By Butch Williams

Here is a question that comes up all the time at boat shows and at the ramp – which is better, bunk trailers or roller trailers? The truth is that both have advantages in certain situations so it’s important to understand the differences and benefits of each.

First of all, let’s dispel the widespread myth that bunk trailers offer better support because they contact more surface area on a boat’s hull than roller trailers. The truth is that in many cases the rollers touch just as much surface area as the bunks.

If you look closely at a bunk trailer with a boat on it, you’ll find that the bunks usually make contact with the boat’s hull only in those areas where the bunk supports mount to the trailer. To test this, take a credit card and slip it between the boat’s hull and the bunk. If it slides back and forth, that area of the bunk is not supporting the boat.

On a good trailer there are a lot of rollers and they are all strategically positioned to support the hull in areas where it needs it most. The best rollers are made of a soft material that flattens out when it contacts the hull. That surface area can add up to over two square inches per roller on some trailers.

Add it all up and you’ll find that there is not much difference in how much surface area is supported by each of the two styles.

In most cases a boat will glide on and off a roller trailer much easier than a bunk trailer. That can be an advantage or a disadvantage. It is ideal up here in the Midwest with our shallow ramps, but down south where you find a lot more reservoirs with steep ramps, it can be a little too easy. In those cases bunk trailers work great.

Another thing to consider is whether or not you will be "power-loading" which simply means to drive the boat onto the trailer using the boat’s motor. This works great with either bunk or roller trailers, but some lakes have begun prohibiting power loading for environmental reasons. In those instances where you cannot power-load, a roller trailer makes it much easier to pull the boat onto the trailer using the winch.

If you decide to go with a bunk trailer, be sure to look for options like pivoting bunks that tilt for easier loading.

If you go roller, make sure they are high quality, non-marking rollers that have no metal-to-metal contact that could rust and prevent them from spinning properly.

So, the bottom line is that both styles work well and have their own advantages. The key to finding the trailer that best meets your specific needs is to provide your dealer with plenty of information about how you plan to use your boat. Another great tip - ask lots of questions.

For more information about Trailering visit www.shorelandr.com     

I have always preferred artificial and just started bait fishing this past year. Your right about bait out catching lures at certain times of the year but most anytime of the year artificial will produce.

You asked about finding fish without running all over the lake. I think two things are important to know.

1. Is the seasonal patterns of the fish. While they are not always exact every year they usually are pretty close. The fish generally will do the same things at the same times each year. Of course this is not exact but you can pretty much bank on it being fairly predictable.
2. Is knowing the structure of the lake. By knowing this and putting it together with the seasonal patterns you can really pinpoint some more likely productive water and rule out unlikely spots. For instance if you are looking for fish in 50-80 feet of water this time of year your going to be in for a long day. The Thermocline is about 35-40 and that’s where the fish are going to be. Also knowing that the fish are cruising the river channels everyday tells you that you ought to be looking at the ledges in the 35-40 foot range. By knowing the fish are roaming and covering a lot of ground this time of year the bait guys are usually going to do ok by just hanging on the ledge in the right depth waiting for the fish to come thru. Now for slabbing, I personally will not slab on any spot if I do not mark fish. I want to see some concentrations of fish if I am going to slab. Even if I am drifting on the shallow flats say 20-35 feet, I want to at least see some scattered fish. Nothing is more boring to me than slabbing on empty water.

