New water go to tactic

[Ron Burgundy]

What's your go to tactic on a new body of water, or just starting the day off? Pannies or walleyes? I know there are many factors that would have an impact on your decision, O2 content, structure and bottom and depth.

[Ron Burgundy]

Anybody? Anybody at all.

[Eric Wettschreck]

On a brand spankin lake I've never been to, have no stinkin clue about any kind of structure, no "Insider info", no map....I look around. The lake will tell you a lot if you're willing to listen.

Look at the shore line, try to find emergent weeds, stumps, islands...start there then move if you arn't catching anything.

Or you can do what a lot of other guys do. Find the big blob of fish houses and set up in the crowd.

[Sonicrunch]

Quote:

---

Or you can do what a lot of other guys do. Find the big blob of fish houses and set up in the crowd.

---

aint that the truth

[LMITOUT]

Technology today makes it a little easier at times, and the first place I go to is the DNR HSOforum and look for a topo map of the lake. This is probably the best information you can have in your hand. Even without a GPS you at least can get a general idea of the structure, etc and a starting place of where to start punching holes and checking depths before dropping a line down.

With a site like this, I have to believe that most fished lakes aren't covered someplace, so head to the forum that the lake is in and start asking questions. Even go back to last year's posts and do some snooping around for more info.

Sometimes you may get a tip or two from the local bait shop when you're there buying some bait or other goodies for the day. You may luck out and maybe another fishermen there buying bait will help too.

The last option would be to just go out and start drilling holes. Yeah, you can follow the crowd or use their location as a reference and then work your way around them to find some other side spots without bothering them. Sometimes the best part of fishing a new lake is going out and just trying something, somewhere, instead of just following the crowd. If you can get a boat out yet this fall and you have in mind the lake you want to ice fish, troll around and make some mental notes of general locations that may be good this winter.

It's nice to have a few other people with so that you can spread out and hit some different areas simultaneously. Tip-ups are a good tool to use for fishing different depths to see if something is biting shallower or deeper than the spot your jigging from. Punch a lot of holes and start moving around, hole hopping and moving your tip-ups as you go every so often.

[Ron Burgundy]

Just asking favorite tactics and jigs to start the day. Most effective for you? What would you likely lead off with?

[Eric Wettschreck]

If it's a total new lake and I have absolutely no clue about anything I'd probably find a point on the shoreline, start drilling holes, and dropping my vex transducer down. Eventually if a dude drills enough holes I can somewhat get an idea of what is down there. I'm looking for an edge of some type. If I mark fish that's all the better.

Once I'm on where I think I should start, my favorite go to is a glo demon to start the day. Especially if I'm not marking fish on the flasher. I light it up and start jigging, somewhat seriously jigging. Glo demons really dance around if aggressively jigged. Sometimes they will bring fish in but the fish will not bite them. That's when it's nice to have a dead stick in another hole.

So, to sum up. I drill holes, look for an edge, and start jigging a glo demon and go from there.

[slipperybob]

I'm just like most of the other folks, pitch my tent right next to someone...

I've always done well with a northland forage minnow, 1/16 oz and somtimes the 1/8th oz. red glow.

[Squirtis]

I usually set a tip-up with a shiner on it to see if I can get a Northern or Walleye to hit it and then at the same time, start jigging or bobber fishing for Crappies or Perch. I'm kind of ADD, so I need to get a fish on soon, or else I get figgety.