Bass Angler Magazine

Making A Point

Fishing Points
Its a partly cloudy daylate afternoon with the clear water flow coming out of the top left corner North West of the diagram and exiting to the bottom right South East can you pick the best possible seasonal spots to investigate Have fun

It Depends On:

various forms of shade and water dynamics you deal with at the time you are on the water.

the lake bottom contours surrounding and/or leading to particular parts of same,

the time of year and day,

past weather for 3 days…

water clarity. . . stained water is another form of shadow.

water flow, direction and speed -fishing a lake like a river? (Things that block or partially block the flow of water)

available food source – what does that food source eat?

predator prey relationship, the “Nitch” of all creatures great and small. How that nitch compliments one another to the knowledge of the fisherman’s advantage.

what the “shady side” can mean.

The shady side can mean the angle of the Sun as it hits or is blocked by underwater obstructions – weeds rock piles – tree roots.

It can mean depth and time of day, as well as heavy chop on the surface or cloud cover.

All the items mentioned here will come into play. . . they represent figurative and practical pathways to success.

Think about metabolism and stabilization. Fish want as much stabilization as they can find under “the circumstances” of where and when they have to be in order to survive. Cold water slows metabolism, but a particular layer of cold or warm water that doesn’t fluctuate severely over the day or night can be a good home for fish. Season to season, this generally means with seasonally cold weather approaching, and with no other source of stabilized water interjecting itself into the picture before you, to fish somewhat/marginally deeper than you would in Summer months. Colder along with Deeper in turn additionally restricts fish reaction time. . . In order to give fish what their metabolism can handle, slower presentations of somewhat bigger baits are better for these times. The colder the water, the slower the presentation. The more shade in the water, the bigger/somewhat brighter the bait.

Also think about the source of plankton – when it blooms and how it reacts to water flow and sunlight; sinking during brighter times and rising in the water column at darker times.

Prey fish follow that flow and rise/fall of plankton in order to stay in touch with their food source. Bigger predators (Bass, etc.)  will know this genetically as well as with their experience and also follow the prey fish accordingly.

Find more of these key items in relative close proximity to one another, up down or sideways in a particular area, at a particular time and you will have the makings of a Honey Hole. Then and only then can we decide what bait and bait color(s) will be best suited for our approach and more specifically, the angle/direction/manipulation of our approach. Remember, even knowing all this and putting it together properly, it’s the individual fisherman, his/her expertise and familiarity with his/her equipment as well as boat control, that will win the day.

By:Rich Ziert

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