There is a sense of satisfaction and achievement - the pride of the craft, which comes with a successful day fishing on a new, unfamiliar or flying lake, whether it is a bass limit, a few boats for the shore, or a trophy pike. Not because fishing in a boat is a measure of successful advance, but because success underlines the fact that the fisher has effectively adapted to the current fishing situations and conditions, making the necessary changes to the bait / bait, presentation and location. This in itself is not a small feat, even on perch, which, apparently, are full of naive fish. Let me assure you that we always breathe a sigh of relief (even on take-offs) by making a few fish for this first coastal dinner. Once this initial success has been realized, the rest of the fishery will take care of itself.
Success planning
- Preliminary trip Research and planning
- Arrival
- Work card
- Production tactics
Preliminary trip Research and planning
Despite the fact that most of the entrances and many lakes accessible to the road offer excellent opportunities for fishing, anglers must develop and execute a plan for catching any unfamiliar lake. Without such a strategy, too much time on a short trip can be spent searching for fish or key places. Notice that I didn’t say wasted. No systematic lake survey should be considered a waste of time — even when fish are not caught.
One of the key ways to find fish is the rapid elimination of "empty" water, and one of the ways to do this is trial and error. It is better, however, to spend as much time as possible to actually catch a promising or proven place. This is best accomplished with a bilateral strategic approach - before the trip; the other is on the water.
Before putting the boat into the water, “explore” the lake of destination on paper, studying the available maps and graphics. Many times, gaining deep knowledge of the lake and identifying potential hot spots can be achieved without even getting into a boat.
Check available map sources and charts, including:
- Created by the MNR "fishing cards"
- lodge / fishing and navigation maps
- MNR Lists and Cards
- resource management plans
- topographic maps
- hydrographic / lake contour maps
- resource maps and plans (eg logging)
- maps prepared by previous groups
- canoe / trek maps
- maps prepared by local clubs
- sanctuary maps and notices
- aerial photographs and satellite images
- local fishermen
- District Fishery Staff MNR
- guides / charters
- suggested links (by phone)
Arrival
Arriving at the point of departure or at the air base, work begins again. It is time to ask others where you are going, including:
- equipment / air passenger
- lures and shop owners
- cottages, tourists, canoeists
- fishing / conservation club members
- operator / guide
- camp clientele (especially repeaters)
If your group flew to a remote outpost or cabin, ask the pilot to “fly” over the lake (s), you will fish. With a rough photographic map in your hand, find and mark any:
- boat congregation
- adjacent rear lakes
- receipt / displacement flows
- shoals, sunken islands, points
- large weeds / weedlines
- break jams / shoreline coating
- rapids, dams
- house / cabin location
Upon arrival and unpacking, with the card in hand, talk to the departing fishermen about the lake, fishing and the camp, including:
- fishing hot spots
- proven bait and tactics
- reasonable expectations (numbers, size)
- dangerous phenomena on boats
- boats and motors
- equipment for the camp and equipment
- ports / trails to the rear lakes
- bank (s)
- minnow bait / trap
- sanctuary areas
By now, this rough route map can be quite visible, hopefully with useful bits of information and places that will make these first walks on the lake safer and more productive. Take a few minutes to more accurately draw a map and give each “boat” at its party its own map to record useful finds. As the map develops, it will not be a very beautiful sight, but its value will be invaluable later and on subsequent trips. When you fish and explore a lake or river during your stay, mark on the map:
- fishing hot spots
- Sightseeing / Hazards
- current flows and direction
- good coastlines
- basic coatings
- medium weeds
- structural elements
- break line
- deepwater pools
- fish / baitfish
- lower "content"
- structural features
- water temperature
- trolling speed
Hey, we are fishermen, not cartographers - so let's go fishing! In the case of oversimplification of the strategies used to explore and fish in an unfamiliar lake, follow these steps:
- prepare a "work card",
- sending a lake to managed areas
- quickly cover the water
- use different bait / techniques
- eliminate unproductive water
- point hotspot fishing
- update map continuously >
It is easy to be overloaded on a new lake, especially large ones. Instead, divide the lake into more manageable sections and treat each as a separate lake. As each boat explores, fish and displays a section, information is divided and. Later, verified by others to check the finds. Using this approach, even very large lakes can be quickly reduced to size. However, if there is only one boat and five lake sections, start with the most promising or highly recommended section in order to quickly get to the fish and not waste precious time checking the “empty water” for half the trip.
On the rivers, this system is particularly simple and effective. A half-day dedication to each site provides diversity, but still allows you to spend more time on “better” spots later.
Quick cover
In a relatively short time, you will want to explore, obtain and draw the designated part of the lake, hoping to find the most productive places in this section. To do this, move quickly - trolling quick-breaking coastlines, casting open shoals, working along leafy lines with spinners, spinners or spoons. If you catch a fish, it may be an area depicting a slower, more accurate attack later. First, however, complete the shooting task you plan to do. Mark this on the map and come back later.
Similarly, if the promising or recommended area becomes empty, switch tactics or return to it at the end of the day (when re-visiting the hot spots identified during the day). Fish lures, drifting approaches, flyback, float and still fishing are too slow for this part of the hunt, but will serve you well later when you explore key spots more slowly and thoroughly.
Elimination of unproductive water
He said that “you cannot make a silk wallet because of a sow,” so do not waste precious fishing time on “empty water”. On the work card, cross off small back coves, clogged with weeds, areas with “silt” bottom or less than six feet of water. Dropped shorelines that gradually lean towards deeper, regular bottoms. Forget most of the deepest pools of the lake (over 25 feet). Forget casting on reeds growing on sand bars under two or three feet of water. This approach will effectively eliminate more than two thirds of most lakes and will not only save you time and frustration, but also ensure that most of your valuable fishing time will be spent on more productive areas.
Of course, there are exceptions for each example described above: bass in break-off, early peak in shallow water, lake trout in depth, but most of them are seasonal movements, which, in turn, help to eliminate other areas that may be better in another part of the fishing season.
Pinpoint & Mark Prime Spots / Cover / Structures
While most of the lake has already been eliminated during the initial exploration process, it is now much easier to manipulate the main patches and structural features of the lake. Fish are advanced or recommended spots slowly and carefully. When a good place and good catches come together, carefully mark a place on your GPS device, with a floating marker, or gently triangulate the exact location using nearby and obvious landmarks. Mark them immediately on the working copy of the card (in color).
Map update
Either for your own use on subsequent trips, or in favor of groups that follow, or as a courtesy for the outfitter, update the card, since it has a value worthy of all the parties involved. Mine will come in handy when I summarize fishing trips for magazine articles and for the countless inquiries that I receive every year by email. Show me yours, and I will show you mys!
Organizing and planning an annual fishing trip for “boys” or your family is an important and difficult task at the best of times. When approaching the enterprise to unfamiliar places of attention, the problems associated with the details and possibilities of fishing are further aggravated. This season, when the time comes to go to an unfamiliar lake or river, do your homework with a “working card: ready and a strategic approach to shooting and fishing the lake in mind. Chances of success increased. Since you undoubtedly hear and read many times, confidence plays a very large role in any successful fishery.