Knowing patterns and structure can be a huge benefit when throwing artificial most of the year.
For instance:
Spring time I look for big points that come way out in the water with steep drops to deep water. Knowing that in the spring the fish will feed very shallow and push bait to the shore, these are excellent top water spots. Even if you don’t see the fish breaking the surface. During this time of year I am fishing in water from 2-10 feet deep.
In the summer when the fish are covering a lot of ground very fast slabbing is my choice. I have found that once you establish a pattern they will generally hold pretty close to it for a while. Every now and then when you think you really got it figured out they will throw you a curve.
Fall is a lot like spring and I do the same top water thing but the fish start roaming less and slabbing and bait can be equally effective.
Winter time is my favorite time of the year. It is the hardest fishing I do but the most rewarding. The colder, nastier the weather the better the fishing… from about the end of Dec through March I only throw jigs. I like 1-ounce roadrunner style jigs. I fish much like one of them Trash fisherman. Working my trolling motor around big long points in shallow water. Much like the spring top water but using heavy jigs. Fishing 2-10 feet of water. These fish will usually be very good fish. I generally don’t catch as many in a day, but they are always much bigger fish.
I think your last question was if you only had 3 hours to fish. If it were me I would go to a spot that I felt had the best chance of holding fish. Now for people that don’t get to fish very often, you all know that can change daily so you are at a definite disadvantage. I think you have already begun to lower your search time just by starting this thread .
Knowing those few things about patterns and structure are good but the most important thing you can arm yourself with is current knowledge. I usually fish 2-4 times per week, but even fishing that much I still get reports from others almost every day. If you ask questions here, and just read reports that others post both here and the Geezer site your well on your way to fishing more and cruising less… but keep in mind. Those days of burning gas will never go away altogether. I still have days when I go from one end to the other and takes me hours or all day to find them stripers. But that’s what I like about Striper fishing. It’s the Hunt
As for looking for boat shows. That can work but if you read Marks post from Sunday you will see that that’s not always the best way to go. Mark was fishing in a different bass style boat and getting big fish one after another. Boats kept passing him but because he didn’t look like a "guide " in that boat no one stopped or gave him a second look. I’m still laughing over that one. When pulling into a boat show I will always look to see if anyone is catching anything…. Many times boats will se one person catch one and then pull in and then they draw a crowd, but no one is catching anything. I do join in sometimes if there is good action, but if you can find your own fish it is much more rewarding to me.

"Buzzbaits and Other Topwater Baits."

     Some may have a clicker, ticker, or something to hit the blade to make a clicking sound, and some blades have holes or slots. Buzzbaits as the name implies buzz or whirl across the top of the water. Buzzbaits are fairly easy to use; you just cast them out and reel them back at a steady medium retrieve. The catch is, you need to start reeling as soon as the bait hits the water, especially if your fishing over grass, hydrilla or moss. Otherwise the Buzz bait will get tangled in the foliage and cause you major headaches. The best way to cast the Buzz bait is to throw it out under handed or side arm to keep it low to the water and out of the wind. Cast to the area you want to fish and start reeling as soon as it hits the water, with your rod at 10:00 o'clock, this will get it up on top of the water fast. There are some anglers that will go to extremes to get their Buzz bait tuned, the way they want it to be; holding them out the window of the car to break in the blade so it squeaks just right. Bending the blades to get a different action or adding metal beads behind the blade to increase the noise. Buzzbaits come in sizes from l/8 oz. to l/2 oz. and with aluminum, gold, and bronze anodized aluminum blades. Some will have painted blades in white, chartreuse, black and other colors. Then there are the plastic blades, which come in clear, chartreuse, white and other variations.  The back of the bait has a lead head with a skirt, that may come in white, chartreuse, white & chartreuse, black and you can add many other colors. Some of the better areas to fish these baits are over aquatic growth like grass, hydrilla, and moss or through the lily pads. Buzzbaits are not limited to these areas, because they are good along the side of docks, in open water, down the bank and through stumps or trees. For reels, bait casters, spin caster, or spinning reels, all will work. A light medium or medium action 6 ft to 7 ft. rod is the choice of most anglers. Line size is personal preference. Depending on the cover you are fishing and the size bass you are in pursuit of and maybe the time of year. The right selection of line will have an effect on the distance you can cast, based on lure size and the wind. The line can also give you an advantage over another angler. Heavy line, twenty, twenty-five, or thirty pound will tend to float or help hold the bait up on top of the water, but with smaller baits, like 1/8 ounce, you will need to drop down to fifteen pound. It will also help get the lure up out of the water and buzzing quicker. Based on your choice of tackle, you can get a different reaction out of the Buzz bait. I prefer 20 pound Trilene Big Game line on 1/4 and larger baits, a 6'-9" Falcon light action Low Rider rod and a Shimano Chronarch bait casting reel. You can add action to the bait by moving your rod from side to side as you retrieve the buzz bait. There are also many other tricks you can do to the bait to get various reactions from the retrieve. I won't give all of my secrets away, but will throw in this one. You can bend the wire in front of the blade to the right or left to get it to track off to the side and run up under a dock or in a pocket behind some lily pads. Sometimes this is all it takes to give you that edge to outwit the bass. The Top Prop, made by Mister Twister has a body shaped like the blade on a Buzz bait, which both floats and spins, with a hook and trailer behind the prop. It comes in three sizes, Tiny Top Prop, Top Prop, and Super Top Prop. The biggest advantage to this bait over the buzz bait is you can let it sit in the water for a few minutes after you cast it out. Then start reeling it back to the boat like you do the Buzz bait. It is not as likely to get hung up in the grass because it floats, unlike the Buzz bait. It also comes in several colors, some of which are in the picture. The Top Prop is similar to a Buzz bait and I use it in place of the Buzz bait most of the time, because it seems to be more versatile to me. There are several kinds of plastic and soft plastic type baits that are classified as Topwater baits. Mann's makes a bait called the Ghost that comes in a couple of sizes. It has a built-in double hook that fits upright in the bait in a way that makes it weedless.  Another is the floating worms, like the Exude Night Crawler and the Zoom Trick Worm. I also favor the floating lizard, especially in the spring, like the Fliptail Lizard or Bass Pro Shops Floating Lizard. With all of these plastics, you give them their action, by twitching the rod tip as you reel them back to the boat. The weedless Ghost or frog type plastics are great over grass, hydrilla, or moss. They can be worked fast or slow and don't take much action to catch bass. The Stick bait, cigar shaped (Zara Spook type); Chuggars, popping or prop baits are all dependent on you for the action to make them enticing to the bass.

