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Fishing Intelligence (Guest Article)
If you always fish the same body of water, you pretty much know where to find fish because of smallie behavior and your experience. Because structure is slow to change, whether a rock pile, dead fall or a bar, once you learn a stream and which features hold fish, catching them is pretty simple. Exploring new fishing areas is more challenging and more problematic. How should you approach a new river or a new area and quickly get down to real fishing and not waste time beating the water to a froth? Presented here is not a single secret but rather a collection of tools that can help you locate the scaly bronze god on new water.
Au Canada
That first trip was a big hit and my kids had a ball. Because I lived on the Fox River in Illinois at the time, I couldn’t wait to do more fishing. I bought bunches of tackle and equipment, watched all the TV fishing shows and even read a few books but to no avail. For a solid year, I threw everything I could at the river and didn’t catch a single fish; nada, zip, nothing! Because I had experienced great fishing in Canada, I knew it was at least possible to catch fish, so I refused to give up, although this was a very frustrating and trying time for me. Finally, having reached my limit, I broke down one day in my local bait shop, and with tears streaming down my face, my lower lip quivering and my voice racked with sobs, I asked the question: “How in hell does anyone catch fish in this river, mister?” When he told me about lead-head jigs and minnows, my fishing success went from zero to nearly 100% immediately. The spell had been broken! I quickly discovered the difference between lake fishing and river fishing; namely variety and what a joy it was. On a typical day I would not only catch smallies but possibly northern pike, largemouth bass, stripers, walleye, crappie and blue gills in any combination. And after becoming adept at jig and minnow fishing, I had the confidence necessary to ease into using artificial lures. Can I get an “amen“?
Talk to Bait Shops
Hang Around Boat Ramps
Get Some Good Maps
Good maps are also available from Emergency Planning at most county courthouses. Because these are CAD files, I can get enlargements of specific areas I want to fish. The North Dakota State Highway Department offers General Highway (GH) Maps which include all roads, bridges, buildings, streams, rivers, lakes, impoundments and dams on a county by county basis. I have been fortunate to get GH maps of nearly every county in my state. The Highway Department also has good topographical maps, useful for getting a better understanding of the lay of the land and worth the minimal fees required for purchase. I use these sources for details of specific areas I want to explore and study the them carefully so I am can identify salient features such as sharp bends and feeder streams. These often are indicators of high percentage areas such as holes and natural feeding areas. Another map source is the U.S. Geological Survey. USGS maps can be ordered via internet (www.usgs.gov). Dozens of other map sources are also available via the internet.
Don’t Forget the Charts
Read and Listen
Contact Fish and Game
While on Fish and Game, I have serious reservations about their approach to fish habitat and I‘m not afraid to let them know. Up here, if F&G decides to build an impoundment for fishing and recreation, they simply knock down and remove all the trees in a ravine, dam up the small stream running down it and let it fill up with water. No consideration is given to structure, which I consider key for a healthy and abundant fish population. The new lake is little more than a basin of water. But my point here is not dwell my crusade for more structure but to encourage you to “stir the pot” with your local Fish and Game people. Too often they work in a vacuum and don’t get enough feedback from fishermen, be it good, bad or somewhere in between.
Check out the Bars
Talk to Landowners
After I had fished his ranch several times, he came to trust me and sent me to other ranches along the river where I might also fish if I asked permission. Using his name as an entrée, I got permission to fish every ranch where I asked. I now have a 100+ mile long river with almost no fishing pressure. On every ranch I’ve fished, the land owner has told me where the holes were located if asked. Because the river is so thin, I usually get around to talking about structure and how it can improve the fishery. Some pay little attention, not really having much interest in improving what they don’t use. Others have let me add structure and offered the use their equipment to get it done. Some few have paid close attention and have added structure themselves.
The point here is that landowners are a great resource and will usually point you in the right direction. Often they are not fishermen, but if you practice catch and release or take a few keepers home, they won’t have a problem. Take the time to get to know them, be good to your word, and you’ll often find them happy to see you enjoying the resource.
