So, I read again and again about finding the baitfish to find the gamefish. How do you do this? I do have a fish finder.

Down here in Texas I follow the birds, which follow the bait. Would be interested to hear how it works up in the Northern lakes.

Yeah, I've done that with white bass and gulls. Jump fishing is a blast, but I don't think the eagles are going to spot smallies for me.

quote missmolly: "Yeah, I've done that with white bass and gulls. Jump fishing is a blast, but I don't think the eagles are going to spot smallies for me."

Molly they will show up as almost a cloud on your fishfinder if your using an lcd and not a flasher type.If you see big arcs in and around those clouds you know they are activiely feeding on the cloud. Its cool to see straight lines running into the clouds also, thats the predators making dashes into the bait fish. When your in shallow water alot of times you can see the baitfish schools swimming along, I always use amber lens sunglasses, the contrast helps me see deep into the water. Nature will give you clues also, pay particular attention to loons, not only are they beautiful but alot of times they give away predator and prey location under the water . p.s. Finding their location in summer when they are suspended depends alot on what kind of lake your on and whether it stratifies in the summer. If you find a thermocline in summer you can bet that schools of baitfish are going to be somewhere near it.

I did not know that about loons. I also didn't know about the lines representing fish charging into the school of baitfish. I have a fish finder for idiots with the goofy depictions of fish. I suppose I should fish with a Snoopy rod if I'm going to use such an elementary fish finder. I bought it because it's little and light. I need to pay attention to structure and start fooling with that. I fished one lake up north for decades and through blundering, I realized where the fish were, but I never had a fish finder then and then other folks found that lake and I no longer go there because I'm a lake hog, wanting the lake to myself.

It boils down to Season...Wind...Current. And this means eliminating unproductive water. The lakes are certainly beautiful and inviting, but frankly, the fish will be concentrated in small(relatively), and reasonably definable places.
Season: baitfish will be in warmest place in spring(shallows, current), mainlake in summer.
Wind: everybody has to eat, even the baitfish..follow the plankton,
a steep bluff with deep water, 45degree angle wind...KILLER!!! especially the little pockets(great place to "herd" baitfish)
Current: ALWAYS attracts fish(prey and predators) the current sweeps in nutrients, bugs, higher oxygen content(important in late summer).
Finally, no one thang is a game winner. Simply following the birds, by itself, won't always produce...but put it together with other factors, like windy shore, structure that promotes "ambush" feeding, good fishing technique(right lure, minimum boat noise, lure speed) and fishing experience(it just feels "right"), maximize strikes....Terry

@ Terry

I'm slowly learning about current and I'm excited to apply my little knowledge next week. The lake I'll be fishing has four current areas. I was so STUPID last year. I camped on an island across from a small stream. I fished all week. On the way out, I cast where that stream emptied into the lake. I caught five bass on the first five casts. I could have been doing that all week! I've never read about that 45 degree angle and I typically don't fish bluffs, but I will next week. Thanks, Terry. I treasure your wisdom.

Bassnut.......EXACTLY RIGHT..........

And there are lots of other natural areas where bait will congregate. For instance, on a submerged reef, they will sit behind the smallest amount of current being pulled across the reef. Any side that has that eddy of current may hold baitfish. NOT the front, not the sides, but the eddy. This is not always true but probably 75% of the time.

Now for reefs that are not completely submerged, the back side eddy will hold baitfish, but also the front side, especially if it is WINDY will hold some baitfish. Those are the windswept bait that are either feeding on plankton or are windswept in that area. Predators will be there hammering them. Maybe not when you're there, but EVENTUALLY, they will be there.

Learning to eliminate water will really increase your fishing experience.

quote bassnut: "It boils down to Season...Wind...Current. And this means eliminating unproductive water. The lakes are certainly beautiful and inviting, but frankly, the fish will be concentrated in small(relatively), and reasonably definable places.
Season: baitfish will be in warmest place in spring(shallows, current), mainlake in summer.
Wind: everybody has to eat, even the baitfish..follow the plankton,
a steep bluff with deep water, 45degree angle wind...KILLER!!! especially the little pockets(great place to "herd" baitfish)
Current: ALWAYS attracts fish(prey and predators) the current sweeps in nutrients, bugs, higher oxygen content(important in late summer).
Finally, no one thang is a game winner. Simply following the birds, by itself, won't always produce...but put it together with other factors, like windy shore, structure that promotes "ambush" feeding, good fishing technique(right lure, minimum boat noise, lure speed) and fishing experience(it just feels "right"), maximize strikes....Terry
"

Very good insights Bassnut, you always have good info to share. If you learn how to eliminate unproductive water quickly you will always be on fish, and really no two days are the same so you have to constantly adjust. My my method almost every time and this is allowing for time of year is water clarity, then water temp, what kind of weather is going on, makeup of the lake, and local factors such as what kind of prey is available. 80 Percent of researching a lake can be done before you ever take to the water, but its that last 20 % thats so important when you get there because it changes constantly.

