One of my favorite things about fishing is learning new lakes. I take meticulous notes every time I go out and then on rainy days when I am bored I compile my notes into my “Lake Notes” document. Notes on some of my favorite lakes can be found on our Lake Information page. This gives you the advantage the next time you head to that lake, which is especially important for anglers that fish tournaments on a variety of waters.
However, many anglers are often intimidated by going to a new water body and would rather stick with the waters they know. I completely understand and always have an extra shot of confidence when I am on my “home” waters. I myself have multiple times fell into a rut for these lakes and felt the need to try something new. The best anglers are the ones that are constantly learning. This may be new areas, new techniques or even just finding a new spot or bait on their favorite area. I love exploring new areas and here I am going to break down how I go about approaching these new water bodies.
Homework Assignment
It is important to come with a plan well before you get to the lake. It is like a homework assignment meant to prepare you for the test. Luckily, this test is a day on the water. The beauty of technology is that so much information is available at our finger tips and we can learn a lot about a lake before we even get there. The first step is deciding where we want to fish. Everyone talks about the “hot bite”, but honestly by the time word gets out the angling pressure, weather changes or other factors has probably already scattered these fish and the old saying “should have been here yesterday” starts finding itself being used more and more. Whether you are going to fish the “hot” lake or just a lake you want to try this outline is how I approach every single “new” body of water I am going to fish.
Step One: South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Website (or similar)
This is the first website I look because I know it will have the most accurate up to date information. GFP managed lakes are easily searchable and majority of them will have survey information, contour maps, stocking reports and any other necessary information.
The first thing I like to look at is the survey data. This helps me get an accurate idea of the size and quantity of fish in the lake. I might see that there is a lot of 15-20 inch walleye or I might see that there is a lot of 20-25+ inch walleye. This impacts my decision. I also can look at the other fish in the system and that gives me an idea as to what the forage is. If I see a lot of small perch sampled, I know walleye are probably feeding on them. If there is fathead minnows in the system that could be the bait they are feasting on. This report generally will give me some good information on the size and abundance of the species I am after as well as an idea as to how the system is functioning. It may also even give a secchi depth, this is how far the visibility is in the water. This means I know if I’ll be faced with dirty or clear water.
The contour map helps me get an idea of the lake and what type of areas I’m going to be fishing. I might see some humps, points or other good areas adjacent to deep water and decide to set up there. If these are not present, drilling contour lines, flats and basin type areas could be the best play. This also helps me see where my accesses are and which is best for where I’m going on the lake and where I am coming from.
Stocking reports are also fun to look at because it gives an idea of what sort of management actions GFP has taken. If there is any other necessary information such as fish consumption advisories, any areas that could be closed or special regulations.
Step Two: Angling Community
This is what I believe most anglers shy away from. This could be for a variety of reasons: it could be that they are too shy, feel they are looking for handouts or have been turned off asking for advice by a variety of other reasons. It is so important to know that this is not a bad thing, at all. Even the best anglers in the world can’t fish and know every body of water. Everyone has the areas they know, the areas they are familiar with and the areas they have never been too. The key to getting better is talking with people who may be familiar with an area you have never been to and sharing things about an area you know well, but they haven’t been too. The best anglers are the ones that recognize this and more than likely they will be happy to swap information, benefiting all parties involved. Not only will you learn something new, you’ll probably make a new friend.
There are a variety of ways that someone can contact the angling community. This could be as simple as a text to a friend, a post on an ice fishing group/forum or chatting at the local bait shop or coffee house. It is also important to know that all the videos, articles and shows are created by anglers. These anglers may have a few more sponsors, be fortunate enough to spend a little more time on the water than most or have a different occupation, but they still are chasing the same fish as the rest of us. These resources are extremely valuable to see how other people approach a water body and get a good starting point on your personal trip.
The most important thing to learn from the angling community is how the ice is. The most important piece of information needed when going to a new water body is knowing what is safe and what is not. The local bait shop and the angling forums/groups are going to have the most recent, most valuable information when it comes to safety. This is also the information that most anglers will not hesitate to share. There could be heaves, under water currents, springs or even spots that had been kept open by geese. Knowing this information is critical for ensuring that the trip is going to be safe and enjoyable.
Step Three: Play the Odds
It is really important to play the odds whenever you are traveling to a new waterbody. This means I want to go when there is good weather, there is plenty of time to be on the water and there is not going to be something happening on the water that could make fishing more difficult.
The biggest factor here is the weather. If there is going to be a severe cold front fishing is most likely going to be very difficult. This is also going to make being mobile and fishing outside much more difficult. When these weather patterns are going to be present it is usually the best idea to go to an area that you are familiar with and know the high percentage areas to fish and the best presentation to use. Once there is a warmer, more ideal weather pattern that is the best time to get on a new lake. The fish are going to be a in a better mood, being mobile is going to be easier and it will be easier to locate fish and find what they want.
The next factor is that there is going to be plenty of time on the water. The majority of eastern South Dakota lakes are extremely clear water. This means that the highest percentage times to fish are going to be in the morning and evening. If the calendar only allows for a few hours in the middle of the day this is not the time to go try to find a new lake. I like to put in at least 8-10 hours on a water body that I am trying to learn. This allows me to usually hit the morning bite, buzz around trying to find new areas in the day and then fishing the best area I have found in the evening. If you can find fish on a type of structure in the middle of the day, more than likely they are going to be really stacked up on that structure in the evening.
The third thing that needs to be considered is if there are any events that could impact the fishability of the lake that day. If there is going to be a large tournament on the lake that day that is not going to be the time to try it out. The increased pressured is going to turn fish off and the increased traffic is going to make covering water and being on the best spots difficult. Some anglers may view this as an opportunity to see where the “pros” fish: however, I do not recommend this because my best fishing spots have always been the ones that I have found and have to myself.
Enjoy the “Test”
The next step to this is the fun part. Come to the lake with full gas/propane tanks, fully charged batteries and all other gear ready to rock and roll. When I am fishing these news lakes I prefer to take as many people as I can because this helps me cover water and also allows different personalities from these anglers to increase the odds of triggering the fish.
Every angler has their own favorite baits, presentation methods and also own personality. This is so important to understand because that is why some lakes play to the personalities of some anglers and not as much to others. For example, Lake Whitewood is known for having an excellent deadstick bite. This will favor the deadstick anglers, but run and gun jiggers may struggle.
On the contrary, run and gun fishing is very effective on lakes such as Dry #2 (by Willow Lake), Indian Springs and Bitter Lake. This also pertains to species. Generally the best perch anglers are going to cover a lot of water as they drill basins chasing the roaming perch. Walleye anglers usually have great success setting up deadsticks, tip ups/tip downs and jigging on pieces of structure.
The most important thing is come to the lake with an open mind. It is critical to come prepared but the best anglers are the ones that can make decisions on the water and have confidence in those situations. This means that there is not running around with no rhyme or reason. Do your homework before you get to the lake, then put it into practice on the water. Enjoy the learning experience and hopefully you find something you can apply not only to the new waters, but also your favorite waters. Good fishing!
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