You pull up to a lake you have never been to before, you have heard the trout fishing is excellent, there is no one else in sight. Assume the lake is no more than 100 acres, you have a watercraft of choice, where do you start?
You pull up to a lake you have never been to before
You pull up to a lake you have never been to before, you have heard the trout fishing is excellent, there is no one else in sight. Assume the lake is no more than 100 acres, you have a watercraft of choice, where do you start?
Want to hear God laugh? Tell him Your plans!!!
I would take out my folding chair, plunk my rear in it with my bi-nocs and a cup of coffee and spend some time casing the lake looking for clues such as rising fish, possible dropoffs and wind direction.
Tim
The flies I would use would depend on time of year. I would fish chrironomids static. Also I would cast/troll leech patterns from shallow to deep. Since I have my pontoon, I assume I also get to use my sonar.
Uncle Jesse,
I always start where the water enters the lake.
Buddy
It Just Doesn't Matter....
Uncle Jesse,
Like you, I have been there many times. Unless I see a lot of activity on the surface, I always start with a Woolly Bugger, and I change it every 15 minutes, starting with Black then to Green then to Brown. I go out and start a slow troll, using an intermediate line, looking at the bottom of the lake, the shore, any activity, bugs in the water and in the air, husks from hatched bugs, and I change my trolling speed and my retrieve pattern. Usually within an hour or so I should have taken some fish.
If there is activity on the surface then I start with a Parachute Adams until I see what they may be taking. if I can't see, then every 15 minutes I change flies, using a Renegade then a Griffith's Gnat. If there is surface activity and no fish takes a variety of flies then I switch to a soft hackle fished from a floating line and fished just under the surface, figuring the fish are taking emergers.
Larry ---sagefisher---
Check for surface activity while launching your watercraft (and sonar/fish finder). If none, slow troll a bugger, leech or damsel nymph while watching for where the fish are on the Finder. Once you locate fish, switch to an appropriate method and fly to hopefully catch them.
Dr Bob
Uncle Jessie,
Don't forget to shake a few bushes and tree limbs and see what falls out. I would also spend some time observing - just like you would a stream. If nothings rising, I would check out any inlets. If none, is there a breeze at all? If so, I would probably troll a woolly bugger/streamer along the shore line (watch for structure) till I got to the downwind end where fish have a tendency to congregate. Small coves, if present, are also a good bet. I used to do a lot of trolling while paddling along in a 12 1/2ft. Mansfield canoe I used to have. I trolled streamers mostly - Royal Coachman, Spruce, Nine-Three, and Black Ghosts mainly. Many good suggestions already!
Best regards, Dave S.
One notion that has not been addressed directly is 'structure', particularly the intersection of more than one structure. In other words, 'where is the most interesting place on the lake?' As mentioned, the inlet would be one, same with the outlet. A cliff face (with presumably either a steep drop underwater or fallen rocks or both), a fallen tree or collection of driftwood, weeds and lily pads - or better yet, reeds and lilies near an inlet with fallen trees nearby! The more interesting the location, the more chances for prey to grow (and more kinds of prey), and the more places for fish to ambush, hide, rest.
If the lake is 100 acres then I'd say the belly boat is out, but most other craft would work. I'm another that would start with a WB about 4ft deep. If I had good action I might try near/top water with and emerger or wet fly, but if I had no action I would go deeper and slower with a dragonfly nymph.
yank the yak or cat off the roof and explore.. No rods just info gathering n wildlife watchin the first go round!
Wish ya great fishing,Bill
I would start at first light fishing from my pontoon boat and fish as close to shore as possible. I would position my boat about 30 feet offshore and cast toward shore, fishing in less than 1 1/2 feet of water. I would fish nymphs and twitch them slowly. As the sun starts to rise, I would move to deeper and deeper water. Doesn't always work for me, but it seems to work for Denny Rickards.
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