P.S. Alot of people that just caught a fish if your were to ask them what were you doing when you caught that couldnt tell you. Paying attention to things like how deep you were, what kind of structure were you over, did the fish hit on the drop or rise, these things will help you put a pattern together and turn a good day fishing into a great one.

quote GeoFisher: "Bassnut.......EXACTLY RIGHT..........

And there are lots of other natural areas where bait will congregate. For instance, on a submerged reef, they will sit behind the smallest amount of current being pulled across the reef. Any side that has that eddy of current may hold baitfish. NOT the front, not the sides, but the eddy. This is not always true but probably 75% of the time.

Now for reefs that are not completely submerged, the back side eddy will hold baitfish, but also the front side, especially if it is WINDY will hold some baitfish. Those are the windswept bait that are either feeding on plankton or are windswept in that area. Predators will be there hammering them. Maybe not when you're there, but EVENTUALLY, they will be there.

Learning to eliminate water will really increase your fishing experience.


"

Very good point Geo .

quote GeoFisher: "Bassnut.......EXACTLY RIGHT..........

And there are lots of other natural areas where bait will congregate. For instance, on a submerged reef, they will sit behind the smallest amount of current being pulled across the reef. Any side that has that eddy of current may hold baitfish. NOT the front, not the sides, but the eddy. This is not always true but probably 75% of the time.

Now for reefs that are not completely submerged, the back side eddy will hold baitfish, but also the front side, especially if it is WINDY will hold some baitfish. Those are the windswept bait that are either feeding on plankton or are windswept in that area. Predators will be there hammering them. Maybe not when you're there, but EVENTUALLY, they will be there.

Learning to eliminate water will really increase your fishing experience.


"

Thanks, Geo. I'm taking notes. I already catch a lot of fish. 100 fish per day is typical. I'll still catch 50 on a trophy lake where the first are fewer, but bigger, or if there's a cold front, but I always catch them the same way. I'm good with structure I can see. I'm lost on the big, open lake.

quote Basspro69: "

pay particular attention to loons, not only are they beautiful but alot of times they give away predator and prey location under the water "

This is very good advice. I also watch loons on Dale Hollow and on the lakes I fish in Maine. They will almost always lead you to bait fish. From what I have seen is that the bass are usually slightly behind the loons when the loons are moving following bait fish. Do be careful when fishing close to loons though. I actually hooked one on East Grand Lake in Maine and had to call the Fish and Game folks to come out and administer first aid to the poor bird. It was the least I could do since he led me to a nice school of smallies.

To GeoFisher: I'm trying to learn the midlake reefs, not something we have very many in N.E. OKLA. Good advice for me to learn from.
BassPro: Very good point. REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID< where you were, to catch "that" fish.
Every day fishing is a learning experience...a new flower species(to you)...a new fishing technique...a hidden reef...sunset in the Bdub...9 more days....

quote Redskeeter: "

quote Basspro69: "

pay particular attention to loons, not only are they beautiful but alot of times they give away predator and prey location under the water "

This is very good advice. I also watch loons on Dale Hollow and on the lakes I fish in Maine. They will almost always lead you to bait fish. From what I have seen is that the bass are usually slightly behind the loons when the loons are moving following bait fish. Do be careful when fishing close to loons though. I actually hooked one on East Grand Lake in Maine and had to call the Fish and Game folks to come out and administer first aid to the poor bird. It was the least I could do since he led me to a nice school of smallies."

Thanks, redskeeter! Casting behind the loons is a great idea. I hooked a beaver once. And I also hooked a huge snapper, who was not happy with me.

quote Redskeeter: "

quote Basspro69: "

pay particular attention to loons, not only are they beautiful but alot of times they give away predator and prey location under the water "

This is very good advice. I also watch loons on Dale Hollow and on the lakes I fish in Maine. They will almost always lead you to bait fish. From what I have seen is that the bass are usually slightly behind the loons when the loons are moving following bait fish. Do be careful when fishing close to loons though. I actually hooked one on East Grand Lake in Maine and had to call the Fish and Game folks to come out and administer first aid to the poor bird. It was the least I could do since he led me to a nice school of smallies."

Man Skeeter......we really need to hit dale again.......it's been a couple years.

With regards to Loons.....I really use that quite a bit in the late fall early winter, especially when locating the big schools of baitfish has been tough. I remember a spot on the Obey last year where we looked for 2 days and then found 5-6 loons 100yds off a leadin bank/point. We pulled up on the point and gently trolled out until we found the LARGEST school of bait I've ever seen. After a few quick adjustments on the Float and Fly we started hammering them......ended up catching 10 or so off that point......after they slowed, we switched to the HAMMER and hammered them.........FUN.

