evenly distributed along the surface

2.- distributed along a particular pattern

Now, you say there 's a creek channel, a creek chanel and what else is present ? are there flats near the creek channel or the creek channel has cut through the flats, is there timber or other kind of cover along the creek channel, what else you see ?

With what, how and where has a lot to do with fishing the structure and cover efficiently, but for that first you have to identify the layout of the structure and cover.

[garland7]

the point fishing below the thermocline should be well taken. Also, if you can find cover on structure, you should narrow your results.

[Fishes in trees]

Standing timber close to a creek channel.  Approach #A would be to pitch at it, to the shady side with 20 lb fluoro and a 10" power worm - worm color depending on water color.  Weight?  I'd start with 1/4 oz and then maybe upgrade, get heavier.

Another approach would be to crank it.  A Timber Tiger DC 16 on an abrasion resistant mono - 14 or 17.  You will get down 8 feet for sure, maybe 10 and with the thermocline you don't need to go deeper.

I'm a big fan of cranking in trees and with the Timber Tiger, you don't lose very many.