How many elements do you consider? 2024
CJ reply :
This is a subject I feel can be critical as a bass angler. Some of my best days on the water were dictated because I already had a pretty good idea where and what was going to get big fish in the boat. But when I have traveled to other waters away from my home lake, I've found that there are always different elements that will cause big bass to be where they are and strike what they strike on any given day.
So the question is: In the area you fish the most, what are all the things you research before you go? We will exclude season because it's the obvious that everybody deals with and list them in order of what you feel is most important. I'm not asking if you would go fishing or not. Let's say, "you are going", what homework do you do and/or what elements, condition, etc. do you look for?
Here's what I look at:
1. lake elevation - my lakes will fluctuate around 5-6 ft with the season, sometimes more but I always check through out the year every time I go. Just a few inches of up or down can cause fish to move. I also always check the trend (water going up or down). This gives me an idea which way the fish may be going especially in the Spring.
2. current - another thing I have to know. Current effects the fish's location and their feeding mood. +current=feeding fish usually shallower
3. water temp - pretty obvious one that kind of goes along with season but I look at the trend just as much. I would rather fish 45 degree water that is going up over 50 that is going down as an example.
4. water color- now I'm starting to look at factors that help dictate "what" I'm gonna throw but it still can dictate location especially in cold water. Won't get into that. Way too much info and it's been covered.
5. wind - on my lake it may dictate where I get to fish but again it has more to do with lure choice for me. Except for the rare time I fish near the bank in the prespawn then I prefer wind blown banks or water with some chop.
6. the sky - cloudy or clear, I know we all deal with it. Probably should be up on my list.
I could probably come up with more but these are my most common. All of these taken into account usually can be put into a formula that can make a fishing day a better fishing day that can be done before you make your first cast. I left out weather trend because we all deal with it. I'm really wanting hear from anglers from all over to see if there are some more things, some that may be unique, that help you plan your trip and help you have a good all around understanding for your outcomes.
Catt reply :
How many elements do you consider?
One!
If mama gives me a kitchen pass!
Some of my best trips & double digit bass come on spur of the moment days!
Dwight Hottle reply :
Good list for your waters Chris.
My list for lake Erie.
1. Wind direction & speed. If the wind is blowing from the east, north or west at more than 10-15 mph I'm probably not going. An offshore wind will allow me to go until it gets over 20-25 mph.
2. Water turbidity. If the water is dirty from recent storms & high winds I'm probably not going. I feel I need at least a foot or two of visibility to have a chance for a good day on the water.
3. Water temp. I prefer fishing prespawn for the big girls so I'm looking for water temps from 40-60 degrees in the spring & 65 degrees or lower in the fall which will bring the smallies more shallow than mid summer haunts in deep water.
4. General weather forecast. If thunder storms are in the forecast I'll either go or not depending on how much time might be available to fish before the storm.
These are the only elements I consider because the rest can be dealt with as part of normal fishing conditions.
buzzed bait reply :
like catt, rule #1 is a permission slip from the boss. Then, in order:
wind
water clarity
water temp
ww2farmer reply :
For me...............if the water is wet (IE not frozen) and I don't have to work, or have other family commitments I go.
Things that keep me off the water:
#1 Extreme wind chill.............I'll fish in the wind, but if it's already frigid, I am not going to torture myself.
#2 Insane holiday boat traffic.......I try to avoid fishing in the middle of the day on the "big 3" summer holidays of Fathers day, the 4th of July, and labor day. I'll go early or go late on those days. Most of the rest of the summer, even on weekends it's not that bad in general...there is always that idiot or two, but I have learned to deal with it.
#3 Lightning.........not worth it.
I never get an idea in my head based on current conditions that the fishing is going to be bad, or great on any particular day. Some of my best days have been when they shouldn't have been biting by the "book", and I have had off days when the "book" says they should be biting. I go when I can, adapt to the moment, and usually do alright.
tholmes reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 12:44 AM, ww2farmer said:For me...............if the water is wet (IE not frozen) and I don't have to work, or have other family commitments I go.
