King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah
Fishing ? Instructor!
Well everyone asked for it, so before I do another technique specific lesson based off the poll results, I'm going to break down how to find and fish key areas on big bodies of water such as Lanier, Allatoona, Hartwell, Jackson, West Point and so on. So how do you do it? First of all, let's address a few things you'll need to know.
Seasons: Time of year impacts fish location and movement heavily. You can't keep going to the same spot on the lake all year round and expect to catch tons of fish all the time in that spot because it worked last spring. It is best for you to spend an entire season or two exploring and finding new areas to fish at different times of year to paint a better picture of what you're up against and doing this also gives you patterns that you can use every year around the same time period
Do Your Research: If you're going to be seriously fishing a large reservoir, it's in your best interest to do your research and find out what kind of lake it is. Find out what species are in there, usual water clarity, seasonal water temperatures, topography and average depth along with other features. You must know bottom composition and structure and cover types the particular lake has available to you. Is it shallow and grassy mostly? Deep, clear and rocky? All this makes fish relate to different cover and structure options at different times of year very differently. For example, on a shallow, stained lake where there are grass flats, summertime crappies will patrol the edges of deeper weed beds. On another lake that is clear and rocky with clay banks instead of soft soil and vegetation and much deeper water, those same summertime crappies may be suspended over deep brush piles, hiding under docks adjacent to deep water, or around bridges since there is no submerged vegetation to be around.
Know Fish Habits: obviously, different fish have different needs, likes and dislikes and they vary greatly. You can increase your odds of success by targeting a specific species and choosing areas that have a higher percentage of success during given times as it relates to that specific fish. If you're looking for stripers, the shallow, weedy backs of creeks are not your best option. On the other hand, for largemouth, this is a great option. Different fish use different areas of the lake.
Buy A Map: if possible buy a lake map of your Reservoirs you fish even if you don't have a boat. You'll be surprised to find out how many fish attracting features are within casting distance. You may have a river or creek channel bend that swings close to the bank, maybe a hump or a long point you didn't know was right next to the public boat ramp. These hidden gems are key.
Now that the general information has been covered, let's go over a few high percentage bank fishing spots on large reservoirs.
BRIDGES: just about every species loves a good bridge! Doesn't matter if it's a little wooden one in the back of a creek, or a massive concrete one that passes over the main river channel on a big lake, these are high percentage areas just about all year round.
Docks/Marinas: Docks and Marinas provide shade, safety and attract food for many species, most commonly bass and crappie. Generally, those that are over deep water or close by deep water are more valuable than those who are not.
Boat Ramps: I can't tell you how many times I've seen people looking down saying they couldn't catch anything as they put their boat back on the trailer and as soon as they pull out I catch a couple fish right there at the ramp. Boat Ramps generally have a lot of rock and concrete to protect against erosion and many anglers release fish they catch at the ramp. They don't go anywhere right away. Immediately after a tournament, all those fish remain in the area for several days or even become resident fish after awhile. These are always great year round spots especially if they drop into deep water and have lots of hard rocky cover. Many ramps actually extend out into the water a good ways too.
Riprap Banks: anywhere you find riprap has the potential to hold fish. These banks have cover, attract baitfish and crawfish as well as smaller gamefish like bluegill that larger species prey on. Great year round spot also provided there is deep water.
Points: many points can be hit from the bank because they actually extend from the bank. Many public parks on large reservoirs have points on them too. Fish will push bait up onto them early and late in the day on the shallow side of the point and move to the deeper side during the day. These are excellent areas to bank fish for several species.
For now, this will be it for this first section of the thread. Next, I will upload pictures of areas I've highlighted on lake maps of my own and break down how to do that and target these areas on a seasonal basis.
Seasons: Time of year impacts fish location and movement heavily. You can't keep going to the same spot on the lake all year round and expect to catch tons of fish all the time in that spot because it worked last spring. It is best for you to spend an entire season or two exploring and finding new areas to fish at different times of year to paint a better picture of what you're up against and doing this also gives you patterns that you can use every year around the same time period
Do Your Research: If you're going to be seriously fishing a large reservoir, it's in your best interest to do your research and find out what kind of lake it is. Find out what species are in there, usual water clarity, seasonal water temperatures, topography and average depth along with other features. You must know bottom composition and structure and cover types the particular lake has available to you. Is it shallow and grassy mostly? Deep, clear and rocky? All this makes fish relate to different cover and structure options at different times of year very differently. For example, on a shallow, stained lake where there are grass flats, summertime crappies will patrol the edges of deeper weed beds. On another lake that is clear and rocky with clay banks instead of soft soil and vegetation and much deeper water, those same summertime crappies may be suspended over deep brush piles, hiding under docks adjacent to deep water, or around bridges since there is no submerged vegetation to be around.
Know Fish Habits: obviously, different fish have different needs, likes and dislikes and they vary greatly. You can increase your odds of success by targeting a specific species and choosing areas that have a higher percentage of success during given times as it relates to that specific fish. If you're looking for stripers, the shallow, weedy backs of creeks are not your best option. On the other hand, for largemouth, this is a great option. Different fish use different areas of the lake.
Buy A Map: if possible buy a lake map of your Reservoirs you fish even if you don't have a boat. You'll be surprised to find out how many fish attracting features are within casting distance. You may have a river or creek channel bend that swings close to the bank, maybe a hump or a long point you didn't know was right next to the public boat ramp. These hidden gems are key.
Now that the general information has been covered, let's go over a few high percentage bank fishing spots on large reservoirs.
BRIDGES: just about every species loves a good bridge! Doesn't matter if it's a little wooden one in the back of a creek, or a massive concrete one that passes over the main river channel on a big lake, these are high percentage areas just about all year round.
Docks/Marinas: Docks and Marinas provide shade, safety and attract food for many species, most commonly bass and crappie. Generally, those that are over deep water or close by deep water are more valuable than those who are not.
Boat Ramps: I can't tell you how many times I've seen people looking down saying they couldn't catch anything as they put their boat back on the trailer and as soon as they pull out I catch a couple fish right there at the ramp. Boat Ramps generally have a lot of rock and concrete to protect against erosion and many anglers release fish they catch at the ramp. They don't go anywhere right away. Immediately after a tournament, all those fish remain in the area for several days or even become resident fish after awhile. These are always great year round spots especially if they drop into deep water and have lots of hard rocky cover. Many ramps actually extend out into the water a good ways too.
Riprap Banks: anywhere you find riprap has the potential to hold fish. These banks have cover, attract baitfish and crawfish as well as smaller gamefish like bluegill that larger species prey on. Great year round spot also provided there is deep water.
Points: many points can be hit from the bank because they actually extend from the bank. Many public parks on large reservoirs have points on them too. Fish will push bait up onto them early and late in the day on the shallow side of the point and move to the deeper side during the day. These are excellent areas to bank fish for several species.
For now, this will be it for this first section of the thread. Next, I will upload pictures of areas I've highlighted on lake maps of my own and break down how to do that and target these areas on a seasonal basis.
