How would you fish this lake?

[GrizzerGreen]

My mom just moved onto a local lake.

It is very residental and it looks like it was dug out around the shore to make it better for swimming. Im not sure on how big it is but its about 3-6 feet for about 50 yards from the shore all around the outside of the lake. And then it drops off to about 20-30 feet in the middle. Theres not much vegitation at all but that might just be becasue of the time of the year. Theres a lot of falled trees and other isolated cover on the shore. But like i said, its in about 3 feet of water. Its roughly 45-50 degrees here right now. So the water temp is low.

Ive been throwing deep divers parallel along the sides of the drop offs but no luck.

What would you do?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fisher+Lake+Inn,+Michigan+60,+Three+Rivers,+MI&aq=3&sll=37.230328,-95.712891&sspn=48.294805,113.818359&ie=UTF8&hq=Fisher+Lake+Inn,&hnear=Michigan+60,+Three+Rivers,+Michigan&ll=41.989672,-85.570149&spn=0.021531,0.055575&t=h&z=15

[TheLastRodBender]

First thing i would do is key on the structure.  Work shallow out to deep.  I was fishing in 43 degree water and pulled a 6+ off a tree in 8 feet of water.  I've also fished brush piles and pulled 2 - 3 lbers out of 3 foot of water.  They're there, just slow.

Work a Jig, black blue with a craw trailer has been working for me.

Next i woudl dead stick a stick bait.  Cast it out, let it sink til it hits bottom, and lift it about a foot or so, then letting it sink again.  Its worked for me, hopefully it works for you!

[joshholmes]

exactly what i was thinking. jigs and sticks. if you still have trouble then throw a lipless crank behind the dropoff then kill it right around the drop off for a reaction strike

[GrizzerGreen]

Im not even seeing any bass up by the shore. And where the brush piles are, the water is no more than 3ft. I do see schools of baitfish around by the shore. But..I thought when the water is this cold, bass are usually down deep off the drop offs.

And again, the water that the trees and brush is in..is shallow. And once again, I havnt seen any fish any where.

But..I guess thats why Im here arent I?

Ill try throwing a jig up in the trees. I hope it works..

[Lund Explorer]

I'd beat feet right to that little isolated section of lake on the western side.  It's smaller, a could warm up faster than the main lake.

Going down that breakline you should find some weedbeds.  Find any with green weeds that survived the winter, or new growth and you should find fish moving around them during the latter part of the day as the water warms.

Lipless crankbaits, a suspending jerkbait, or possibly a smallish in-line spinnerbait will all cover water in your search.  To work a specific spot, I'd work a Pig-n-Jig, a tube, or a plastic critterbait.

The DNR website says the lake is 327 acres in size.  Also looks like is has some type of boating restriction rules in force.  Here's the link to the site.

http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/MRBIS/matchcounty.asp?cnty=75

By the end of summer, you should have half the fish in that lake named.  Have fun!!

[joshholmes]

how do you even know theres bass in their then

[GrizzerGreen]

how do you even know theres bass in their then

.....I dont.

But there is lots of ice fisherman on it during the winter. And Ive talked to friends who live on the lake and they claim they have caught bass in it. But think its probably about "fished out" .

To be honest, Ive been out the past few days just to get used to the feel of my Veritas and Vendetta nad some of my new lures. But it would be nice to get a few bites.

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[CJ From Dinwiddie,VA]

id throw a 3/8 or half ouce jig. i prefer a dark green with brown in the skirt type with a pig on the end. gonna be a slow bite for sure if its that cold. or use a suspending jerk bait and hold it still as lond as u can take it. need a jerk bait that go bout 8-10 feet. fish im 15-20 feet of water. u want the bass to look up at it sitting still. gonna trigger one sooner or later. once water temp gets above 42 degrees or so. gonna have to go to a crankbait. the jerk bait bite will probably shut off. just twitch 3 or 4 times. let sit bout 4-10 seconds. slow reel couple times. let sit 4- 10 secs. jerk 3 or 4 times.... repeat that over an area for a bout 10-15 min. nothin hits it, u need to move. this time of year its almost like run and gun. your gonna come across fish that are going to eat or ones that arent. gotta find the few that want to

[joshholmes]

did you bother to ask any of them the last time they caught a bass in it?

[BassThumb]

Interesting looking lake. How deep is it around the docks?

