Where Did The Fish Go ?

These past couple months have been filled with fishing shows talking about fishing with many anglers who visit our website and some who are new to fishing. We heard stories of catching fish on a spot one day with no bites the next day or catching fish and then they just seem to disappear, “Where did the Fish Go?”
This reinforces the need to be a versatile angler and adjusting to changing conditions. You will find as conditions change, the fish will move and as anglers we too must move. Fish move in response to condition changes as abrupt weather changes, added light penetration and there are times when fish just roam to find food. All fish have seasonal patterns that cause them to move, so do not expect to find fish in the same spot through out the year. A predictable movement is during spawning season, when most fish move into shallower areas once the time of year and water temps are right.
In order to find fish, you need to understand a little about the fish you target as to where they like to hang out and their seasonal habits. Many fish are often found in and around underwater structures or cover such as fallen trees, brushpiles, rocks, bridge pilings, boat docks, dense weeds, along ledges, breaks, steep drop-offs, in coves, on sandy areas, humps and points. A lake topo map can be an invaluable tool to locate potential fish-holding structure/cover hotspots ahead of time.
We find that Walleye are a fish you located in one spot today but gone tomorrow. Since they seem to always have their bags packed, they have taught us that we simply must keep moving to keep up with active fish.
Several years ago before we had depth finders or fish locators, we just simply fished and hoped for the best but we did move around till we found active fish. You can now locate those spots which fish move along (travel routes) such as breaks, transitions, edges and even brush piles. But do not make the mistake of finding a brush pile and sitting there too long, try to limit yourself to fishing a spot for 15 minutes or so and if nothing bites, move to another spot that looks good until you locate the fish.
Each lake has its own characteristics and fish are driven by water temperature, time of the year, cloud cover, wind and the available food. If a lake is new to you start fishing shallow, then move out and vary your depths till you find fish and during those hot summer months do not be surprised to find many fish suspended. We say move out, but most of the time fish only move out to the first break, so locate this and the fish.
Fish are directly influenced by weather and are affected by solar periods, moon phases and moon position. Weather is too unpredictable but with our Larry’s Fishing Hole Calendar you will know the peak times when fish are most active each day.
Food is the key to where fish are, so locating the baitfish will help you find fish and when the bait moves, the fish move too, therefore, you must do the same.
Do not be afraid to hire a guide, they not only take you fishing, they teach you how to find and catch fish.
You have to find fish to catch them so move with the fish and keep notes in a log to refer to regularly.
TIP: With spring right around the corner, this means open water Fishing is near and time to inspect, organize, clean or repair all your fishing gear and your boat along with taking inventory and evaluating your needs. What better time to decide on what line you wish to use this year, and respool all your reels. Oh yeah, Do Not forget to put the plug back in the boat.
For more fishing info or lake reports, visit our website at www.larrysfishinghole.com where you can order our Best Times Fishing Calendar loaded with money saving coupons.

Till Next Time, GOD BLESS & GOOD FISHING !