What comprises a good fishing spot? The simple answer is – A good spot is where you catch fish. This is certainly true, but there are subtleties in various locations that will increase your odds of success. Here are some characteristics for a great fishing spot you should consider.

A Legal and Safe Spot to Fish

This is common sense, but I have seen anglers in pursuit of a catch ignore these most basic items. It is certainly important that the fishing location is legal. You should not be poaching on private lands or in areas that are off limits to fishing. It is also typically restricted to fish in locations designated for swimming. There are locations that the state or federal governments restrict fishing on specific waters. These can be found in the anglers’ regulation guide for each state. There are YouTube videos of angler vs. landowner conflicts and these can escalate beyond reason and are best avoided from the start.

It is certainly important to fish safely and there are many hazards for the fisherman which could limit fishing access. Is the site away from power lines and trees that could limit casting? Does it provide secure footing in deep water or areas of strong current? When boat fishing, is the area safe to navigate without running aground? Is the area clear of hazards like poison ivy or difficult animals or snakes?

A Spot Where the Fish Are

Fish certainly move around the water both in location and depth, but they often are prevalent in specific locations due to time of year/day, water temperature, bottom composition among other key factors. It is best to find a body of water that is known for your target species and narrow the location to specific spots from there.

You can locate bodies of water using maps from state or federal fisheries departments, fishing applications that have location capability and also using online maps such as Google maps with the satellite view enabled.

When fishing in flowing water such as streams or rivers, fish will not be evenly distributed throughout the water. It is best to find a current break (rock or tree), a deeper pool or an undercut bank (where the current flows) and concentrate on these locations for fishing. Also, any change in water pattern such as a stream flowing into a larger stream can be key spots to target.

Largemouth Bass

Bass tend to be opportunistic feeders and eat a wide variety of food. They rely on cover and ambush as their primary method of feeding. They tend to congregate at structure such as weed lines, pockets or free space within a weed bed, rock outcroppings, felled trees or branches or other areas such as boat or swim docks.

Docks can be highly successful locations for Bass fishing. They attract small fish which the larger Bass feed on and supply cover for ambush feeding. When looking for a dock location for fishing, to try it is best to find one that has minimal swim or boat traffic to minimize noise and disruption to the Bass. You can use baits that can get close to or under the dock and then fall vertically. It is also important to assure your line and rod is strong enough to pull the Bass from under the dock as they can easily get tangled in dock supports or ropes.

Trout

Trout tend to be more selective feeders than Bass and less oriented to physical structures. They relate to structures particularly in streams, as mentioned above, but not as much in lakes. In lakes they are typically found where the prey is and where water temperature and oxygenation are maximized. They relate often to and area called the thermocline which is the boundary between warm surface water and cooler deeper waters. Trout tend to align and feed at the upper boundary of the thermocline. In most shallower lakes it is best to just target the deepest pools of at least 15/20 feet in depth. You can look to troll along the thermocline boundary with spoons by using added weights directly to the line or via a downrigger setup.

Active vs. Passive Feeding

Fish are either actively feeding or not. This might seem like an obvious statement. There are times that fish are actively pursing prey either due to availability, hunger, or time of day. The most vigorous view of active feeding is the Bluefish blitz in saltwater where they herd schools of bait together and thrash through them. This is one of the most exciting times for an angler as it is quite easy to catch fish in the frenzy of activity. When Bluefish are actively feeding in this manner, they are typically not picky on the bait or presentation from the angler and will strike anything.

In freshwater, the evening or Spring fly hatches often tempt Trout to actively feed at the surface which you can see on calm waters. This also can be an easy opportunity to catch fish, but Trout are often picky and will only bit on the same size and type of fly that is actively hatching. As an angler you need to try to “match the hatch” as closely as possible. Try to find a fly/bait of comparable size, profile, color and look to present it in a way like the hatch on the water and you will be successful.

I would be interested in hearing of fishing success. Please send any constructive feedback or suggestions. You can contact me by email [email protected].

Tight lines … Captain P.