Things that keep me off the water:
#1 Extreme wind chill.............I'll fish in the wind, but if it's already frigid, I am not going to torture myself.
#2 Insane holiday boat traffic.......I try to avoid fishing in the middle of the day on the "big 3" summer holidays of Fathers day, the 4th of July, and labor day. I'll go early or go late on those days. Most of the rest of the summer, even on weekends it's not that bad in general...there is always that idiot or two, but I have learned to deal with it.
#3 Lightning.........not worth it.
I never get an idea in my head based on current conditions that the fishing is going to be bad, or great on any particular day. Some of my best days have been when they shouldn't have been biting by the "book", and I have had off days when the "book" says they should be biting. I go when I can, adapt to the moment, and usually do alright.
That pretty much sums it up for me also.
Tom
"hamma" reply :
i consider everything,,.. everytime i go fish,.. no matter what body of water i decide to fish at. but,.. i dont pick a lure or area until i get on the water and see what the water temp, color and claruty are, and whether fish are suspending or relating to the bottom etc. Wind direction, air temp, clouds, and season are all considered at home
this serves me well and has actually forced me to fish areas i would never had if i "pre-determined" a gameplan
Of course there are some lakes that i know well and i will tie on the lures that i know work there and fish the way i figured on and not have to change a lure all day, or have to find the fish to be successful. As we all know this doesnt happen everytime we go fish. So i adapt to the situation when i finally sit down, fire up the motor, and turn on the lcr, when leaving the ramp in the am. I check the waters color, clarity,temp, and determine wind direction, etc. sometimes on huge bodies of water i may actually turn around, trailer the boat and go to a different ramp.
I take a different course when im fishing a tournament, Everything is decided during pre-fishing, I stick to my gameplan unless im getting skunked, and I dont let the pre-takeoff dock talk flush my attack plan. Like, you hear some guys talking about how they did well against the shore with plastics, Or, "the leader is getting all his fish off topwaters above deep structure", Have confidence in your hard work and talents. Its so easy in this sport to get thrown off your plans by stuff you hear, ,..hearsay is just that . Although, change is important in this sport,.. let it be "your" change and decision forced by conditions, rather than changed due to suspect of greener pastures
Team9nine reply :
On 2/11/2016 at 11:54 PM, CJ said:So the question is: In the area you fish the most, what are all the things you research before you go? We will exclude season because it's the obvious that everybody deals with and list them in order of what you feel is most important.
How many elements do you consider?
Just one - I try and figure out where the best structure situations are in any given lake before I get there. Beyond that, it then becomes a process of elimination by having to fish all of them to truly figure out which ones are the most productive. On any given day, there are likely hundreds of variables affecting the fish, and they will be constantly changing from day to day, or even hour to hour. As such, I don't worry too much about any one variable being overly dominating, except perhaps in the random "blow out" of a lake due to some crazy weather extreme. I simply try and adjust to whatever the lake or weather gives me once I'm there.
-T9
A-Jay reply :
First, know that Rain, Lightning, Crazy Recreational Boating & Jet ski action are all deal breakers; individually and definitely in any combination. So that's always a no go for me.
Other than that, my Elements Checklist is pretty simple; Wind less than 15 kts , I'm fishing Wind over 15 kts ~ I'm knocking as much off the Honey Do list as possible.
A-Jay
Catt reply :
Once I get the kitchen pass from mama I'm good to go!
I deal with the conditions when I get there, other than lighting it's on!
I've won to many tournaments & caught to many Hawgs in less than ideal conditions.
What we consider ideal conditions aint ideal for the bass!
lo n slo reply :
thunder and lightning are deal breakers for me, although we have been caught by surprise, especially the storms that arrive in the AM, and before the days of the iphone. i did get caught in a storm that developed right on top of us, this past summer. never saw it on the radar til it was too late and had already bombed us.
i've always maintained that a good fisherman should also be a good weatherman.
Paul Roberts reply :
Great thread.
