Tips to Fishing Unfamiliar Waters

One of the biggest challenges that bass fishermen face is locating bass on unfamiliar waters. Whether you are a newbie to bass fishing, or a seasoned vet, this is probably the biggest obstacle you will encounter in becoming a consistantly successful bass fisherman.

We all love to fish area lakes and streams that we are familiar with. Lets face it, with the cost of fuel, fishing tackle, insurance and boats all skyrocketing out of site,we want to get the most out of our fishing activities. To spend all that money and go home with an empty live well is not exactly what most fishermen have in mind. We would like to limit out and go home as successful fishermen. Fishing unfamiliar waters doesn't have to be that difficult to over come if you do your homework before you leave home.

As we all know the internet is just loaded with all the information we need to do anything we desire. Sometimes the best information is from other fishermen. This information is easy to access if your willing to put out a little effort.

I am going to share with you today what has worked for me, and I honestly believe will help you overcome some obstacles and fears of fishing these unfamiliar waters. Even with the information on the internet, there is no substitute for " on the water experience" You can drastically improve your success if you learn " fish habits, and fishing methods"

If we research bass behavior , temperment, food sources, etc, then we have overcome half the obstacles, that determine success or failure.

Before you head to the lake you should acquire maps of the lake, in order to navigate and determine where ideal fishing structure is located. Study these maps and use your already gained knowledge and experience to pinpoint these normal fish holding structures.

Natural structures that hold fish are as follows:

Points - are always a prime area to find bass, most lakes have lots of points.Point are favorite routes for feeding bass.

Current - This is always good for bass. Obvious water movements is where rivers or creeks run into the lake, or the main river channel.Bait fish are drawn to current , because of the rich oxygen content.

Riprap - A stretch of bank that has a concentration of rocks is another great place to start looking for bass. Bass use this riprap as a place to ambush there prey.

Roadbeds - Shallow roadbeds make excellent spots to find feeding bass as baitfish tend to inhabit these roadbeds. There is usually good enough cover around roadbeds for a feeding bass to ambush there prey.

Sun and shade - In the summer bass will seek the shade , the shady side of a cove or the shadey side of a log, provide bass with a comfort zone. On a cooler day or winter time look for those locations the are exposed to the sun earlier , remember that bass like certain tempertures , just like you seek an a/c or a shade tree when it's hot , or the sun when it is cold, bass react in the same way.

Rubble - Many lake shore lines are barren, these what I call rubble shorelines can be an oasis for bass in these areas of the lake.

Laydowns or Log jams - These are natural inhabitance of bass because they provide shade and a point of ambush for a feeding bass, remembering bass are easier caught when they are FEEDING! This is just plain old common sense.

Ledges, breaks dropoffs, ditches , creek of river channels, underwater structures like sunken brushpiles. These are all excellent fish attractors and can be discovered by your electronics and/ or a good topigraphical maps.

Of course these are just a few suggestions but if you will put these suggestions to use, and use your own knowledge and experience , you will have more successful fishing trips especially on unfamiliar waters. Remember this, overcoming the fear of the unknown is half of the battle. The more you know about your quarry the easier it is to find and catch these fish.

So I hope this has helped you improve your ability to fish unfamiliar waters. Practice safe boating , and we will see you out there! Until next time enjoy the "Great Outdoors"and the" best of luck" to you! Practice the same strategies that you use on familiar waters on unfamiliar waters and your confidence and your success will without a doubt increase.