Find the baitfish…
A recent outing emphasized the value of paying attention to factors that indicate fish location. One of the best indicators is actually seeing where their food is. We were spotting large schools of baitfish at the surface of the water and with these schools we found our largest concentration of fish, both walleye and smallmouth. Both species were hammering drop shot minnow and leech imitations and whacky rigged senkos cast into or near these schools of baitfish.
If your electronics continually show a blank screen, move on.
Mike McClelland [1] gives a good accounting of how finding baitfish is one of his keys to finding bass throughout the year. Some of these keys ares:
1) Stop fishing unproductive water. If your electronics continually show a blank screen, move on.
2) Key in on baitfish, either found with your electronics, by sight (as we were doing) or by paying attention to birds such as herons or gulls who are also on the lookout for baitfish to eat.
3) Use seasonal migration patterns of fish to give you a general idea of where to fish. Then use your electronics to locate baitfish and fish.
Seems like good advice to me…
Reference:
[1] Steve Price, “How Mike McClelland Locates Bass Better Than You” Bassmaster, Vol. 48, No. 6. 2015.