night before, check fishing reports to get general depth the fish are located, check satallite water temps for any breaks to check out, Call anyone you can that may have fished in the area within the last few days. If all that fails to locate anything, get a load of where the pack is. the pack will generally indicate where fish were yesterday. Watch your graph on the way out. If all this fails, sit down in 100' and point her west until you hit something. But between all the above, you should at least have a clue where to start out. All the people you talk to should either point to the fish or away from no fish. take your pick.
www.salmonheadcharters.com
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Easy answer - call your charter buddies and have them tell you where the fish are. Outside of that I like to do a number of things in preperation.
If it's my home port - say Ludington - I will have some general historical reference and I will start with that.
But ...
I pull up coastwatch to try to get an idea of the surface water temps in the area i'm fishing ... looking for hard temp breaks and general water conditions.
Take into account the prevalent wind conditions for the previous couple of days. If we are getting a hard blow from the east ... I know that the water will be flipping near shore and fishing tight may become an option.
Stop by the local tackle shop and see what's happening in your area, most shops will give you atleast a decent idea what's been going on ... some shops are better than others but they are into customer service so you usually get good indicator.
Talk to guys at the launch, or marina in my case, and see what's up. This is by far the best way to narrow down a program. See where, what they used, and when they fished last.
Now take all of the information you have been able to get together and starting plotting a strategy. Pick a spot, if going totally blind, I might try to pick some structure with good surface temp as a place to start, or I may run for some surface temp breaks. Otherwise I takt the verbal and Internet info I've gathered and run to a place, now go out there and sit down, look at the fishfinder, maybe send the probe down to get and idea of the water column, if it looks promising - start setting lines - if not keep looking until you find what you're looking for.
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Go the oppisite way of all the idiot's and you will find the mother load!!! I never fish in the pack unless it combat time!! I try to go where no body is and like Paul said sit in 85fow and troll west till I mark fish or start getting them. Also I check the EA fishing reports to get a starting point!!!
I'm lucky enough to have two charter boats docked close to me and I talk to them when they get in. that will normally get me a place to start, not being a pack fisherman, my main concern is how deep to fish. I normally stick to my own program and don't care if a boat got a fish on a "blue mamba", I just care how deep. I have come back to the cleaning station on numerous occassions to find out that the boat who was killing the "monsters " only has one smaller fish. just what is a "magnum " shaker anyway ?
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i wasnt very clear on the pack comment. I agree, I am not much of a pack fisherman unless its staging time. What I should have said is get a load of where the pack is, and then run away from them. If there has been a wind or you have reason to believe a current in a direction, generally go down current of the pack. As most of the guys in the pack are fishing yesterday's bite, if the current has moved bait or fish or whatever, you could be one step ahead of them. And again, if all else fails, get into clean water and head west.
www.salmonheadcharters.com
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i like to run out to the pack and get an ideas of the water depth that they are fishing and see if they are hitting fish or not then i go north or south of the pack and try to fish that depth for a while and if that fails then i turn and go west till i start to hit some fish. even "combat" season i try to stay away from the pack. I just use that for a indicator of what depth to set lines. if that don't work for me then i try to call Paul "salmonhead" on the radio and ask him ( lol )
Larry Boat name=PHISH ON pikerchass@hotmail.com
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I would have to agree with most of the sentiments posted. On the other hand, if I point it west, I will be on shore in no time, so lets change that to point it East!
After catching so many fish "out of temp" last season, I will not rule out water due to temp this year. I think that on our side of the lake, bait was more important to fish than the optimal temp was, and the bait fish seemed to congregate in warmer water than expected.
Bob Vohl "Ka-Bob Master" Official Iowa Delegate to Team Heavy Super-Sized Fishing Specialists www.teamheavyfishing.com bob@teamheavyfishing.com
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I personally like to start just inside good temp. Example: If I find good temp.59degrees or below in 60' of water. But 50' is warm say 65degree water. I like to start around 45' and makes sure my spread is out before I hit 50'. I then troll to my temp. First thing in the morning their is often times a motherlode of fish just off the good temp. As the morning progresses I move out. If I can't find fish then I move west but not to far unless your willing to change your program. As a rule of thumb fish are not far from temp. If I can't find them by going west aways. Then I fish my way north or south to find them.
Hint Hint!! You can never start to shallow even in the summer. If your temps aren't to hot. 75 degrees
Later, Curt
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Excellent idea to keep going west till you see Port washington on the horizon, then turn left and settle in between a red Sea Ray(red rider) and a white Starcraft(Brenda J)your sure to be on the motherlode.
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Excellent idea to keep going west till you see Port washington on the horizon, then turn left and settle in between a red Sea Ray(red rider) and a white Starcraft(Brenda J)your sure to be on the motherlode.
