Fishing Hot Spots

Relying on your senses can be a simple dependable system for finding and catching fish throughout the year. The use of electronics in conjunction with a common sense approach has become common for kayak anglers. A quick glance and “reading” the signs have proven effective for me and others who subscribe to the “old school” method of experience coupled with experimentation. For me scanning the waters and surrounding shorelines of familiar or even more critical, new waters gives me a great idea of what my approach will be. Key to any approach are the four factors that will draw (and hold) fish. Oxygen for the purposes of breathing, food, some sort of cover and a deep-water escape route.

Shoreline – With the exception of dead of winter Running shorelines can be productive for bass and other species. The presence of irregular features, inflowing creeks, downed trees, bank composition (rock, dirt, gravel, aquatic vegetation) offers possibilities to shallow water hideouts. Especially attractive are areas with multiple components, for example a fallen tree surrounded by large rock and scattered weed beds is a great place to check out. Steep banks can be transition spots for migrating fish in early spring or late fall. The presence of a deep water drop off or a creek channel in close proximity to a steep bank can be a BIG bass magnet. An inflowing secondary creek on lakes offers more oxygenated water in the summer, current after a good rain or set up for food sources delivered by the incoming waters. Points extending out from the main lake shore or even secondary points allow for fish to move quickly from deep to shallow or vice versa. Anything that’s different along the shoreline deserves a cast. Cast to the shore line and try paralleling those natural edges also.

Aquatic Vegetation – Greenery means additional oxygen, an automatic food delivery system and overhead cover, three of the most desirable elements to harboring fish consistently. Often anything different will bring fish in but there certainly more magical circumstances. In late spring and throughout summer I learned to love lily pads. Dragonflies and other bugs like the pads, bluegill move in to feed on the insects and as the food chain progresses bass move in to fed on the bluegill. A floating worm, a weightless / weedless tube or a floating frog can all be fun and produce memorable hits. My personal best pad fish was a legit nine pound largemouth that crushed a fake frog. Subsurface moss is another great set up. When water temperatures reach 60 degrees until the moss “browns” up a lipless crankbait, spinnerbait or buzzer can all draw fish out of the greenery. Other that bass multiple other species will use the same areas for the same reasons, oxygen, comfort, ambush spots and the presence of food.

Identifying Potential Food Sources – Diving seagulls are a sure sign that shad schools are present. Once observed race to the spot and start slinging anything that mimics the shad. Recommendations include single nickel bladed spinnerbaits, chrome colored cranking lure (lipped and lipless) buzzers and even soft plastic swimbaits. Eyeballing the shoreline will also provide an idea of what inhabits the area. Frogs, various minnows, new hatches of bugs, crawfish and more are a tipoff as to what to cast at your chosen targets. I’m a big fan of fallen trees, and any wooden objects like boats, old fence posts or stumps. Crappie are especially susceptible to wood in the waters. Primarily feeding on minnows or shad the crappie will school up around secondary wood. Don’t be surprised of the woody exploration leads to a solid bass pattern too. Pitching a jig to wood can be deadly and if you’ve never tried it cast past any wooden object with a squarebill crankbait for the excitement of a “deflection” bite as the bait bounces of the object. Any rock formation, solid, free standing or scattered can be home to the highly prized crawfish. High energy food for all game fish the presence of the craws almost ensures fish in the area.

Seasonal and Situational Clues – If any of the wading birds are hold up along the shoreline, they are most certainly doing a little fishing of their own. Trust them, if they stay, they’re a string indication of schools of bait. Eagles and ospreys will nest and live in the most productive areas of the lakes and rivers. Another often overlooked and underutilized pattern is the spawning bluegill. While this will bring out my flyrod for an epic bluegill bite (often landing more than a hundred per day) it also signals easy meals for bass AND crappie. This is a solid pattern because of the frequency of the dense population of the bluegill and sunfish families. The bluegill will predictably go into spawning mode on a full moon and once the water reaches 70 degrees. As a bonus they will spawn on every full moon with the water in the plus seventy-degree range. Bass love to raid the bluegill beds for the fry and the adult “gills.” During the heat of summer, the shad, threadfin and gizzard will reproduce creating the wild scenario of bass busting the giant schools of shad. Have a spinnerbait ready to throw into the feeding frenzy and hang on.

As a side note crappie in waters that contain shad get larger than their cousins that just routinely dine on minnows.

Develop and use your natural observation skills then file in your brain the best of the hot spots that produce bunches of and BIG fish along the with great memories.