     A Spook type bait gets it's action by holding the rod down towards the water and twitching it, in a inline motion about 6 to 8 inches while reeling a half a turn for each full twitch. It's like rubbing your tummy with one hand and patting your head with the other hand. It just takes lots of practice to get it down, it's called walking the dog.

     The prop baits seem to be coming back, because I've seen several new versions. Heddons Wounded Spook, the Bass Pro Shops Extreme Twin Prop and the Smithwick Devil's Horse have props on both ends of the bait. One of the original single prop baits is the Heddon Torpedo and a new style is the Yo-Zuri Arms Swisher. Using prop baits is a no brainer, you just cast them out and reel back to the boat, and the props give off a noise and bubbles that attract the attention of the bass. You can add action by slowing or stopping the retrieve and then starting again or moving your rod from side to side. The Arbogast Jitterbug is another excellent Topwater that has it's own built in action. The big cupped metal blade on the front of the lure causes it to have a large waddle side to side. As you crank it back, the action displaces water and produces a gurgling sound along with the waddle action to attract the bass. I left my favorite Topwater to the last. The popper or chugger baits have been around for years like the Pop'R, but there are several newer versions or styles available for our enjoyment. Some of the popping or chugging baits are Berkley Frenzy Popper, Mirror Lure Jointed Popper, the old standby the Rebel Pop-R, Excalibur Pop'n Image, Storm Chug Bug, Cultiva Gobo Popper, Yo-Zuri 3-D, Rapala Skitter Pop, Bass Pro Shops Extreme Z-Pop and my favorite the "Don Iovino's Splash-It".

     I use the Splash-It, Top Prop, and the Chug Bug the most in my fishing. The big advantage of the Chug Bug is that it is both a walking type bait like the Spook, but also a very effective chugger or popping bait. The Chug Bug also comes in three sizes to cover most of your fishing needs in a Topwater bait. The Flash tail (Mylar) on the tail hook and the rattles help attract the bass. The Baby Bug is my first choice of the Chug Bugs, but I also use the regular Chug Bug as well. The key to these baits is to throw them out and let the bait sit until the water around the bait is still, then pop it twice, and wait again. When you start the popping action each time, is usually when the bass will hit.