I'll list what I consider as I fish. Not sure I can list them in order of importance as that can vary. However I tend to look at similar stuff on any given trip. I look at things many anglers don’t (or as closely) in part bc I fish small shallow (<18ft) waters now, ones I know pretty well, and such water can be greatly affected by conditions and circumstances. And bc I’m interested in how conditions and circumstances affect fish and fishing; That's pretty much what motivates me in my fishing.
I generally choose a water body for a day’s fishing, or avoid certain ones, by season or current conditions, or simply on whim: Do I want to catch a lot, go for bigger ones, use certain lure/technique types, or chase or avoid certain conditions. Sometimes I purposely fish difficult circumstances just to try and understand them better. Other times I just want to whack some fish.
I try to get a bead on things before I go by looking at weather trends (paying particular attention to heat, light, and wind) and by checking my journals for previous visits for that date. Lately, due to the catastrophic flooding my area received, I’m checking satellite images, and researching access and fishery reports -almost like I'd do in scoping out brand new waters. Some of my favorite waters were wiped out, some closed for reconstruction –all were impacted and are different waters limnologically/ecologically from what they were.
Some things I consider:
First, I refer to my journals for that particular water and date. Too often I’ve arrived at a particular water only to find I’ve brought the wrong tackle (UL to H). Although every year is different, I want to at least be in the ballpark and checking against previous years can be a help. On my smallest waters in particular I’ll track populations, paying attention to winterkills and tracking year classes and growth. Some waters are more worth my time than others and this can change fast.
Micro-season -meaning just where exactly in a particular seasonal period a water body is can be important. Fish moods change within seasonal periods and things change fast in small waters. And I can’t just go run up or down-lake, or deeper or shallower, to adjust for seasonal timing, although I can jump in the car and find a different small water. I don’t always know just where things are though until I’m there and can see the signs.
Vertical water temperature profile: I look for a thermocline and/or other water to write off or investigate.
Lighting conditions –water clarity, surface conditions, sky conditions: These inform me as to tackle and presentation that would be best bets. I’d like to think they inform me about bass activity level but I’m too cautious for that, and sometimes we can adjust regardless of our notions or the apparent facts in front of us.
Wind, which affects lighting, temperature, current, and some key presentation elements.
Mood: I try to be aware of fish “mood” –whether they are spooky, aggressive, need speed, or something else. I’ve often found that when little bass are chasing up my baits at the end of a cast that a pick-up in speed interests larger bass too -at times it's just plain required.
Circumstances: I’m always looking for “carnage zones” and other “in’s”. These have included: insect emergences, prey activity, rain, wind, current, other anglers, boats, even… carp, and cows. Pays to be wide awake and looking for opportunities.
CJ reply :
Nice Paul. I have to run but I wanted to get the topic back on track.
I'm not asking what dictates whether you go or not. Let's say, "you're going fishing". What homework do you do before you go or to expand, what helps you dictate the decisions you might make on the fly?
EricTheAngler reply :
The only element I consider is time. 
Catt reply :
Well alrighty then!
I'm going Saturday to fish a tidal marsh.
First condition is tidal movement; it will be an outgoing tide
Second is we're in early pre-spawn
Third the weather has been stable with a minor front late Saturday night
Those 3 along with my experience on that water puts me tight to cover with jigs, t-rigs, spinnerbaits & square bills.
papajoe222 reply :
Along with sky and water clarity, I'll check the weather pattern for a few days prior. That factor is kind of a given if fishing the local lake, but because one of my favorite lakes is a two hour drive. Water temp. Is something I take into consideration once I get on the water, same with the wind.
Dave Jakes reply :
I fish from a kayak on the large desert reservoirs around Phoenix, AZ. On these big lakes, you just don't have the option of looking all over the place for fish, I don't have an outboard that I can power up and be up the channel 5 to 10 miles in 10 minutes. Because of this "internet pre fishing" as I call it is key. Our tournaments are won the days before sitting on the couch doing our homework.
1. As you said, season is the number one thing as it will generally tell you what obvious areas the fish will be (main lake deep, main lake points, creek channels, flats, ect.)
