Fishing New Waters

Have you ever traveled to a new lake to fish it for the first time? Many anglers, including myself, enjoy the prospect of a "clean canvas that you can learn and potentially add to your list of favorite lakes. If you're like me, you may have come away from that first visit with a successful day on the water. How do you feel when that happens? Most of us understand that successfully fishing an unknown body of water that first day depends mostly on luck. On the other side of the coin, consider the things that could go wrong on a new body of water. Is there sufficient parking at the access? Do you know where there may be unmarked hazards (rocks/trees in summer and thin ice/springs in the winter)? Do you know the water clarity and the typical prey for that lake? How will you feel if you fish all day in the wrong spot and get skunked? Most of the aforementioned risks can be averted by doing a little homework ahead of time. There are many great forums and online resources for you to study a new lake beforehand. A few minutes invested at a local bait shop will generally give you an idea of the presentation that is working and the depth they are at. I've done this many times. Some days it works, other days it doesn't. Since my career keeps me exceptionally busy off the water, I have limited free time and it's never fun to come away from a day on the water or ice feeling like you could have done much better. Recently, I've have learned the benefits of swallowing my pride and hiring a guide. If you are a prostaffer, this seems backwards right? Many of your friends, family or colleagues may look to you for fishing advice and enjoy the time you spend showing them some tips and tricks. However, hiring a guide can be a sound investment in your fishing skills and boost the overall knowledge that you can use to your benefit in the future. Here are some of the reasons I'd suggest considering a guide when taking on new water. 1. Know the lake: I know that lake maps have significantly improved over the years; however the only true way to know a lake is to spend a lot of time fishing it. In addition, some lakes have special regulations that you'll want to be aware of. These can be anything from bait limitations to slot size and reduced limits. 2. Learning a new technique: On a fishing trip this spring, we would troll walleye rigs since that's what always worked in the past. When this was not successful in proven fish producing areas, we needed to switch to a jig and minnow. This required a different technique that I had never perfected in the past. However, with a guide, I learned how to read what the jig was doing and detect the bites after improving my presentation. 3. Reading the fish response Most guides spend countless hours on the lakes they guide and they understand where they will find the fish at different times of the day. When spending a day fishing with them, you should be a sponge and try to ask questions and absorb as much as you can. 4. Following the fish movements When on the ice, do you know how long to stay in one place before moving again? A guide will help you understand when fish are schooled or mobile and how you can tailor your approach to stay on top of them. 5. Trying new tackle We all have our favorite lures. Why is that? Because they are the ones we have used with most success in the past. However, just because a certain lure worked well historically, doesn't mean it is your best choice. Your guide will know which lures are working best for your target species and the time of year. They can also teach you the techniques for fishing that lure successfully. Again, this adds to you skills and even a few more tools in the tacklebox. Considering what you will spend on gas/bait/time on the water and ice over the years to come, a day with a guide is a very reasonable investment that you can enjoy the dividends for many years. By doing this, I have actually become a much better fisherman and have enjoyed increased success on a much bigger variety of lakes.