Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Nature's Clues for Fishermen

By Bob Long


Every lake is unique; the results of a great number of long term environmental factors that shape its development and ultimately its fish population. A typical guide for fishermen is that on any lake 90% of the fish are found on 10% of the water. As the seasons pass , fish react due to the natural changes in their environment particularly the level of absorbed oxygen and water temperature. When a fisherman looks at an unfamiliar expanse of water, he sees only a featureless surface. So choosing a fishing location can be tricky because every lake is different, but nature does provide some clues to the observant angler that will improve the chances of choosing a time and a location when the fish will be present and biting.

Experienced fishermen routinely watch what is going on around them searching for these clues to help unscramble the mysteries of fish behavior. The seasonal activities of fish frequently correspond to the flowering of certain plants, bird migrations and other events. For instance, white bass generally start spawning rituals at the same time the dogwood trees start flowering. But this striking event may vary as much as 3 weeks from one year to the following based mostly on the timing of  Spring and the expected change in temperature. So organizing a fishing outing strictly by the calendar won't always find white bass on their spawning beds but waiting for the dogwoods to bloom improves the odds of being there at the correct time. With this in mind many anglers keep a logbook of their findings to help them on future trips.

Another example is too find hints of the fall turnover in a lake by studying a sudden decline in water clarity. Turnover is the natural way of re-oxygenating the water but it also stirs up the bottom of the lake producing floating waste and drastically increasing turgidity. Oxygen levels will decrease for a short period and the fish typically turn off from feeding and scatter across the lake from surface to bottom. This situation typically lasts from 1-2 weeks, but when the turn is done, oxygen levels rise swiftly and the now hungry fish begin to feed again heralding in some of the finest angling of the year.

Knowledable anglers are always alert for the indicators of fish activity and search for crappies building their nests, large bass or pike feeding in the shallows or small fish dimpling the surface of a quiet bay. Polarized glasses help catch more fish because of their the ability to eliminate glare so that the angler can see under the outer surface of the water and more easily identify these activities.

Whether fishing from a boat, or from the shore or exploring the water with chest waders, there are several natural clues which can often be invaluable to all fishermen. The power to identify and act on these natural events is what distinguishes the great angler from the average one and nearly always leads to catching more fish.




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