What do you do when you are about to fish a new lake? I'm not talking about preparing for a tournament just normal fishing.

I like to look at the forecast and get fishing reports when available. Another thing I do is look at the navionics web app to scout locations that might be good. Google earth for nice satellite pictures. Lake levels.

After taking all that into consideration I rig 5 rods with what I expect to use.

Am I missing anything or am I doing too much? Since I'm still new at this I invite your opinions.

New water. I do a little map homework and just go fishing. Fish your strengths and break down what is working

Choose a boat ramp that has a dock within a few feet of the ramp, so I don't have to get wet loading the boat.

Check for ramp closures now days too. Review size limits/slots. Don't want to have a good day go bad with wrong sized fish.

I check the wind speed and direction then look at map me personally. Then I just fish my strengths. Definitely try and find a ramp with a dock also because I fish alone most of the time. I wanna enjoy my trip and not get beating down with wind and unloading and loading.

Map work, net research and tie on my confidence baits and cover water...

Factors to consider this time of year:

Where will I find the warmest water? (at non power plant lakes, this usually means the north-eastern quadrant of the lake in areas with heat retaining vegetation and structure) This area will get the most sunlight and gets warm air from a south wind. Spring fed creeks will have warmer water. On sunny days in the winter, stained, shallow water will warm up faster.

Where will I find the clearest water? If it's still raining or the lake is still rising; the dam and mouths of spring fed creeks will be clearest. If the lake level has stabilized or slowly dropping, the upper end of creeks and flats next to main creek channels will clear up fastest.

Plus 1

It doesn't matter if you are tournament fishing or fun fishing. Finding the fish is not a easy process. For every 20 spots fished you will find one of them holding good fish. Selecting one lake and spending about an hour on each spot until you have fished all the way around it is the key. If you select and mark 60 spots on your maps to fish you will have covered the lake very well.
- During this season try you best to fish after a 2 day warming trend if possible on a very calm day.
- Try to cover 3 spots each morning at day break to 9:00, looking for the shallow water fish first. On a cloudy calm day you will be able to fish shallow longer and cover more spots.
- It will take about 20 trips to cover the whole lake or your best 60 spots that you have selected.
- Double up on the 5 rods you are putting on the deck. 10 rods with at least 5 of them holding search baits like spinner baits, crank baits and top water will save valuable time during the 3 hour window.
- Cover water quickly fishing the visible cover first. Then go to your plastics to pitch, flip and Crig. to find the cover that is not visible along with a deeper diving crank in 5 ft. of water.
- After 9:00 continue these techniques and work your way out deeper from 5 to 10 ft.
- As mentioned fish your selected North Cuts first this time of year. Narrow long cuts or coves running East and West are also very good at holding the warmer water even if the wind blows out of the North. Coves, cuts and creeks with sharp bends running these directions are the best as it is almost impossible for the warm water to be be blown out to the main body of water.
- If you are not getting bit on your search baits spend the last 30 min. on each spot with your slow, slow presentations with a jig and your go to plastics.
- Fish stained water coves that have lots of shallow water running out to the creek. Also fish as far away as you can get, always looking for untouched water and new fish if possible.

This is the way that I think too!

Checking for any dangers on map study-Internet search. Pack some sammiches, fill tank with gas- remove rods from boat and go empty tank. Look in every crack and ditch u can get in. Next trip go fishing

Thanks to everyone that responded. Great information! You've given me many things to try on my next trip.

Navionics for PC and Google Earth. If you are fishing lakes that have been affected by drought the Google Earth is awesome because you can go back in time and see images of when the water levels were low and you can actually see underwater structure and point shapes.

Visit your local fishing forum and try this. "I am taking my great uncle fishing, I haven't seen him in 50 years, he served in WW I WW II, and Desert Storm, he only has 6 months to live and I would really like to put him on some fish, any help appreciated, not looking for your exact spots but you can pm me if you would like.

This ^^ and or, go on a tournament day. walk around early in the morning before take off at the tournament site and ask people who they think the best stick in the group is and have them point them out. Follow this boat all day long marking his spots.

Web app for sure