I understand the basics of reading a lake map but where I struggle and always have is understanding what I am looking at and how it correlates to finding fish. Since I don’t have a boat nor do I know anyone with a boat its tough to get out and figure out the actual lay of the lakes and how it corresponds with what the map is saying. That being said when it comes to looking at a map and finding places to start fishing I am generally at a loss, and most of the time I end up falling into my old routine of following the hords when ice hits (which is when I do most of my fishing), and the only thing that lots of shacks mean is that there are lots of people, not necessarily that the fishing is good.
My plan this year for ice fishing is not to hit a bunch of different lakes because the “report” is good but to put all of my focus into one lake, learn it, love it, and catch the crap out of fish, but my goal is not just to catch fish but to catch big fish and I know the lake that I am going to fish holds them I just don’t know where.
Here is the map of the lake I am talking about. I have annotated a few spots.
The Red box to the east of the boat ramp is where a majority of guys put there permanents, now I am not sure if that is because the ice on this lake can sometimes be a little dicey do to supposive underwater springs (never seen evidence of them) and late waterfowl inhabitants keeping the middle open. I have fished over here a few times and caught a few small walleyes but nothing to write home about.
The Green box to the west of the boat ramp sees a lot of action, why I don’t know I have never caught anything there, and markers even less and I have drilled a BUNCH of holes in that area.
The big Blue box in the middle basin area of the lake is where a majority of the people who fish this lake go. Now I have caught a lot of perch out of there, its pretty much a mud flat and thats about it little if any depth changes in that area even though it says there is.
The Purple box on the east shoreline is roughly the area that has a bunch of flooded trees, never wet a line there nor have I ever seen anyone over there.
The Yellow box down in the south part of the lake is where I do a majority of my spring wader fishing and have caught some very nice fish down there, but that area again tends to hold waterfowl very late so I see very few if any people down there ever (maybe that is where the springs are at I don’t know).
I am trying to because more and more of a walleye fisherman and love this lake not only for the size of fish I know it can produce but also the close proximety to home. The one thing I have always notice with GOOD walleye fisherman is they understand the fish and what they are relating too depending on the time of year and that is the part of the game I am still learning.
If there is anyone here from my area that wants to team up this year and find the fish in this lake let me know I could use a good fishing partner. [image][/image]