     My favorite overall popper is the "Splash-it," I've had better luck with this Topwater than any other. The feathers on the tail hook, I feel are one of the major factors that make this bait so great. You fish the "Splash-it" similar to the other popping or chugging baits. One key is to slow down when fishing these Topwater baits. I use 12 pound Trilene Big Game line on these Topwater baits, a 6 ft. medium action Falcon Low Rider and Calcutta 50 bait caster for the walking type baits and a light or medium light 6'9" or 7 ' Falcon Low Rider for the popping, Top Prop and chugging baits. The reason for the 6 footer on the walking bait is I am only 5 foot tall and you need to point the rod towards the water to work this bait (walking type) right. If you are taller, you maybe prefer a longer rod. The main thing is good tip action. Let the rod do all of the work or you'll wear yourself out.  All of the Topwater baits can be used successfully over grass, hydrilla, moss and through lily pads. They are also great around stickups, stumps, and rocky banks.  The standard for times of the year for each of these baits is as follows. Popper and chuggers are recommended for the later part of spring into summer. The prop type baits are the same time period as the poppers. The stick or spook baits are used in post spawn and the fall of the year. The Zara Spook has been known to pull bass up out 30 or 40 feet of water. The suggested time for Buzzbaits is anytime the water temperature is over 70 degrees. It is also recommended to use these baits in still to a light chop, not on a windy day.  Now I will tell you to take the standard or suggested uses and times and throw them out, just use the information as that, information: then fish these baits whenever you feel the need. I've caught bass on all of these lures in every month of the year. Don't be afraid to cast one of these top waters in under a tree or into heavy cover. If you don't get hung up once in awhile your not fishing in the right places. You can also use these baits in open water, in the middle of the lake. Use your imagination get outside the normal thinking and catch more bass.

