Finding Fish using a map

[blitzhunter]

Here is some helpful information about reading maps and finding fish when fresh water fishing. Don't know if I can post this but I am showing the link.
http://www.fishinghotspots.com/library/chapter_5_1.html

Part 1


Finding Fish on a Map
Fish spend most of their time in sanctuaries--holed up where they are safe and comfortable(adequate oxygen and acceptable temperature). Except in extreme cases, fish sanctuaries are the deepest pockets in a defined area that includes access to food. A fish's instinctive behavior limits the boundaries of its territory.
One theory of fish behavior contends all species of fish move from their sanctuaries to areas where they actively feed. Hunger triggers movement. When their stomachs are full, they return to their sanctuaries.
Another theory maintains that weather and light activate fish movement. Low pressure storm fronts stimulate fish to move and feed. When the front passes and the weather clears, fish are less active and are found tight to cover. Regardless of what causes fish movement, expect them to move regularly within a set territory.

http://www.fishinghotspots.com/images/038_light_weather.jpg
Light and weather influence the movement and feeding patterns of fish


Another principle of fish behavior is all movement takes place along defined routes. Fish orient themselves with certain features of their underwater environment and travel set pathways between feeding areas and holding areas (see image below).

http://www.fishinghotspots.com/images/038_path.jpg

[blitzhunter]

Part II

While it is possible to catch fish suspended over deep water, or when they move into deep, structure free water, your chances of catching them are much greater as they migrate or feed in the shallows.
A map will help you find all three important fish zones: sanctuaries, travel routes, and feeding areas. The map search process can be best done by first identifying likely feeding areas.
Many types of fish--crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, walleye, northern pike, muskie, large trout to cite a few--feed on minnows or forage fish. Schools of minnows thrive in warm water. If you are fishing for minnow feeders, start at the shoreline where the water will be warm. While you are going over the shoreline on your map, find areas that will hold schools of minnows--places that have vegetation, or brush piles, or where artificial fish attractors have been secured.
The shore areas you picked out will only be visited regularly by gamefish if they have easy access to the spot and a definite and protected route to get there. Here is where a fishing map becomes the invaluable tool.

Gamefish often prefer relatively deep water near their feeding grounds. Look at each possible shoreline foraging area you found and check the surroundings for much deeper water. If you find none, chances are the spot will be unproductive. The opposite is true, however. If you find a sharp drop-off near a shoreline brush pile, fish will be there dining on minnows.


http://www.fishinghotspots.com/images/040_shallow.jpg (http://www.fishinghotspots.com/library/chapter_5_page_40_image.html)Figure 1 illustrates a shoreline area with shallow (warm) water, but weeds, wood and other forms of cover are lacking. The off-shore area has a slow gradual drop with no discernible deep hole or evidence of structure to create a sanctuary. This area offers little to attract fish and should not be your first choice fishing spot.


http://www.fishinghotspots.com/images/041_ledge.jpg (http://www.fishinghotspots.com/library/chapter_5_page_41_image.html)Figure 2 shows a weedbed with lily pads and other weeds on a 5-foot flat--a natural for minnows. At the edge of the flat the water drops sharply to 20 feet, and just beyond the 20-foot level is a hole that is 33 feet deep. Fish often move from shallow feeding areas and suspend nearby over deep water. They can easily move from the deep water to the weed and pad growth. It is a short swim to the minnow haven where they will feed.

[blitzhunter]

Part II

You found two shallow areas. One is a hot spot; the other is not. The information on your fishing map tells you to concentrate on one and avoid the other.
http://www.fishinghotspots.com/images/042_bright.jpgYou have also found a secondary place to catch fish by map reading. If you fish the weeds and pads and wind up empty, cast all along the route connecting their feeding area and deep water. You will need jigs and deep-diving plugs to probe the area.
What is the best way to fish their regular route? Will the fish be heading to the shore or back to their holding area? In summer, when fish metabolic rates are highest, they need to make numerous forays to feeding territories. The cooler the water, the less often they feed.
http://www.fishinghotspots.com/images/42_low_light.jpgFor sake of discussion, let's assume you find no fish in the shallows. Your next step is to position yourself over deeper water along the drop-off. Before you make a cast, look at the amount and direction of light. Next determine wind direction. If you find sunlight beaming down from a high sky--as it would from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm--fish the deepest end of the break. Remember fish tend to avoid light. If the sun is low and does not illuminate the water substantially, let the wind direction determine where you will fish.

[blitzhunter]

Part IV

Wind on the surface of the water moves baitfish and other foods. Predators wait at an ambush point (in the diagram below, on the leeward side of the hump.) for food to blow into their range. You want to cast your bait into the wind and retrieve it in the direction of the water flow. This presentation best simulates actual fish feeding conditions.
http://www.fishinghotspots.com/images/043_wind.jpgLastly, you can fish the deep water for suspended fish if the pads, weeds, and routes in between do not produce. Since suspended fish can be anywhere between the bottom and surface, a depthfinder is essential for determining the proper depth to present your bait.
A map with a north arrow or compass rose will assist you in making choices where to fish. If the wind is blowing a gale, some windswept areas will be unsafe. A map will tell you which coves will be calm and fishable and which will not. A map can also be used to find the safest possible route to calm waters. You may also choose not to fish one body of water because a south wind, for example, churns it to an unfishable froth. Another lake that is narrow and runs from east to west would be a much less windy choice. Your fishing maps make most of your angling choices far easier and directly geared to catching fish.
Top-of-the-line fishing maps, such as those produced by FHS Maps, include a section of proven tips and techniques to enhance your fishing. Angling experts put together a list of hot baits and techniques that are helpful in getting you started on the lake or reservoir. These maps put you a quantum leap ahead of the user of a plain contour map.