LOCATING FISH

Last month we talked about selecting your fishing gear and now with that long awaited time when you can start finding and catching your favorite fish has arrived, it is time to talk about how you can find those fish so you can put your bait where they are to catch them.
The first thing is to learn all you can about the fish you are after and use this to put together a pattern with these 3 factors in mind:
1- Water Temperature 2- Food 3- Structure (habitat)
1- Water Temperature is one of the most important things to consider in the Spring. As water warms, fish become more active, searching for food and moving into shallower water followed by the spawn.
Crappie will move into shallow areas feeding when water temps approach 50-55. The males will start nesting when water temps get to 55 and the females will be out at the first break waiting for water temps of 62-65 and the moon phase to spawn. If a cold front comes or water cools, they will move out to that first break until they spawn in bays possibly mid May.
Bass will behave similar and like to move up into creeks during spring, moving in and out of shallows while staging to spawn, which takes place when water temps reach 58 to 67.
2- Food is what causes the fish to move around and be active in search of baitfish. If you have SONAR, use this to locate schools of baitfish or surface clutter which indicates plankton and feeding baitfish. Other visual ways are to look for surface activity and look for fish-hunting birds such as gulls to show you where baitfish are. And finally, during spring you should look for sun-warmed, wind protected areas along with any major creek arm which is a prime habitat area.
3- You don't head out on the road to a place you've never been without a map. So next time you plan to fish a new location, you should have a map of that Lake to help you pin-point the structure such as drop-offs, depth contour lines, points, ledges, flats, pockets, sunken islands, coves near deep water, creek inlets and potential migration routes. These maps can be used to mark good spots and make notes for your next trip. Without a map you must rely on looking at the shore line to tell you or use your bait to find changes.
We like to use a small jig (weedless) to find bottom changes in small lakes or break larger lakes into sections you can fish in one day. To find structure with this, you throw it out and count down till bait hits bottom, then throw it 10 feet or so to the left and right. If it takes longer to hit, that is a drop-off and so on. Also, dragging the bait on the bottom can tell you about bottom make-up and where the cover is.
Linda says I should take a moment to clear up the difference between Structure and Cover :
Structure is any irregular change in the bottom, like drop-offs, humps or bottom transitions from sand and rock to mud.
Cover is brush, timber, stumps, weeds and docks and can be visible or hidden. We will look for cover when fishing any Natural Lakes.
We have found the lipless crankbaits to be one of the best all-around baits for locating fish. Start shallow and work out to deeper water till you locate fish. This helps us get dialed in to a depth, location and so on.
On overcast days with some wind, we like to use spinner baits. Whatever you use, have confidence, patients and enjoy. Don't forget, spring is a great time for crappie fishing.
Fishing can be an escape, a way to relax or just getting out to enjoy the outdoors. For kids, the lessons learned in the outdoors can carry into LIFE and help them develop a positive attitude for the natural World.
So learn all you can about the body of waters you plan to fish this year. Check lake maps for types of structure, types of cover, types of forage and notes from your fishing log.
And lastly, the best tool to help while locating fish is to know when they are most active and that tool we feel is our Larry’s Fishing Hole Best Fishing Times Calendar.
During the fishing shows this year we picked up a lot of unpainted jigs so we have spent time this winter getting ready by painting them with Herbie’s Magic Dust and recommend you check out his website www.herbiesmagicdust.com to get your supply of easy to use jig and lure coating.
If you do not want to mess with that, check out www.jimbosjigs.com for the best hand-made hair jigs of all sizes, we ordered several of them too.
Make sure you visit our WebSite "Larry's Fishing Hole at www.larrysfishnghole.com for current Lake Reports, tips and how to get your Fishing Calendar with coupons & more.
Till Next Time GOD BLESS & GOOD FISHING !