Later,

Geo

Missmolly: If you are catching that many fish, then throw bigger lures, 4.5in. magnum tubes, 5in grubs, full size Zara Spooks. Work a little deeper. Lot's times big fish will follow little schoolers to pick off cripples(less work!). You're probably on the right spot, just modify technique

quote bassnut: "Missmolly: If you are catching that many fish, then throw bigger lures, 4.5in. magnum tubes, 5in grubs, full size Zara Spooks. Work a little deeper. Lot's times big fish will follow little schoolers to pick off cripples(less work!). You're probably on the right spot, just modify technique"

I've been throwing F13 Rapalas, which aren't little lures, and big poppers, but thanks to what I've learned on this site, I do plan to fish deeper and with MUCH more variety. I catch plenty of fine fish too. I don't even count the 17 and 18-inchers. They're pretty common. I just don't catch the 22 and 23-inch bass that so many assert they catch.

use coffin lipped crank to fish shore line trees. Bomber square "a"nd Normans Mad N, work for me. You cant be scared to throe into the thick stuff. If your crank hits cover it will be hit. That not producing you should find what is called a reef up there. Mr. twisters with a 1/4 oz jig head do good for me. Wind blowing? Fish a rocky shore that slopes off fast that is being punished by wind. Hard to do in a canoe, but not impossible. I know your interest lies lately in finding the bait fish/food. Forget the food look for a good ambush point. The bird thing works good on southern res. but not so much in the BW.

@Missmolly....are you on large lakes or small lakes to catch those 100-bass a day?

Small lakes with islands. Maybe four to five miles long and a mile or two across. I choose the islands so the float planes are less likely to land on the lakes and they're structure I can see. I'm typically the only one there, since the big lakes are targeted more. I have found reefs that I can see below the surface before I bought a depth finder and have good luck on those with surface lures, but I want to catch fish where I can't see the structure. I want to go low and I want to fish plastics! I've happened upon deep schools a fish a couple times and that was a blast. One time, I even surrendered. I put down my rod, said, "That's enough," and just watched my partners catch fish. So, I've a taste of bunched fish. One time, I found a bunch on Little Bay DeNoc. Because we were catching walleye and bass two and three at a time, we eventually attracted a crowd. The first morning, it was just my boat. That evening, another boat joined us. By the next evening, there were about 30 boats. So, I want more of that, but without the other boats!

Get used to it, or fish at night!
When I get to a spot to fish, I assume I am the third person to fish this place...this morning!! "course it isn't that way in the Bdub, but, if you are on public waters, especially south of Duluth to Galveston, you have to have that mindset.
Fish at night

Loons, Eagles, Cormorants and Otters are all good signs as far as I'm concerned.

I've fished Minnesota all of my life and have never drawn a crowd from catching Bass, Walleyes yes. The odds of catching a Bass over 6 or 7lbs in Mn are slim but we have thousands of lakes that barely have any pressure at all for LM or SM and you can catch 1-5lb Bass all day long. It makes me wonder why I target Walleyes at all.

The crowds don't bother me...there are mornings in the surf where there'll be 50 fisherman to my left and 50 more to my right. We're all separated by about 10-feet is all when the sea trout are really running.

quote Arlo Pankook: "I've fished Minnesota all of my life and have never drawn a crowd from catching Bass, Walleyes yes. The odds of catching a Bass over 6 or 7lbs in Mn are slim but we have thousands of lakes that barely have any pressure at all for LM or SM and you can catch 1-5lb Bass all day long. It makes me wonder why I target Walleyes at all."

Those other boats were there for the walleye. For me, the walleye were just getting in the way of the bass.

Nothing better than a good LMB or SMB...Walleye, just a fish filet with teeth(!!??).

I mostly agree, but those five-pound walleyes are good fighters. I even caught a couple walleyes last year on the surface.

quote Boarstalker: "The crowds don't bother me...there are mornings in the surf where there'll be 50 fisherman to my left and 50 more to my right. We're all separated by about 10-feet is all when the sea trout are really running."

Those sea trout hit like a freight train but fight like a sneaker the rest of the way, fun to catch though.

Redfish and blacktips are the fighters. Those seat trout are just for the grill :) Good looking trout !!

beautiful fish!!

polarized sunglasses will help to see structure, baitfish and fish. in certain conditions,clear calm water, you can see fairly deep. I find them helpful for eliminating the for mentioned unproductive water

In the spring,, concentrate on warmer bays. any with current should be good. Life in the water is sick and tired of the long winter and cold water. Amazing what goes on in those warm bays on warm sunny day.

it doesnt happen often. but i love the threads that bring out peoples willingness to share technique. specific technique. which mostly evolves around habits and environment more than, "the way you wiggle your worm" good stuff folks.

quote fisher: "it doesnt happen often. but i love the threads that bring out peoples willingness to share technique. specific technique. which mostly evolves around habits and environment more than, "the way you wiggle your worm" good stuff folks. "

Its always good to hear from you Fisher, you definitely are a quality over quantity poster. You been chasing any brookies and splake lately .