With eyes focused on his mapping and his forward-facing sonar, Steve Brown searches
for crappie in new water. Prior to launching the boat, Brown has already reviewed maps
for potential locations to find crappie. (Photo: Richard Hines)
Fishing New Water: When, Where and How
by Richard Hines
Every angler has faced the challenge; you are heading to a new lake that you know little or nothing about. You think to yourself, “this is a no brainer, this lake must be loaded with crappie.”
While you might assume it makes no difference where you start, chances are, doing a little preliminary homework will increase your odds of success. That was the case a couple of months back when I went fishing Steve Brown, a successful tournament angler with numerous wins under his belt, not to mention a member of the B’n’M Pro Staff.
I posed this question to Steve because I was planning a trip to a recently constructed lake near my home in Kentucky. As we were watching his Garmin LiveScope I thought I would take advantage of some professional advice.
Just as he began laying out his “to do list” for fishing new water, my phone rang. It was my oldest son, Shawn, who lives in Paris, Texas. He said, “Dad, I’m heading to a new lake near Paris that I have never fished, got any suggestions on how I should pick the spot to start.”
I said, “well your timing is perfect” and I passed the phone over to Steve who began carefully describing step-by-step on how to tackle new water.
Steve said, “The first question you should always ask yourself when approaching new water, ‘what season of the year is it.’ The season of the year determines the location you should choose.”
Location, Location, Location
It was late May so with summer approaching, crappie were beginning to adjust their patterns. Early summer finds crappie moving from the shallow areas where spawning has wrapped up in which case, they should be moving away from what we call “normal” woody cover in either shallows or around drop-offs. Steve describes where he starts:
Topographic and Lake Maps
Of course, modern electronics often provide detailed lake maps of the places you are headed. But sometimes old school methods work just as well, or better.
Many newer lakes should have original topographic maps still available online or for sale in local bait shops. If you find regional US Geological Survey maps for the area – usually available online or sometimes at local outlets, they are perfect as they show land features and old roads or even building where fish might be hanging out.
These maps are important when finding key habitats during the post spawning period in late spring and early summer. Deeper water is where they will remain throughout most of the summer. This allows crappie to stage during hot weather particularly in lakes where a thermocline may develop. Not all lakes will have thermoclines, which is the zone between warm water and cooler less oxygenated water on the bottom of the lake. Lakes with a “flow through” with locks or electrical generators don’t always develop thermoclines.
Steve told Shawn, “The first areas I would look for particularly during post spawn patterns are secondary points and areas along the main river or large creek channels particularly those with ledges or steep drops. Once you find these, start using your side imaging along these points. Crappie should be staging in 8 to 12 feet of water in most lakes.
“As water begins warming up during the summer months, you may be hunting them at 16-to-22 feet. Also keep in mind that next spring, as crappie begin returning to a spawning pattern, they will move into 2-to-8 feet of water with structure. As they move into and later out of spawning cover, crappie will choose old ditches and creek channels as they make these movements.”
Steve said, look for these and the quickest way to find these potential travel corridors are your electronics, if you have them, or topo maps.
Talk and Visit
Talk and visit with other anglers. Sure, fishermen are often a closed-mouth bunch, but most folks will share useful general information – and sometimes more.
Steve said “it is impossible to know exactly what depth crappie may be hanging out especially when fishing new water, so take time to visit and talk with other anglers who might be around local bait shops. You don’t have to know the exact location of their private honey hole, but you can find out what depth they caught fish, where they on points, or in brush, and what locations are producing, you get the idea. In any case, it may be just enough information to begin your search.”
I like stopping at local “mom and pop” bait shops. Since I collect old tackle, these small bait shops usually have an old motor, minnow bucket or lures hanging on the wall which helps start of my conversation. These small businesses depend on small sales, so always buy a few baits they might suggest or maybe a sandwich and a soft drink might lead to a conversation about local conditions. One thing for sure, these small shops want you to be successful so you will come back.
And most areas have online fishing discussion websites or larger bait shops and marinas provide online fishing reports.
Steve and I were fishing at Ross Barnett Lake near Ridgeland, Mississippi. The Mississippi Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks provides online fishing reports for the most popular lakes in the state.
Ross Barnett was new water for both of us and in addition to reading reports and talking to locals, Steve emphasized the importance of reviewing topographic maps, electronic or otherwise.
“Local knowledge and topographic maps are by far your best tool for new water and of course always keep the season in mind.”
The calendar tells you the “When,” maps show you the “Where” and “How” comes from local knowledge.
Richard Hines is a Wildlife Biologist, book author and award winning freelance outdoor writer and photographer. Hines enjoys fishing and exploring new fishing water in a kayak, especially small lakes other anglers overlook. Since 1985, Hines has published hundreds of articles on hunting, fishing, conservation, and natural history.