I like how the middle of the lake looks, right around the island. Is there any emergent vegetation on that island, like bulrushes, cattails?

To the East of the island, it looks like a nice saddle that drops off into fairly deep water on each side. You might find aggressive fish feeding on the shallow part of the saddle at times, with them retreating to the deeper sides when they're less aggressive.

Also, to the West of the island, there is a nice stretch of docks in close proximity to the dropoff. That area looks like it might hold some fish.

[River Rat316]

I think that islans is a sunken island from the looks of it. I would start on the north end, there doesn't look like there is to much for structure around it, I see one small nondescript point towards the east side. The small cove on the north west corner also would get attention. The reason I would start on the north end is the prevailing spring winds are usually from the south and it pushes the warm water towards the north end of the lake, this concentrates the bait fish which also means the bass would be moving up. From the looks of it the best spawning areas are also on the north end and even at temps in the 40's fish will start moving into those areas. For lures I would be working a jerkbait slow to cover water, slow rolling a spinnerbait also to cover water, and if working a specific spot soaking a jig, either flipping or hair, more than likely a hair jig in the cold water.

[River Rat316]

Forgot to add I would position my boat right along the break and make quartering casts into shallow water to cover all depths until I figure out what exactly is going on!

[GrizzerGreen]

I made my way over to that little..section, up on the west side. Im pretty sure I found the beds and theres lilys that are starting to bloom. I also spotted a few fish. And, around the docks there is only about 3 feet of water. If that. THis lake is so shallow all the way around. It was dug out around it to make it easier for swimming. Its more of a sports lake that it is really a fishing lake.

[TheLastRodBender]

Lookin at the map i see a point coming into deep water on the bottom eastern side of the lake.... on the outside of that cove. Also there are no docks over there. I'd go there and toss plastics, t-rigged or c-rigged around the shelf of deep water into shallow.. and as the water warms i would work that little inlet there on the bottom with faster moving reaction baits, trying to parallel the shelf.

[J Francho]

http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/spatialdatalibrary/pdf_maps/Inland_Lake_Maps/SAINT_JOSEPH/FISHERS_LAKE.PDF

Lots of fishy looking spots here. Looks a great place to fish. I'd be looking for fish on the western bluffs.

[deepwaters]

Your best off focussing on bluegill until it becomes legal to fish for bass. The opening of the catch and release bass season in Michigan is the last Saturday in April (23rd). It is illegal to target bass before the season opens. I'd hate to see you lose your equipment and get a big fine for fishing too early. We are all chomping at the bit here to get out and catch a bass.

DW

[jvan]

Is this a hoax? Isn't there still ice on this puppy? Even if the ice is out there is no way the lillies are out.

[BassThumb]

3' deep is plenty deep for dock fishing. Have you tried skipping? A wacky rigged 5" Senko is a great skipping bait that will always catch bass around docks.

[A-Rob]

I think you are going to need to time the spawn a bit. They may be deep for a bit longer but at that temp and warming they may start pushing up shallow in the next few weeks.

You'll know there's bass on the lake when you can see the beds thats for sure!

So as of now maybe hit the classic "staging areas" find where the deep water edges up into a flat in a protected pocket of the lake. Fish that. Watch over the next few weeks if there's any bass moving up on the flats.

Bass are funny to, when you think they are all deep you may want to hit those trees in 3 feet of water with a jig just in case!

[J Francho]

That lake probably won't spawn until the end of May.

[HookSetDon]

http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/spatialdatalibrary/pdf_maps/Inland_Lake_Maps/SAINT_JOSEPH/FISHERS_LAKE.PDF

Lots of fishy looking spots here. Looks a great place to fish. I'd be looking for fish on the western bluffs.

cant find a definition in the glossary for a bluff? what does it mean? sudden stop of structure leading into the water?

[GrizzerGreen]

Nope, all the ice melted about 3 weeks ago. Its south Michigan so its not as bad. High of 80 this weekend. I walked out onto the dock today and a school of ATLEAST 30 bass came swimming out from under it. I could not believe it. My hope is slowly becoming restored in this lake. And I think if I try all the suggestions that you guys gave I should have a really good shot at getting some bass here soon. Thanks a lot guys!

[J Francho]

cant find a definition in the glossary for a bluff? what does it mean? sudden stop of structure leading into the water?

Underwater cliffs. In other words, where the contour lines are close to each other.