2. From there I check out contour maps. If I don't have a relatively recent paper map, I'll jump on the Navionics web app, or Go Free Insight Genesis (one of the slickest new websites out there). When I'm looking through maps, I'm not necessarily looking for the very best obvious places, but I'm looking for a larger area that has a lot of separate good areas. Since I can't power around the whole lake, I need to give myself plenty of options to find fish. I generally don't go to the one huge main lake point where all the guides stop by daily, because it's isolated with not much else near by, if I go there and there's no fish, or they're inactive then I'm s*** out of luck.
3. Once I figure out which area I'm going to, I jump on Google Earth and look for the nearest place to launch. Typically around here, all the ramps are in one area of the main lake. I use Google Earth instead of a Google Maps because the picture is more clear and I can spot back roads and washes to find launch areas in other parts of the lake that most people don't know of.
like others, once I'm at the lake and see the conditions in person I really start dissecting my lure choices and rigging options. The key to kayak fishing is to figure out how to find the fish before you even get to the lake, then figure out how you will get there.
scaleface reply :
My local lake is a flood control lake . They hold water back to keep it from entering the Mississippi . Lake level is something I always check . The river it flows into the same thing . All other area lakes I just go .
WRB reply :
Seasonal periods are not as obvious as one would think and are extremely important to determine big bass location and prey preference. Where I fish pre spawners are on deep structure where there is a abundance of prey available, rarely are the up on the banks. When you have big bass near the banks cruising, pre spawn is transitioning to the spawn.
Every element is important to take note of, factor all of it in to your day or night.
I will fish in nearly any weather except a storm with lightning, heavy rain and high wind because it's not safe. Normal rain and wind under 20 mph, good to go and prefer it as I usually have the lake to myself.
I make up my mind after launching the boat, checking water temps, baitfish activity and depth, water clarity, weed growth, wind direction and get a general "feel" of the lake activity. Most important factors for me to know is where are the bass are located and what depth are they feeding on what type of prey.
If I go to a lake not familiar with or haven't fished for awhile, then I get out a map, call the lake to determine water pool elevation and pick out a few starting areas based on seasonal period, which is determined after launching the boat and going through my routine.
Since big bass is what I target, that what I am fishing for.
Tom
CJ reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 2:45 AM, WRB said:Seasonal periods are not as obvious as one would think .
Not that the time period for a season or the understanding of a season term is obvious but it's obvious all of us deal with it.
On 2/13/2016 at 2:45 AM, WRB said:I make up my mind after launching the boat, checking water temps, baitfish activity and depth, water clarity, weed growth, wind direction and get a general "feel" of the lake activity. Most important factors for me to know is where are the bass are located and what depth are they feeding on what type of prey.
This is what I am asking. Not picking at you Tom. I'm glad to hear from the West Coast. I like that you mention observation.
WRB reply :
Winter seasonal period verses pre spawn, what do you believe is the difference?
Hint; very similar to the transition from fall to winter, just the opposite.
Winter period bass stay at nearly the same depth all during that seasonal period, migrating or moving horizontally. When you meter bass moving deeper in the fall or moving up in late winter, they are migrating or moving vertically. It's the direction of the movement that signals a change in seasonal periods, not the calendar. Summer is like winter, the bass migrate or move horizontally, just shallower, both winter and summer seasonal periods are easy to determine, cold verses warm water and weather. The spawn is easy, bass on beds.
That is what I mean about some seasonal periods like pre spawn are not so obvious.
Tom
Bankbeater reply :
This time of year it's temperature, wind, and water clarity.
CJ reply :
On 2/13/2016 at 4:58 AM, WRB said:Winter seasonal period verses pre spawn, what do you believe is the difference?
Hint; very similar to the transition from fall to winter, just the opposite.
Winter period bass stay at nearly the same depth all during that seasonal period, migrating or moving horizontally. When you meter bass moving deeper in the fall or moving up in late winter, they are migrating or moving vertically. It's the direction of the movement that signals a change in seasonal periods, not the calendar. Summer is like winter, the bass migrate or move horizontally, just shallower, both winter and summer seasonal periods are easy to determine, cold verses warm water and weather. The spawn is easy, bass on beds.