Here are some guidelines for fishing private property:
Finally, I’m no fishing expert. I still get skunked on occasion and it’s still a humbling experience. There must be other fishing intelligence tools I’ve overlooked. Don’t be shy about contacting me and sharing your knowledge. We’re in this together.
by Michael E. Little
Fishing Intelligence
This is not a question of how smart you are or how much you know about fishing. Fishing Intelligence is about gathering information that will help you become a more efficient fisherman. With just a handful of resources, it‘s possible to narrow your focus to only productive areas. The challenge of fishing a new body of water, much as a mountain climber seeks to conquer a new peak, is thrilling and if done successfully, very satisfying. This is the art of fishing.
No one taught me how to fish and, outside of a few trout I caught as a kid in Montana, I had no fishing skills. When my kids were very young, I started taking them on canoeing and camping trips in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Quetico Park of Ontario. For our first trip, I bought a cheap break-down spinning rod and reel set, along with some bobbers, hooks and sinkers in a effort to show my kids another dimension of the outdoor experience. Who knows, maybe we’ll even catch a fish! Despite my sectional rod flying apart occasionally and other comic relief, we caught lots of fish, mostly smallies, and they fought like tigers.
As my experience has shown, a key part of fishing intelligence is talking to the local bait shops, plural. By local, I mean local to the body of water you plan to fish. It is pointless to talk with a bait shop then drive a couple hundred miles to fish. All bodies of water are different. What works on one stretch of a river, may not work on another and what worked earlier in the year may not be effective when you go fishing next, so it’s important to choose a shop local to where you will be fishing and hit them just before wetting your line. These guys see fishermen come through their doors, day in and day out, and fishermen, as a group, are quick to relate what’s working for them and where the fish are active. And let’s face it, if the shop owner gives you good information and you have a good fishing experience, chances are you’ll be back to his shop. It’s in his interest to share information with his paying customers. And yes, I usually buy something I had “forgotten” and throw the guy some business while I pump him for information, but remember, there ain’t no cross over his door and he is there to make a buck.
An unusual situation exists where I live; folks here don’t fish for smallies. Most fishermen couldn‘t tell the difference between a large mouth and a small mouth! “Fishing” up here almost invariably means walleye, and smallies are seen as a rough fish and a general nuisance to successful walleye fishing. Because ’eyes and smallies often share much of the same habitat, walleye fishermen often pickup a few smallies by accident and promptly toss them back. Walleye fishermen can often be heard grumbling about “those damned bass.” Very few local anglers fish for these noble creatures and boat ramps are often a good source of intelligence. I try to take the time to quiz boaters while they are on the water, as they come in or as they are loading their boat. Because smallies are a “bother”, most fishermen are quick to tell me all about it; where they were caught and what they were caught on. Joy of joys; they don’t know what they are missing and I ain’t tellin’!
Where I live, most bait shops carry a map book called North Dakota Atlas and Gazetteer published by DeLorme (www.delorme.com). Chances are they publish one for your state. It shows every stream, river, lake, pond, canal and dam along with every freeway, highway, state road, county road and goat path; it has proven invaluable for identifying likely fishing spots and access to them. I recently was able to find and fish a great spot on the Missouri River. This river is wide and the water thin except in the main channel. If you don’t fish the breaks between the main channel and the thin stuff, you won’t catch much. The Gazetteer identified the main channel and reading it carefully, I targeted areas where the channel comes closest to shore so I could fish a high percentage area and not waste time fishing non-productive waters. Great book and I never leave home without it.
Depending on conditions, I occasionally fish lakes and impoundments. Just as with rivers, the 90/10 rule is in effect (90% of fish are in 10% of the water) and charts are invaluable for putting me in more productive water. In many ways, lakes and impoundments are more difficult to fish because most features are hidden below the water’s surface. There are no likely holes, no current breaks and often no visible structure. Without the aid of electronics or charts, a lot of time can be wasted fishing non-productive water. Knowing smallie behavior and the type of habitat they prefer, I can study a chart and identify likely areas before I even see water. My fishing partner and I figure out where we are going to fish a body of water, where we will start and the route we will take from point to point. This means we can fish without wasting time and this pre-planning helps us focus. Some anglers scoff at the notion of charts, feeling they are just as effective using their electronics. Don’t believe it. Identify the likely areas on a chart first, then, once you are on the water, position your boat or canoe and use your electronics to narrow the search. This is a real time saver.