     I have been asked, "what is the best way to use slabs?" That depends on the depth of  water you are fishing in, and the way fish are hitting at the time. Listed below are some  suggestions you might want to try.  First of all, and we can’t stress this too much, keep your hooks sharp. We even  sharpen new hooks, and check our hooks all the time we are fishing for a dull point.  Carry a hook sharpener with you whenever you go fishing.
     Be courteous, the golden rule applies on the water. Do unto others, as you would  have them do unto you. (Or something like that). (You will see people on the water that  believes just the opposite, like, do unto others before they have a chance to do unto you).  Don't get mad; just move away from them, you are out to have fun.
     When you spot fish, don’t run in on them (the fish or boats) and wake other boats in  the area. Leave casting distance between you and other boats nearby. Don’t leave your  motor running, which will chase off the fish. Don’t cut other people off from their fish  if they are casting out. If you can’t get to the fish, watch which way they are going and  try to get in front of them and the other boats and wait for them to come to you. You will  catch more fish that way, as you can catch them as they are coming to you, and going away
from you, before you have to move again. Remember, ease up the where the fish are, or else  you will scatter them, and spoil your own fishing.
     If you have a locator, find the fish using it. If not, watch for fish surfacing on top  (on a calm day you will be able to see their splashes quite a way of). If the sea gulls  are in, watch for them feeding on the shad the fish are chasing, and fish below the gulls  (don’t look up with your mouth open). The most productive way of catching the stripers is  to find them on your locator, and a long way from other boats where you have them to yourself,  but that would be a rare occasion, as the other boats will see you sooner or later.
     If there are boats in the area that are downrigging, try to avoid them, as their constant  running back and forth will usually chase the schooling fish off, unless it is a large school.  We have downriggers, but do not use them often, only when we know that is the only way to  catch fish at certain times of the year. They do produce fish, but not a fun way to catch  them, just a last resort if you are out for fresh fish for dinner. It's like pulling in  dead weight, no sport to it as far as we are concerned. (But that's only our opinion)
     When you see them on your locator, in deep water, jig the slab up and down at the  depth the fish are in. If they do not hit, try dropping your slab below them then "burn"  your slab in. This will, on occasion, catch the fish if they are not hitting by jigging the  slab up and down. Quick tip here on using level wind reels and knowing how deep you are  fishing. Before you go fishing, take your rod with the slab (or any lure) on. Place the  lure on the floor; watch your level wind go across the reel. Determine how much line goes  out with each travel across the reel. Average for a full reel is about 7 feet. If you  are "marking" fish around 35 feet deep, you can watch your reel and let it go across the  reel about 5 to 6 times, this will get you a little below the fish, and as you jig, you  will be coming up through the fish. This is a quick way to get your slab down to the depth  the fish are working, and where the best action will be. If there are fish on top, and
you are in front of them, cast you lure to the school and let it drop, then reel, drop, reel,  drop, until you get a strike or close to your boat, then let it drop and burn it in. Same  thing holds true when they are going away from you. This gives you a longer time to fish  a school that is on the move and will produce more fish.
     If you are in shallow (15’-20’) water, try casting you slab out into, or beyond the fish.  Then work the bottom by reeling in and dropping back to the bottom as you retrieve your line.  The bigger fish are below the fish feeding on top, picking up stunned shad as they fall.  The only problem with this is, you will lose some slabs on the bottom if you happen to be  in a rocky or stumpy area, and can not get your slab loose. Another thought here, while on  the subject of losing slabs. Check you line often for cuts by running your thumbnail down  the last couple feet of line. Stripers have sharp fins and they can nick you line causing
you to lose your lures (and fish), whether it be a slab or an expensive top water plug.  As the slab is dropping, keep a little tension on the line, as the fish will hit the  slab on the drop, and you need to feel them hit, and when they hit, set the hook.
     Use a medium action rod, not a stiff rod, to feel the hit. I am going to add a personal  note here. I used to (and I really don't like saying this) really out fish George. One day  while we were slabbing, he was watching me, and asked to "borrow" the rod I was fishing with.  I handed it to him; (I had two identical rod and reel set ups, so I just grabbed the other  one). Do you know, he kept that rod for 6 weeks before he returned it to me. He found out  that the rod I was using was more sensitive then the rods he had, and searched for a new rod  for himself. He ended up buying 3 rods from Pro Bass, and gave both John and myself each 1.  We have all switched to these new rods, George has a dozen of them now, I have 8, and John
has 8. We all catch fish about equal now; (I lost my edge on them). We all have these rods  set up for slabbing, top water, and bait fishing. If you don't believe me about the importance  of having a rod you can "feel" the fish just slightly touch your lure, just ask George or  John. It has really improved our total catch each time we go out fishing.

The rod is a Bionic Blade, IM8, Model BNX66MHT, 6'6"
as shown on page 91 of the Bass Pro Shops Spring 2003 Master Catalog. $79.99 each, buy 2 get 1 free

Here is another little tip that might sound just a bit crazy, but it does work. If you
are marking a few fish, take an old rod and beat the water. This will draw the fish under
you if they are in the area. You may have seen others doing this and wondered what the heck
they were doing, believe me, this does work.

Batteries are the lifeline, heart of your boats operation. Your outboard, trolling motor, electronics, livewells, and electrical systems all depend on the batteries. Maintaining your batteries is a very important part of how much you enjoy your time on the water. There is a wonderful product out there, Solargizer, that gives you that added security, will improve your battery performance and extend the useful life of the battery as well. Solargizer helps the battery take a full charge faster and hold it longer. My husband and I recently installed the Solargizer System on the three batteries in my Cobra 201D with the Mercury 225EFI. Before I go into the installation and for those of you who are not familiar with the Solargizer; I want to elaborate on what the Solargizer does for your battery and how it fights for it’s life.

