Where Do I Cast Next?

Many folks shove the boat off and start casting to the shoreline.  Depending on time of day, sunlight, or water temperature, that can be productive.  But, on days you’ve covered a wide area with no luck, don’t assume fish aren’t biting.  You could be casting off the wrong side of the boat.  On these days—you need a map.

During an electrofishing survey, we approached a row of standing timber.  The biologist had sampled this lake numerous times and suggested we prepare to see good bass.  At the end of a normally productive run, we saw only a few crappies.  We swung the boat left toward another area.  While cruising 25-yards parallel to the standing trees, in open water, bass began boiling-up on both sides of the boat.  As you expect on any day, conditions may pull them away from a normally reliable spot.  When that occurs, a map could help identify where they may be nearby.

Too many times, anglers don’t have visual cover such as trees, brush piles, and other conventional habitat to guide them.  They’re at a loss where and what to try next.  If conditions push fish deep, they may be hunkered down off a point in a creek channel.  They may be suspended in a comfortable temperature zone on top of a hump.  If these productive spots are in open water with no landmarks, maps and sonar are invaluable to ensure you have a memorable day.

Maps identify locations to improve habitat.  Adding brush piles off points or elevation changes is game changing.  Maps evaluate sediment in upper ends of the lake.  They reveal if dredging can deepen places that have become too shallow to fish and only hold problem vegetation.

Call for quotes on mapping and dredging.  You can reach the Alabama office at 334-281-7703, or the Texas office at 903-523-4184. Or contact us here.