WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A LAKE BEFORE YOU GET
THERE
Rising or Falling? The Lake's Water Situation
EDITOR'S
NOTE: According to Rick Clunn of Missouri, four-time
Bassmasters Classic winner and the newly-named best
bass fisherman of all time by bass fishing fans across
the world, "How to fish a new lake is one of the
most-common questions asked by anglers.” “I
particularly hear this question when I'm giving seminars.
I never remember having a seminar where someone didn't
ask me how to fish a new lake," Ken Cook of Meers,
Oklahoma, former fisheries biologist, Megabucks tournament
winner and Bassmasters Classic Champion in 1991, told
me. "If I had to pick one question I can bet on
being asked at any seminar I go to, it is about how
to fish a new lake," Larry Nixon of Bee Branch,
Arkansas, former winner of the Bassmasters Classic,
told me. Apparently everyone is seeking the answer to
the same question.
But one question that always should precede how to fish
a new lake is, "What information should I have
about a lake before I go to fish it?" If you have
the proper knowledge about a lake before you arrive
at a lake, then your chances of successfully catching
bass will be far greater.
"When I am going to fish a new lake I have to
know whether the lake is rising or falling," Gary
Klein explains. "The water level will tell me where
on the structure I can find the bass, if I am angling
for shallow-water fish. I know if the lake is rising,
the bass will be moving in close to shore, holding on
the back sides of stumps and bushes and looking toward
the bank for their food. I also realize that if the
lake is rising, it is probably stained or muddy. Therefore
the bass will be in much more shallow water than if
the lake is clear or falling. With this information,
I can determine that I must have bait that will come
from the bank toward the deep water and that I will
be fishing in probably less than 6 feet of water. If
I discover the lake is falling, I know the fish will
be pulled out toward the deeper water. They will be
on the outside of bushes on the deep-water side. Also
if the water is clear, the bass will be extremely skittish.
By knowing whether the water is rising or falling before
you go to a lake, you usually can paint an accurate
picture of where you will be fishing, the bait you will
have to use, and the presentation you must make. If
at all possible, my personal preference is to angle
for shallow water fish, which are easy to catch. The
water condition is critical. Another factor is the weather
I can expect on the lake during the time I plan to fish
there."
Watching The Weather:
If you know where the bass should be, the type of structure
they should be holding on and whether the water is rising
or falling, the next critical ingredient is the weather
on the day you plan to fish. If you are angling on a
cloudy, overcast day, you must understand that the bass
should be on top of the structure rather than under
it like they would be on a bright, clear day. If a cold
front is moving in, and you will be on the lake ahead
of the front, then you know that the bass should be
in a feeding mood. If you are going to be fishing on
the day a cold front hits, then
you must realize that to be successful you will have
to angle for deep water fish, which are less affected
by weather changes than shallow-water bass. Knowing
the weather before you go fishing not only plays an
important role in the success of your fishing trip but
also tells you where you can logically expect to find
the bass and what mood they should be in on the day
you plan to fish.
TOMORROW: KNOWING HOW DEEP
THE BASS GO AND WHERE THEY DON'T GO
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