That is what I mean about some seasonal periods like pre spawn are not so obvious.
Tom
Ok your post isn't as off topic as I first thought though it's still redirecting from the original question. It does relate. I'm guessing that the waters you fish just don't have as many elements or conditions as what some deal with on river resevoirs for instance. On KY Lake we deal with vertical and horizontal migration all through out the year. Not only that, we have different groups so to say(river fish and reservoir fish). The river fish will live on structure near the channel almost all year. They migrate much more often. The reservoir fish make more seasonal migrations and even some don't know there is a river channel there, living in bays or creek arms year around. I've caught big fish at 20 ft. of water on the same day I caught big fish in 6 ft. of water. With some waters bass will all be close to the same type locations and depth while others are not only in a different location and depth but completely in a different seasonal phase. This is what this thread is about. When someone post a question on the board about location, seasonal patterns, structure, lures, just about anything, the first thing that has to be taken into account is the elements and conditions they deal with. In other words, what may work best for some, just won't for others. It has a lot to do with the fact that bass as a predator are very good at acclimating to there environment.
On another note, I'm surprised you didn't mention solunar tables as something you take into consideration WRB. But your post is good info. Thanks
WRB reply :
Search this site for "The Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar". I did that for seminars back in the mid 70's and it touches on nearly everything you asking about 40 years ago.
LMB are basically dermasel fish and only go off shore to seek pelagic prey fish, if the lake or river has that type of fish; Shad, smelt, herring, trout and crappie are the most common. What some lakes in the TVA system are experiencing is the introduction of Florida strain LMB, FLMB are a game changer. FLMB prefer larger bait fish than NLMB and grow 2X the size. FLMB were very new to me in the early 70's, however still included their behavior traits into what I presented.
Keep in mind bass are bass wherever they live. Bass have large air bladders and cannot change the pressure without loosing equilibrium, they avoid quick depth changes. Bass can easily swim up 20' or so to attack a prey, then return back down. This doesn't mean a bass living at 35' will move up to the shallow shore to feed for extended periods, they stay at the depth them are acclimated to.
Some biologist believe there are 2 groups of bass, home bodies and school fish and I agree.
Yes I take everything into account during my launch routine.
Tom
CJ reply :
FLMB or intergrades were only recently introduced at the lower end of the TN river chain. I'm aware of their air bladder but within a couple days they will migrate horizontally as much as 10-15 ft. from what I have seen. Gizzard shad are probably the choice prey or at least the most abundant.
On 2/14/2016 at 7:24 AM, WRB said:Yes I take everything into account during my launch routine.
Tom
Then did you decide to redirect the thread instead of answering the question to the threaad?
WRB reply :
You can't exclude season, it's the primary factor to consider when trying to locate big bass.
I suggest you read In Pursuit of Giant Bass, Bill Murphy. The only reason that I have caught the numbers of big bass is my belief in seasonal and depth factors. The only time of year giant bass are vulnerable to the average angler is during the spawn cycle, because they are visible on or around beds.
To locate big bass you need to understand what prey source they are currently feeding on....locate the prey the bass will be close by. The prey like the bass locate where their food source is abundant and that changes seasonally.
Peace.
Tom
CJ reply :
On 2/14/2016 at 9:10 AM, WRB said:You can't exclude season, it's the primary factor to consider when trying to locate big bass.
I suggest you read In Pursuit of Giant Bass, Bill Murphy. The only reason that I have caught the numbers of big bass is my belief in seasonal and depth factors. The only time of year giant bass are vulnerable to the average angler is during the spawn cycle, because they are visible on or around beds.
To locate big bass you need to understand what prey source they are currently feeding on....locate the prey the bass will be close by. The prey like the bass locate where their food source is abundant and that changes seasonally.
Peace.
