05/04/2000
- Article
Know
Where Fish Are
By Mark Courts
If
you know where the fish are it’s going to be easier to catch them.
You might think this is just common sense.
Of course you have to be on fish or you won’t get a bite.
If there are no fish where your bait is, you won’t catch a
thing. Right?
Then
why do I always see boats where there are no fish? Is it because these anglers heard about a hot bite on that
structure? Is it
because these guys caught fish the last time they were on that spot?
Is it because they saw someone’s net come out or heard
someone shout with glee? These
are things that will send boats into an area that is dead water in
my book. I say find
your own fish and know for sure that you have a chance for success.
I can tell you through experience that knowing there are fish
by your bait doesn’t always ensure success.
You still have to get those fish to bite.
I will say it makes it a lot easier if you know you have fish
looking at your offering.
The
first thing you probably learned when you started fishing was that
fish like structure and will use structure as a sanctuary or an
ambush location. This
is true, but were you also told that not just any bottom deviation
– the definition of structure – would hold fish.
Not all rock piles, reefs, sandbars, or points are worthy of
a school of something. The
fact is, only a small percentage of the structure may be holding
fish. You have to find
this small percentage to up your odds.
A
lake map is a good place to get a big picture.
It will tell you where the obvious structure is, then it’s
up to you to narrow it down. But
remember, lake maps never show all the good bottom.
You can still find untapped, and unmapped territory if you
keep an open eye.
When
you decide what structure to fish based on conversations with local
anglers and bait shop gurus then it’s time to hit the water and
use the map to get you onto the reef, point, bar, sunken island,
weed bed, or drop-off. After
you have touched down on the piece of structure you’ve chosen the
sonar becomes the tool of choice.
Use
the sonar to look for variations in the structure that hold fish.
You should also be looking for schools of forage as well as
bigger fish, which show up as hooks on the sonar.
If you are chasing a species that is shallow or weed oriented
the sonar comes in handy for finding the edge of the vegetation and
dips or variations in the bottom.
Most
people just push the on-button of their sonar and let it run on the
automatic setting. Try
experimenting with some of the functions and you will discover you
have a much better ability to focus in on the structure.
Try a split screen to get a good picture of the bottom and
still be able to spot suspended fish.
Adjust the gain to define those bottom contours and separate
the fish from the bottom.
I’ve
noticed a lot of anglers are using Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
in their boats. You not
only know where you are on the water with one of these, but you know
where the fish are as well.
As
you move around on the structure you will be drawing a plot line on
the screen. As you
discover fish on the sonar you can plug in a point on this plot line
where the fish are. This
allows you to completely investigate a piece of structure and then
go back and pinpoint these sections that are holding fish.
It also allows you to take an even closer look at the
structure and fish.
I’ve
started using a Vista Cam (Underwater Viewing System) and with this
unit I can visually inspect the structure, visually inspect the
fish, and set up a game plan to catch them.
The underwater camera tells me if the species is what I’m
after and whether they are in a negative or feeding mode.
In
heavy vegetation I use a telescoping arm with the camera attached
and I can look under the mats of vegetation.
It’s amazing how thick it is on top and how open it becomes
near the bottom. Just
like on mid-lake structure fish in the weeds will be holding in only
a few spots and the Vista Cam can show you where these are.
Now
you know how to find fish. Catching
them is up to you. Drag
out all the tricks up your sleeve and you should be successful.
After all, you know you have your bait in front of fish.
Now if they would only just bite.
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