Navionics Lake of the week 4-15-13

[site admin]

This lake is home to the most bass over 20lbs!
4 out of 9 of the largest bass where caught from this lake. More Big bass out of this lake than any other.
This lake is deep. This area looks like the best section of the lake. This is "fishing water".
Any structure fisherman (spoonpluggers) out west hitting this lake?

[Steve Craig]

Looks and sounds like Castaic in Calif.
Big ole Highlander!
Lots of solid rock and you had better find the "dirt" as Buck would say.

Also looks about like every lake here in AZ as well!

I imagine my buddy Kevin will be hitting this thing one of these days!

Every Spoonplugger should fish one of these type lakes. When you learn to hit that "bathtub" that Kenny Hyde talks about, in one of these lakes, those shallow eastern reservoirs seem like a piece of cake!
At one time in my life, I almost gave up fishing after hitting one of these. Super discouraging to say the least. But thanks to fellows like Jerry Borst, Kenny, John, Jim Vaughn and Mr. Tom Coleman, all who got me to see that one has to just go to work, knuckle down, suck it up and figure them out!
Goals have to be set. Cut down on how much of the lake you work on, and probably the best advice is stick to it! Dont give up like I did, AND ask for help if you need it.
Today, I actually enjoy these big suckers. They will teach you more than you will ever know and I love figuring them out. You will become a better fisherman for it.

[brett]

Haven't fished anything like this yet but it sure would be interesting. I would start in summer looking at the series of humps. Looks like about a 50 foot breakline around them. I would work the tops, saddles, and then breaklines all the way around. Extra focus on the deep points and extra steep breaklines that exist here. I would have a ball checking it out even if I didn't catch anything.
I would look very close at the creek (right bottom) where it comes up from 150 to 75 into the humps. Also where it then comes up to 45 and makes a tight fit between the two small humps.

After that, if I hadn't had enough, I would focus on the point on the far right shoreline that faces south, along with the inside turn/bay associated with it. Then of course the north shoreline, especially the very steep ledge coming out of the north bay. Hopefully I would listen to Steve's advice and check for slides in both of these areas.

I would probably end up way off base but would gradually learn the general depth range the big bass typically prefer in the summer to narrow my focus. Lots of trolling, trolling, and more trolling to find a fish or two to help narrow my areas of focus. Cool stuff but that's easy to say sitting at my desk dreaming about it. The reality of being on the water for many hours of hard work would likely put me in my place.

[Fran Myers]

I spoke to Tom Coleman a couple years ago. His son had just come back from fishing and they didn't get their first 6" Bass until 65'...

My question is this...

Based on the last few years fishing Erie, which is pretty clear - I can see bars in 30' of water from 17000 feet flying over...do the acclimate to the clear water?

Our worst trips to Erie was when the wind churned up the sand so much you'd normally think it was good color. Problem is the cloudy water was different than their normal conditions, which shut the fish down.

I've been told by non-active Spoonpluggers to not be afraid of clear lakes but I've never really tested it. I don't believe they meant that the fish will still use the standard 10' and 30-35' depths but on a lake I don't like to fish because of the clarity - they say they get their fish 20-25'.

I know these guys are real, I've seen them.

Something I've been thinking about. I've had kind of an unreachable goal and I think the answer is Lake Superior. That is REALLY clear.

Something to think about. I don't have answer.

[Consigliere]

Fran....head up to St Lawrence River/Lake Ontario if you want clear water, can see bottom at 45ft regularly and weed lines as far out as 30ft and it can be fished close to year round. This year it closed up in Feb and March with ice but previous couple years didn't freeze over. With those weedlines interpretation starts at 25ft typically. Its been very tough but the chance at monster fish is what keeps us coming back and working hard. Map of the week like this reminds me that the challenge of fishing deep is not isolated to Great Lakes, its everywhere.

[Steve Craig]

Fran,
On page 73 of the Green book, you will see pretty much what really is on these clear water reservoirs.
Last summer, I cant recall catching a fish shallower than 32 feet (good weather condition)the entire summer and fall. Many came from much deeper.(47-60')
If you have a dark yellow green or a white sandy color where 10 feet is the wall for a fish, you just have to come to the reality that 25 is the 10 in clear water.
Now in Dec,Jan,Feb, we have an entire different scenario. This is our winter,pre-spawn time and you can catch some pretty nice fish in 12-24 feet of water in these clear lakes.
Clear water to me is just another water color to deal with. Do I like or prefer it? No!
But I have to live with it and deal with having to present my lures at depths few back east can believe.
Also, I have had to learn how to use a downshot(dropshot) and to cast alot more than troll.
My go to Carolina rigs have had to take a back seat, do to constant hangups on rocks etc.
Also longer lines on the troll seem to help quite a bit as well.

An interesting side to that lake above is that most all those good looking bars are SOLID SMOOTH ROCK!
There is a reason that Buck said to find the "dirt".
You can have one of those great looking solid rock bars going all the way, and if there is a rock rubble slide next to it(which happens quite a bit), the fish will be using the slide as long as IT goes all the way as well.

[Steve Craig]

Here is another interesting tidbit to contemplate.
On many deep humps out here on these clear suckers, those topping out at 15 to 30 feet, we see nice schools of bass using them, even though they dont "go all the way to the shallows".
Why is this? They are not supposed to be there according to the material.
I am talking adult fish, 2-3-4 pounders.
This was a huge surprise to me the first time it happened. Now, I check out every hump and wow......many have schools of fish on them.
How can this be?
Is it because in clear water the "shallows" are alot deeper than 10 feet? (to the fish)
I am throwing this out there for all to comment on. I havent heard of other Spoonpluggers experiencing this, but i have heard mention of this by some darn good Bass men.
Your thoughts?

[muskyball]

Question: When you start going that deep, what do you do with the thermocline? I understand it is a break, but, how far and for how long do fish go below it on those deep clear lakes? I always read so much about the thermocline being a barrier fish don't often go below due to oxy levels.

[Steve Craig]

Muskyball,
First, welcome to the board.
Good question also. Most of the time we see very little if any thermocline on these types of reservoirs. UNLESS!.........they shut down the water flow so low as to stop all current. This does happen on some of these lakes from time to time.
THEN.....you will see a thermocline.
What happens to the fish?
There are plenty of fish that go below the TC. You will see plenty of fish IN the TC. But you will see alot more just above it.
The ones below it will be almost uncatchable for the most part. Those in it and above it will take a lure when a movement takes place.
Most of the time I cant see a true TC on these lakes here under normal conditions.
You are correct in that it is truly a break and it is also one you and i need to be aware of when it happens.

I used to have some screen shots that Jerry Borst sent me, but i dont have his permission to post them, so i will let him do that.
He is the King when it comes to this stuff. I have him to thank for teaching me this stuff. He gets the credit! The man is unbelievable when it comes to all the deep water interpretation and presentation.
When he tells me something.....I listen and then go out and do it!