To understand how the Solargizer works, we first need to go over the basics of how a battery works. The battery has positive and negative lead plates, filled with electrolyte (sulfuric acid) fluid inside the case. The lead-acid batteries work on a principle of energy being transferred from the sulfur molecules to the lead plates. During the energy transfer process, the sulfate of the electrolyte, temporarily bonds with both the positive and negative lead plates. A small portion of the sulfate does not release, as it should; thereby creating sulfating build-up on the plates. This build-up of sulfur molecules is a contributing factor in over 80% of all lead-acid battery failures. While the sulfating process will occur sooner or later, it also can be accelerated through a variety of other events that we will cover. One thing we don’t have control over and really are unsure of when we purchase a battery, is how long it has sat on the shelf of the dealer. As new batteries sit in storage or on the dealer’s shelf, they will quickly become sulfated. Technically, this means your battery could be close to failure when it’s installed in your boat. If you don’t go fishing or boating fairly often it could also contribute to the sulfating. Leaving the battery discharged for long periods of time; like waiting until the day before your next trip you charge them. Corrosion of the battery terminal, which increases the resistance in the charge cycle, thus developing an undercharge situation. If you undercharge or don’t bring it to full charge before using, it can cause increased sulfate build-up. The final factor that we have no control over is the ambient temperature. When the temperature gets hotter, the rate of sulfating will actually double for every 10 degrees of increase. If the outside temperatures go from 75 degrees to 95 degrees; sulfating will occur 200% faster than normal. When it’s cold the electrolyte fluid thickens and it takes more of the battery power to run the trolling or start the outboard, which cause the battery to discharge even further. The result is a faster build-up of sulfates.

The sulfating is a natural part of the energy process, but the build-up can cause you major problems. The reduced ability of the battery to take the original full charge along with buckling and disintegration of the plates as well as short circuits. Sooner or later it will kill your battery.

Now that I’ve covered more than you really wanted to know about batteries, I will explain how the Solargizer will help eliminate some of these problems and extend the life of your battery. Maybe even beyond the battery manufactures recommended life, because they assume you won’t take care of your batteries.

The Solargizer uses a patented pulse technology that emits a pulsating DC current into the battery. These pulses re-energize the crystallized sulfates, remove them from the plates, and return them to the battery as active sulfur molecules. When installed permanently, these systems will also keep the sulfates from crystallizing again. With the plates clean, your battery will perform at peak efficiency, accept a full charge, and charge faster than those with a sulfate build-up. This will extend the batteries life and also the time you can stay on the lake running the trolling motor.

Lets look at the installation on my boat. There are two basic Solargizer Kits, one with a small Solar panel and Pulse Unit; the other adds an AC Adapter for use when the boat is stored in a dark or closed area. The second kit is what I installed on my boat, so I can take advantage of the Solargizer while the boat is in the garage.

The tools you will need for the installation are a tape measure, pair of scissors, wire cutter and a wire stripper. We also used a wire puller, but you might use any kind of stiff wire to do the same thing. Actually a l/4" "dowel rod will do the same job. You will need some black wire loom, some 18 gauge black and red wire, and some good quality wire connectors. I would also recommend using electrical grease on the splices where you attach the connectors to eliminate corrosion.

Start by measuring and aligning the three small Solar panels from each Solargizer unit on top of the cowling of the Mercury Motor. Velcro hook and loop tape was used to attach the panels to the cowling. Next braided the three sets of wires together to give a tight group, to put inside the l/2 inch black wire loom. The wires were ran through the vent in the back of the cowling and through a plastic grommet at the top. Then we measured the length of the motor wire harness to the boat. Cut the wires, stripped them back about l/4 inch, and attached wire connectors. Next run a wire puller through the motors wiring harness to the battery compartment of the boat, pulled three sets of 18 gauge, black and red wire through. Strip the wires back l/4 inch and installed male connectors on the motor end and female connectors on the battery compartment end. After connecting the three sets together at the motor, reinstall the cowling. Next locate a convenient place to mount the Solargizer Receptacle. I chose an area in the center at the front of the compartment. Velcro Hook and Loop tape was also used to mount the receptacles to the compartment wall. The three sets of wires were ran over to the area where the Solar Panel wires we pulled and made the connections to complete the circuit. To finish the installation, connect each of the three receptacles to one of the batteries, black to the ground and red to the positive side of the battery.

