Now is the time to Scout Lakes by Gabby

Just a few months ago the lakes were up to summer pool and were full of water. Most of us fisherman had a favorite piece of shore line cover that we liked to fish. It might of been a lay down tree, standing timber, a bluff or even main lake structure like a point or channel where the creek runs close to the bank, making it a high percentage area to catch a bass. All of these types of areas are great places to fish while the lake is at summer pool. But that was then and this is now. What I mean is that for the last couple of months the lakes have been drawn down to winter pool. Some lake are drawn down much more than others. Lakes like Lake Cumberland will be drawn down close to 40 feet or more in the winter. Or Cherokee Lake in Tenn. that is drawn down over 30 feet each winter. Most of our East Ky lakes are only pulled down 10 or 15 feet each year. Some smaller lakes are left the same depth all year. This draw down of the lakes presents the smart angler with two different situations that the angler can take advantage of. First of with the lake at a new level at winter pool the angler can fish a new shore line and cover that is only seen at this time of year. But also and much more important you can see the cover and structure that is exposed now will be the cover that you will be fishing and trying to find when the lakes are full at summer pool in a couple of months from now. How many times have you been on the lake in the warmer weather trying to bass or crappie fish while the lake is full, and thought to your self as you pull up on a area. And try to remember what this area looked like when the water was down and all the stumps and brush piles were visible and you could see where the channel runs close to the banks. Then you look out over the full lake and it all looks the same. This is where that if you had done your scouting of the lake when it was at winter pool you would be way ahead of most anglers that just try to remember what the lake looked like then. There are several good ways of recording the lay out of the lake and the cover at this time of year. The simplest and most productive way is to simply take pictures of areas that you would like to come back to and fish when the water is up. Try to take pictures of the cover and how the creek channel runs and any where the channel runs close to the bank. This is always a prime area to fish later. Also look for flats that drop off into deeper water. Any type of cover like stumps, brush piles, rocks ,old culverts or road beds any thing that a fish could hold on. And take several pictures of this area and write on the pictures the area of the lake that they were taken. Also you can use a camcorder. and film these same areas and simply say where you are and what cover you are looking at. Then you can go back later and replay it all you want and study it. You can also take this footage back to this same area and watch it with the lake full and tell a lot more about the area. Try to find something on the bank like a tree or rock or something to use as a reference point to line up the cover with this helps a lot. Give this winter lake scouting a try now it will pay off big later. These will help you catch fishing fever.

Be sure to check out my fishing site at www.myspace.com/gabbysfishingfever or e-mail me at gabbysfishingfever@yahoo.com