Often local newspapers and radio stations carry fishing reports, as do various internet sites. Pay attention to them. It’s not unusual for fishing to be flat on one body of water while fishermen are tearing ’em up on another. When this is the case, you need information as close to “real time” (what’s happening now) as possible and daily reports are an effective way to get this intelligence. If the information is from yesterday or the day before, it is relatively fresh and should be fairly dependable. However, if the info is a month old, it may be useless. The only intelligence closer to “real time” are boat-to-boat CB and VHF radio reports you can monitor while on the water. But be warned; there is a lot of disinformation being passed this way with boats using code words to mislead eavesdroppers and put their fishing partners onto fish. I generally ignore this type of chatter.
"Exploring new fishing areas is more challenging and more problematic. How should you approach a new river or a new area and quickly get down to real fishing and not waste time beating the water to a froth?"
In my state, our Fish and Game Department is a valuable source of information. They have put together a terrific web site (www.state.nd.us/gnf) that has downloadable charts for nearly every body of water in the state. If you want to find a different state’s web site substitute the state abbreviation for the “nd” in the above address and drop the “gnf.“ In addition, they have downloadable stocking lists that let me target areas where smallies have been stocked. I email questions or complaints to them fairly frequently and have visited the to speak with their biologists and enforcement people. They have always taken the time to address my concerns. If you spend a great deal of time outdoors, like I do, chances are you will see things that will surprise you. Like the 18” lizard I almost tripped over while smallie fishing below a dam. Almost scared me to death! I emailed Fish and Game and they reported it was a tiger salamander. Wading and canoeing has allowed me to see some amazing wildlife and I often turn to Fish and Game for help. They are not the be all and end all however; my fishing partner and I spotted a river otter and called F&G to report it but were told none existed in the area and “it must have been a beaver.” Hell, I was raised by beavers and this weren’t no beaver!
I don’t spend much time is bars but I’m not afraid to hoist a couple beers and talk to the local folks. These watering holes are great places to gather intelligence on local fishing spots, water access, fishing pressure, effective baits, etc. Don’t be afraid to buy a few beers if you’re getting good info. When you walk into a bar, remember, you’re on a mission. Sit down next to the most likely looking guy; usually “outdoorsy” looking and are generally friendly enough. Start a conversation and don’t be shy. Remember, you’re on a mission! Pump him, get some answers and buy him a beer. Repeat as needed.
Thirty miles from my home is one of the most beautiful river valleys you could imagine. I determined to find the property owner and after several wrong turns, I drove down a 1 ½ mile long driveway, pulled up in front of a ranch house. With the dogs barking, the rancher came out to see what all the commotion was. My first words were, “I am a bass fishing fanatic and….” I asked for permission to fish his stretch of river and he quickly gave it, but smiled and said there were no fish in the river. I pulled my favorite rig out of the truck and together, we walked the 50 yards down to the water. As I began casting into a likely looking spot, he stood at my elbow, quizzing me on who I was, what I did, etc. Within 10 minutes, I pulled 5 nice smallies out of that hole. He was amazed and I was so proud I could bust. He asked if I would teach his son how to fish. Hell, yes!
The Fishing Book
Earlier, I mentioned the downloadable files from the Fish and Game website. Using these downloads, I put together a hardcover binder that has stream and river maps, lake charts, stocking lists and fishing regulations. I printed everything out on drilled paper made for a three ring binder and I keep the book in my truck If you use manual fishing logs sheets, a book like this is a good place to keep them. Because I always carry my fishing gear with me, I am always ready to fish, no matter where I am in the state and this book has proven to be a valuable resource.
Published on River Smallies.com with permission
This is Michael's third contribution to River Smallies.com. He can be reached at michaelelittle@earthlink.net.