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Original post by Brian McKee(Brimcowa) on April 8, 2003
These are some of the points that I always keep in mind when deciding where to fish...
Weather:
If it's high and dry and the water is stable, I'll go to the deep holes during daylight, usually found on the outside bends esp. around logjams or bridge pilings. Cats don't like alot of sunlight so finding deep water is tantamount because it not only offers freedom of movement out of the sun but protection from predators, like you and me! Any good shade on the surface just above a deep hole is a good place to start as well! If the sun is just going down (low light periods are feeding magnets) I try to position myself above the hole in shallower water where the cats like to roam when night/lowlight feeding.
If it's raining or has just stopped, I will go to areas that have just succumbed to rising water. The cats will move in there to gorge on frogs and nightcrawlers and what-all else that come out to escape the rising water. Another good spot is near the mouth of a creek where it empties into deeper/larger water where the cats will stack up waiting for anything that might get washed down into the main body of water. This is especially effective in the slack areas just off of the main current. Cats are lazy and so they find a slack spot where they can sit and stick their nose around the corner to test the wind (so to speak).
Timing:
No matter what time of day, any time is a good time to fish! With this in mind, always remember that 90% of the fish are only to be found in 10% of the water! If you stick to structure, especially on lakes and/or impoundments, such as submerged trees, stumps, rocks and the like, you're halfway there! Early in the day I like to stick close to deep water keeping in mind that fish are most comfortable sticking close to structure, especially the kind that offers cover for their prey. I fish strictly rivers and with that said, I stay in or just above deep holes where my bait scent can drift down to the cats that may be hiding in the hole or underneath deadfall and logjams that offer shade, cover and protection and much deeper water than the surrounding area. Sometimes a logjam can have water over thirty feet deeper than the surroundings. Keeping upstream of these usually keeps you out of the snags...yeah, right! I know that if I stay just above deep water, especially at sundown, I am taking advantage of any cats who hear my dinner bell and are preparing to feed as the food chain wakes up. This is why we always seem to get most of our skeeter bites at low light periods. This is when the food chain is most active. Of course, if we had a boat, we wouldn't suffer so much. My advice? Don't eat bananas...wear dark clothing...long sleeves and pants are a must...bug spray must be kept off your hands. This is why I never fish without a bar of Pure & Natural soap along with me! something about DEET...
Transitions:
Any type of transition will do and I'm probably forgetting some. Fast to slack water. Deep to shallow. Sunny to shady. Sandy/gravelly to muddy. Cloudy to clear. cold to warm. These last two are usually most apparent, and are found, right after a rain around creek mouths. I hope that some of these tips are found helpful and get you to noticeing the little things and puts more fish on your stringer than on your "partner's".
These are some of the points that I always keep in mind when deciding where to fish...
Weather:
If it's high and dry and the water is stable, I'll go to the deep holes during daylight, usually found on the outside bends esp. around logjams or bridge pilings. Cats don't like alot of sunlight so finding deep water is tantamount because it not only offers freedom of movement out of the sun but protection from predators, like you and me! Any good shade on the surface just above a deep hole is a good place to start as well! If the sun is just going down (low light periods are feeding magnets) I try to position myself above the hole in shallower water where the cats like to roam when night/lowlight feeding.
If it's raining or has just stopped, I will go to areas that have just succumbed to rising water. The cats will move in there to gorge on frogs and nightcrawlers and what-all else that come out to escape the rising water. Another good spot is near the mouth of a creek where it empties into deeper/larger water where the cats will stack up waiting for anything that might get washed down into the main body of water. This is especially effective in the slack areas just off of the main current. Cats are lazy and so they find a slack spot where they can sit and stick their nose around the corner to test the wind (so to speak).
Timing:
No matter what time of day, any time is a good time to fish! With this in mind, always remember that 90% of the fish are only to be found in 10% of the water! If you stick to structure, especially on lakes and/or impoundments, such as submerged trees, stumps, rocks and the like, you're halfway there! Early in the day I like to stick close to deep water keeping in mind that fish are most comfortable sticking close to structure, especially the kind that offers cover for their prey. I fish strictly rivers and with that said, I stay in or just above deep holes where my bait scent can drift down to the cats that may be hiding in the hole or underneath deadfall and logjams that offer shade, cover and protection and much deeper water than the surrounding area. Sometimes a logjam can have water over thirty feet deeper than the surroundings. Keeping upstream of these usually keeps you out of the snags...yeah, right! I know that if I stay just above deep water, especially at sundown, I am taking advantage of any cats who hear my dinner bell and are preparing to feed as the food chain wakes up. This is why we always seem to get most of our skeeter bites at low light periods. This is when the food chain is most active. Of course, if we had a boat, we wouldn't suffer so much. My advice? Don't eat bananas...wear dark clothing...long sleeves and pants are a must...bug spray must be kept off your hands. This is why I never fish without a bar of Pure & Natural soap along with me! something about DEET...
Transitions:
Any type of transition will do and I'm probably forgetting some. Fast to slack water. Deep to shallow. Sunny to shady. Sandy/gravelly to muddy. Cloudy to clear. cold to warm. These last two are usually most apparent, and are found, right after a rain around creek mouths. I hope that some of these tips are found helpful and get you to noticeing the little things and puts more fish on your stringer than on your "partner's".
