Fishin' know-how varies from one area to the next. A hot bait for one lake or region might be a "dud" somewhere else. How to catch fish depends on where you are, and when you're there! Fishing changes from season to season, day to day, and hour to hour. Even the old pros don't have sure-fire formulas that'll outsmart fish all of the time.
We think that's good! It makes fishing challenging and exciting. In order to find 'em and catch 'em, you've got to know your fish and the habitat they call home. That's the formula for good fishing. Study the particular fish you're after, figure out where to find 'em and how to make 'em bite, and you'll catch fish with regularity.
Good fishin' takes lots of practice. Practice never makes perfect in fishing, but it does help you see patterns. With enough experience you can say, "Okay, Mother Nature has cooked up these weather and water conditions. I think I should fish there, with this bait."
While bass and walleyes behave differently, and northern pike and crappies go their own ways, there are some basic fishing facts that apply to all these species. Learn the basics!
A fish is at the mercy of nature. His every move is dictated by weather and water conditions around him. Seasonal changes and day-to-day weather factors such as wind, sun and barometric pressure all act upon a fish to determine its movements and activities. Fish are very pressure and temperature sensitive.
All adult freshwater game fish display a schooling instinct. With some fish, like walleyes and crappies, it's stronger than with others.
A population of fish in a lake or stream is a society with each species having its own patterns of breeding, feeding and moving about. Each species has its own ideas about "comfort", preferring certain habitat conditions including bottom types, water temperatures, cover and light conditions.
Fish follow seasonal and daily "migrational" patterns determined by breeding, feeding and comfort factors. Weather has lots to say about the progress of these patterns.
A fish has more than one home, depending on the season. For example, in spring a walleye will go home to a rocky/gravel shoreline to spawn; in summer it will move to deeper areas or underwater structure.
Fish nearly always hunt in schools. They follow familiar landmarks to guide them along the bottom in search of minnows, small fish, crayfish, etc. Generally, the larger and more aggressive fish get their fill earlier and in deeper water than do their smaller relatives.
A school often stops at a drop-off, weedline, or "break" near the shallows where it scatters and enters the shallower feeding grounds as individuals and small groups. Scatter points are "hot spots" so mark them well. When conditions are right the school will return!
Lakes are different. Each lake offers conditions which are suited more for one fish than others. Consequently, every lake has a predominant fish. Some lakes are "walleye lakes" while others are ruled by largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike or other species. Always fish for the dominant species in any lake to put the averages in your favor.
In most lakes, fish are "stacked", with large fish deep and smaller fish up shallow. Except during spawning, most sizable game fish will be deeper than eight feet. But watch for exceptions. For example: lunker walleyes might be very shallow at night in spring and fall.
Fish nearly always hold to "structure"--some kind of bottom feature or submerged obstruction which involves CHANGE in depth or character. Drop-offs, points, rock reefs, weed beds and brush are natural structure. Man-made structure--dams, breakwaters, submerged roads or fence line, and even docks, to name a few--also attract fish. Some fish, like walleyes and smallmouth bass, prefer clean bottom, while other fish like largemouth bass and northern pike like a roof over their heads in the form of weeds, brush, logs, stumps and other "cover".
Certain areas of larger structure are better than others. Any "substructure"--say a curve or point on a reef, or a jog along an otherwise straight drop-off --is a likely hot spot.
Fish have three appetite moods: the POSITIVE mood-- when a fish is definitely hungry and actively searching for food. The NEUTRAL mood-- when a fish is not actively hunting but will feed (or bite!) if something comes close and looks especially tempting. The NEGATIVE mood-- when a fish is off feed and simply doesn't want to be bothered. Obviously, when in the positive mood, fish are easiest to catch. But for 95% of your fishing time the mood will be neutral or negative, requiring careful and meticulous bait presentations.
More often than not, a cold front with its falling temperature and gusty north or northwest winds will kill fishing. When your fishing becomes "impossible" during a cold front, your best bet is to jump from one hot spot to another, hoping to catch stray biters here and there.