The whole installation took about two hours, without drilling any holes and looked great. The Solargizer panels absorb the light while your fishing, just on the water or while you travel back and forth to the lake. The light is converted to DC Power, which allows the receptacle to work its magic and eliminate the sulfating. When you have your boat under the tarp, carport or in the garage, then you can use the AC Adapter to keep the Pulse process working to give those batteries that extra life.

     Understanding lake maps, the terminology used, seasonal patterns of bass and how that relates to areas on the map, and good places to start fishing on a new lake is very important to any fishing trip. It's also important for safety reasons.
     I'll start by breaking down the different parts of the map that enable you to have a picture of the underwater world. First, most maps are color coded to give you a visual effect as to what areas are the deepest, maybe at the dam, down to the shallowest areas on the upper end. The colors generally are in shades of blue with the deepest part of the lake being the darkest. Some maps will also show areas of timber or stumps with boat paths indicated.
     The contour lines are the most important part of the map. These breaklines show stages of depth from the shore out to the main creek channel, which typically is the deepest part of the lake no matter what part of the lake you are viewing at the time. The closer the contour lines are together the faster the drop off; the wider apart the contour lines, the slower or flatter the fall of the lake bottom. These lines show you how far points come out into the main lake or cove, where humps or ridges are in the main lake and define the main and secondary creek channels. The contour lines are usually indicated in feet, at intervals of 5 to 10 feet apart. Some maps will have elevation numbers.
Along with the contour lines you can see where old roads cross the main lake and coves. Where the roadbed crosses the main or secondary creeks, there will usually be a bridge or the remains of a bridge. Any other underwater structures will also be indicated such as houses, old railroad tracks, wells, levees, tank dams and cemeteries. The maps will also show the distance from the dams in miles as you go up the lake. Some maps will even show channel markers to give you the best path down the lake.
Maps will have a direction marker giving a North indicator that you can use as a reference to help pinpoint your location if you have a compass, or know which way is north.
     So now let's talk about how you use the information on the map to help your fishing.
In the spring, bass make the biggest movement of the year from their deep-water winter areas in stages to the shallower coves and flats to spawn. This may take a month or so to happen and the bass will move up to a mid-range area first, typically 10 to 15 feet. As the weather changes the bass will move up to shallow water to spawn and back out if the temperature drops, until the spawn is complete. After the spawn, bass move back and forth between the mid-range depths (10 to 15 feet) to shallower water as they feed. As the summer months begin, they move back out to deeper, cooler areas of the lake along roadbeds, humps, levees, tank dams and creek channels. They will also school around creek channels in main lake coves during the summer. In the fall as the water cools, the bass will move back up to the shallows and feed on shad before winter comes. Usually, in the fall, the lake will turn over (warm water from the bottom of the lake rises to the top, while cooler water on top falls to the bottom) and the fishing is poor during this period. When the water cools and the winter months arrive, bass move back to deeper water and are less active. Bass use the contour lines or breaklines and creek channels as paths or highways to move from the deeper areas to the shallower flats and coves.
Knowing all of this, you can look at areas where the primary or secondary creeks come in close to points or shorelines to give you an idea of the best places to start fishing. Bass will use these contour lines or breaklines along with brush piles, stumps, laydowns, rock piles and grass lines to move around the areas of the lake where they live. One of the best spots to look for bass on a lake is an area where there is deep water near a dock or grass line, close to shore. This gives bass the best of both worlds to live in because they can move up and down with ease as the light or weather changes without going very far. These bass are less affected by the changes because they have less distance to move with very little effort.
     On new lakes, the best places to start are main-lake points and then to secondary points. The points that come near creek channels would be the best areas to try first. The next areas that would be good are roadbeds, especially if they have a good rise from the bottom of three to six feet with stumps or brush piles on the sides. A roadbed running across a cove will give you a range of depths from the shallow shore down to the creek area where the old bridge crosses the creek. Most of these areas can be found on your map. If you have good electronics, you can enhance the picture of the underwater world, so you can spend the most productive time fishing in the most productive places.
     Writing about how to read a map is somewhat like trying to describe a painting. I hope I have painted a clear picture that will help you understand how to read a map effectively and find some great bass catching spots on your favorite lake.