So your the occasional weekend angler who comes out and wonders why guides can catch so many fish, while your left scratching your head at the end of the day. What a lot of anglers don't realize is that theres a few simple tricks in knowing what to look for when heading out for the day.

Step #1

Season/Weather

This can seem overwhelming with all the kinds of different changes of weather and wind/ time of day. One thing to remember is White bass/ Hybrids are more active during low light conditions. A overcast cloudy day is one of the best time to fish if the conditions are just right. Also remember wind pushes the plankton which then the shad follow, which is why wind blown main lake points are great fishing area's. Windy days are often better fishing than calm clear days. Around 60 degree water temp the fish begin to spawn, usually March - April which is why May can be some of the best fishing year round.

Anything below 60 degree water temp December - Febuary we usually do Deadsticking which is were you drop your slab below the boat and fish it vertically very slow. Alot of anglers use a Rubber mallet on the side of the boat and make a "knocking noise" which attracts them closer to the boat. Fish tend to be above or near where the Thermocline is, where they can get the most oxygen at the most comfortable depth.

Here's a great app which covers everything dealing with Season/weather conditions, and can tell you where to fish and what to fish with.

www.myfishingadvisor.com

Step #2

"Fishing spots"

This is a big one that alot of anglers misunderstand. There is no perfect "spot" when dealing with White/Hybrids. If that were true Guides wouldn't need to take you out but once, and then you would know where to go. Yes, there are key area's which are more likely to hold more fish, but i can promise you that you wont always have the same results today when fishing like you did before. Whites/Hybrids use deep river/creek channels as paths to locations that hold baitfish including humps, points, and shallower flats. They do not generally stay in the same location very long, so you might have to search several locations before finding good populations.

Find the baitfish, once you do that the fish wont be far behind them.

Step #3

Boats

One thing that happens a lot is you will find an area that might be crowded with 20 boats, and then all of a sudden they will be spread out or often have left the area. People tend to see birds working an area, and the fish will "boil" an area feeding like crazy. One thing that is bad about this is you will find yourself "following" other boats because people will find an area with fish and run there big motors and scare them away. Thats why when you see a bunch of boats in an area but are spread out and not bunched up, you know that the fish were there and schooling but have left. What a lot of anglers don't realize is that if you stay in the same spot they will usually come back.

Use this to your advantage when looking for fish. It will give you an idea of where they've been and often times where there going.

Step #4

Electronics

This is probably the most important one of them all. The right electronics is the most important tool on your boat. This will allow you to find the fish quicker and save your time instead of guessing if an area has fish or not. Technology has given us the ability to cover large amounts of water in less time with Side Imaging. The traditional 2D sonar limits the information we get on areas for just looking under the boat, but with Side Imaging you are able to see 240 feet on both sides of the boat. Having a good Topographic map on your unit is key also. The ability to locate area's like deep river/creek channels, humps, points, and shallower flats makes it so much easier than just trying to remember where you last caught those fish before and finding a tree to line up where the spot is. If you can afford a nice boat then a couple extra grand won't matter since having it out weights the benefits of not having it.


I hope this helps some of you, the list could go on forever. I feel as if those best describe what i look for when going out fishing.