Tom
I totally agree with you. It's just that it was a more simple question. It was to see what elements, conditions, and factors we deal with across the states or globe. Where elevation and current are very important for me versus weather trend and wind are probably more important to someone fishing Toho for example. Season is the most import factor hands down that's why I excluded it. It's obviously the most import. I wanted to dig deeper.
Highschoolbassin reply :
I think that boat traffic and fishing pressure can make a key difference in some situations. Back in the summer before I had made the agreement to start making payments on my bass boat and was still fishing out of a modified v-bottom with a trolling motor. I had some of my best days by pushing that boat back into the deeper holes in a creek protected by a gravel bar where bass boats couldn't get in. These fish don't receive fishing pressure and generally you can convince them to bite.
Nitrofreak reply :
Weather is always my number one factor to consider before I go for safety reasons, after that, I wont know about the current until I get there, it's a nuke plant lake and it depends upon the amount of electricity being generated as to how many turbines they have running, secondly is I pay attention to the depth of fish during my launch, I will idle around a bit and scan a fair amount of structure to eliminate as much water as possible and primarily focus on those depths and same type of structure for the day, thirdly is the current amount of sunshine or overcast to help me decide how fast or how slow I need to fish and lastly is water clarity for bait colors, I can have three or four different clarity choices on any given day depending on what part of the lake I am fishing, from stained to gin clear.
If all else fails, just start skipping under every single older dock on the lake like everyone else does.
roadwarrior reply :
This is what I want to know, pretty much in order of importance:
1. On river reservoirs, how much water release is there?
2. Are the fish more focused on bottom contact tackle or moving baits?
3. What is the specific depth where active bass are holding?
4. Is there specific structure or cover that seems most favorable right now?
Catt reply :
My first consideration after a kitchen pass is what body of water I'm fishing. All the conditions ya listed affects each body of water differently.
I mentioned a tidal brackish marsh, tidal movement trumps everything...no tide...no fish!
I fish Lacassine Wildlife Refuge, a shallow marsh (18-24") that is extremely clear with tons of various types of vegetation. Because of water clarity the best fishing is on overcast days, the more cloud cover the better the fishing. On bluebirds days the bite will only be an hour before daylight until 30-45 minutes after sun rise. Then again for maybe an hour around sunset to total darkness.
Toledo Bend ya need to pay attention to the entire list & the some!
Raul reply :
I love when my everyday has the water level to look like this, then it´s perfect ( you could add maybe 3-6 ft more of water ), then I know that pleasure boaters and water skiers ain´t gonna be around ruining the fun !!!!
CJ reply :
Water elevation will be trumps for conditions at this year's KY Lake roadtrip most likely, for example. Well moon phase could be a game changer as well. If there is a full moon (I haven't looked it up yet), there will be a good chance that the biggest spawn class will be on the beds and that will be YUCK! KY Lake just isn't the best bed fishing lake cause sight fishing is tough due to normal water clarity for spring here, stained 1-2 ft. visability. Yet out in Cali there are numerous trophy fisherman who are counting down the days for the spawn to happen. These are good examples as to where I was trying to go with this thread. I think you would be surprised to see how conditions and elements alter angler's approach for a body of water. Example of this is that I understand some fisherman may fish structure by sitting in the shallow and throw to the deep, "fishing uphill". While if you were to do that on KY Lake when the current is running, you would be sitting on top of the fish. I am fortunate to have several good fisheries within an hour drive from where I live and I approach every one of them differently even on the same day. So when a member post their respectable techniques for how they do things I hesitate to argue. Bass are master predators who can become acclimated to their ecosystem and use the elements to their advantage. As WRB mentioned earlier on that season is important. I didn't want to make the thread over complicated cause then most of us would have to of wrote a whole book breaking down each seasonal condition.
Nitrofreak reply :
On 2/18/2016 at 2:00 AM, Raul said:I love when my everyday has the water level to look like this, then it´s perfect ( you could add maybe 3-6 ft more of water ), then I know that pleasure boaters and water skiers ain´t gonna be around ruining the fun !!!!
