Hey guys so this year I'm trying to level up from the usual "fish wherever feels right" mentality I've had my first two years of fishing. I got a roof rack and access to a kayak so I'll be going out to my favorite small local lake here in NY and trying to learn it properly once the weather goes above 40 degrees consistently.
On this contour map I've drawn some rough lines from what I believe their wintering grounds are to some potential spawning spots and I'm just hoping to get some insight from some experienced anglers.
The northwest seems the most fitting since we get a ton of lilypads there come summer (hard ground to spawn??) but they spawn in multiple areas, right?
I'm also not 100% sure if they just winter in the deepest parts of the lake so any insight is extremely appreciated, thank you!!
The very northeast corner is a dam btw.
Posted by nzthdth
5 Comments
Once you’re fishing when you say you’ll be out, definitely hit those deeper immediate drop offs near the dam. That steeper wall south east of the dam and the point circled in the first image will likely be some of your best bets too. I’ve definitely seen them bed in areas where pads will eventually grow, (sometimes there is good silt/sand immediately beneath the muddy looking ground.) If that underwater island (south east circled in image 2) has a silty bottom I would argue that is one of the best spawning grounds due to it being more out of reach of shore dangers for the bass. All the places you highlighted for fishing look good and your plan looks good. As you start to fish, keep an eye out for last year’s beds and remember exactly how and where you are catching fish because 90% of the fish in the lake will be along a similar pattern. Good luck!
Wherever it’s shallow, gravel, and sandy is your best bet. I’d honestly just go around the whole lake along the bank if it’s possible in one session to really figure it out though.
I think you’re on the right track. The area on the west side circled in the first photo is the type of area I’ve been hitting a lot lately. They will use the steep banks on the north and east to travel to the shallow spawning areas. Ultimately they will spawn in the shallow areas you’ve identified and will use the routes you’ve identified to travel. It’s a small enough lake I would start at a spawning area and fish your way backward along the route. When you get a sense of where the fish are on that route, then it should be replicable on the other routes.
Alright so I’m very close to you, just across the border by tuxedo. Checked out the lake and you lucked out here, as this is maybe the most textbook lake to predict spawn movements I’ve ever seen.
The obvious over winter spot is right by the dam, and you already know the clear best spawning cove. This means you can know with a very high degree of confidence that the fish are either in one of those places, or somewhere on a line between them. The biggest fish in the lake take the best spots, so if there’s chunks in there they’ll be somewhere on that line.
And the last cool part here is that the shoreline that connects these two places is a very steep bank that (from the very limited pictures I could find on Google) has some rock on it.
Good news here is that the only thing bass love more than steep banks in early spring is rock. The rocks warm up fast and the steep shoreline allows them to move vertically easily without having to burn a ton of energy.
So my game plan would be start at the cove and fish down that bank towards the dam, then turn around and do it again until you need to go home. This time of year I’d spend all day on that bank.
I would honestly be throwing a big swimbait but assuming you don’t have the gear for that, honestly I’d bring a chatterbait or two, a couple jigs, a jerkbait, and a drop shot. I don’t think you need anything more than that.
I would check out that hump on the right side. Shallow ambush areas with deeper water close by. They will sit deeper there and come up to feed as the water warms. Good jerbait spot.