There is always a certain time of year I really look forward to fishing my home lake, when I know for sure I can go to several places and not have to worry about a single wake boat or jet ski, just me and maybe a few others trolling around flippin and pitchin in the peace and quiet all day long.
nice photo Raul !!
geo g reply :
On 2/11/2016 at 11:54 PM, CJ said:This is a subject I feel can be critical as a bass angler. Some of my best days on the water were dictated because I already had a pretty good idea where and what was going to get big fish in the boat. But when I have traveled to other waters away from my home lake, I've found that there are always different elements that will cause big bass to be where they are and strike what they strike on any given day.
So the question is: In the area you fish the most, what are all the things you research before you go? We will exclude season because it's the obvious that everybody deals with and list them in order of what you feel is most important. I'm not asking if you would go fishing or not. Let's say, "you are going", what homework do you do and/or what elements, condition, etc. do you look for?
Here's what I look at:
1. lake elevation - my lakes will fluctuate around 5-6 ft with the season, sometimes more but I always check through out the year every time I go. Just a few inches of up or down can cause fish to move. I also always check the trend (water going up or down). This gives me an idea which way the fish may be going especially in the Spring.
2. current - another thing I have to know. Current effects the fish's location and their feeding mood. +current=feeding fish usually shallower
3. water temp - pretty obvious one that kind of goes along with season but I look at the trend just as much. I would rather fish 45 degree water that is going up over 50 that is going down as an example.
4. water color- now I'm starting to look at factors that help dictate "what" I'm gonna throw but it still can dictate location especially in cold water. Won't get into that. Way too much info and it's been covered.
5. wind - on my lake it may dictate where I get to fish but again it has more to do with lure choice for me. Except for the rare time I fish near the bank in the prespawn then I prefer wind blown banks or water with some chop.
6. the sky - cloudy or clear, I know we all deal with it. Probably should be up on my list.
I could probably come up with more but these are my most common. All of these taken into account usually can be put into a formula that can make a fishing day a better fishing day that can be done before you make your first cast. I left out weather trend because we all deal with it. I'm really wanting hear from anglers from all over to see if there are some more things, some that may be unique, that help you plan your trip and help you have a good all around understanding for your outcomes.
You did a great job on your lake variables. Like you, I go through a check list before deciding where and how to fish an area. One thing I would add is not all strains of bass behave the same to these variables. Florida bass are notorious for completely shutting down when a sudden front moves through. They are much more sensitive then their northern cousins to sudden changes. Things can get very difficult with clear skies and a north wind once the front comes through.
ClackerBuzz reply :
On 2/12/2016 at 12:35 AM, Dwight Hottle said:Good list for your waters Chris.
My list for lake Erie.
1. Wind direction & speed. If the wind is blowing from the east, north or west at more than 10-15 mph I'm probably not going. An offshore wind will allow me to go until it gets over 20-25 mph.
2. Water turbidity. If the water is dirty from recent storms & high winds I'm probably not going. I feel I need at least a foot or two of visibility to have a chance for a good day on the water.
3. Water temp. I prefer fishing prespawn for the big girls so I'm looking for water temps from 40-60 degrees in the spring & 65 degrees or lower in the fall which will bring the smallies more shallow than mid summer haunts in deep water.
4. General weather forecast. If thunder storms are in the forecast I'll either go or not depending on how much time might be available to fish before the storm.
These are the only elements I consider because the rest can be dealt with as part of normal fishing conditions.
finally the Lake Erie Da Vinci Code. I'm going to get to work scratching this on tombstones so all those tormented souls can RIP
Oregon Native reply :
To me everyday on the water is a gift from above to be enjoyed as it is. Many years ago while fishing tourneys I noticed someone seemed to always get em no matter what. So if I have the kitchen pass like mentioned above I go. Winter is one of my favorites as rainy days are due to the fact their are less people out on the water and fishing is usually pretty good. Like also mentioned above the fish are always around the area somewhere it's just unlocking the keys to figure those fish out...that's why bass fishing is so great and why we have so much tackle. Give me any day on the water and I'll thank the Good Lord for that day. If the fishing is better than I hoped I may be a legend in my own mind that day!! Tight Lines
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