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Learning how to read a lake map will make you a better bass fisherman. While folks in the south still have a few months of great fishing ahead of them, the bass fishing season in many parts of the country is starting to wind down.

Whether you can get out on the water this fall and winter or not, Gerald Swindle believes becoming a better map-reader should be high on your list of goals.

“I have old memories of giant paper maps spread all over my mom’s kitchen counter with soda cans or coasters weighing down the corners so they didn’t fold up on me,” Swindle said with a laugh. “Reading maps is pretty simple but a lot of people make it more complicated than it needs to be.”

Nowadays Swindle has traded old paper maps for apps on his iPad like Humminbird’s FishSmart app, Navionics Web App, and Google Maps but he still loves to spend thirty minutes studying maps over a cup of coffee. The Team Toyota pro offered a few basic tips to make you more efficient at reading and understanding these tools.

Learn the lay of the lake

“Everyone wants to find the winning school of fish from their couch but that’s not really what map study is to me,” Swindle admitted. “I’m trying to learn all the basic information I can before I get to the fishery.

“Like how does a lake lay out? Are there rivers flowing in to the lake, and if so, are they on the north or south end? Where is the dam? How will different wind directions affect different sides of the lake?”

These questions Swindle poses are tangible factors anglers of all skill levels can learn at home, and they’ll be super helpful when you get to the water. His wind direction example is something Swindle still uses regularly at the highest level.

After a day of practice Swindle will pull up a Google Maps view of the lake he is fishing, along with a weather app. If he sees high winds forecasted for a day of competition, he may alter his game plan depending upon how vulnerable certain areas of the lake are to high winds.

On the flip side, maybe he’s fishing a clear water reservoir and he needs the wind for a certain pattern. Swindle may rule in (or rule out) areas of the lake simply based on the weather forecast and map study.

Learn the names of the creeks / coves

Swindle’s next tip, as simple as it may sound, is to learn the names of different sections of a lake you are focused on. Study the names of major rivers, creeks, or coves throughout the body of water. Then commit these names to memory.

“If you’re a high school or college kid traveling for a fishing tournament and you hear an old man at a gas station tell his buddy they were chewing in Shoelace Creek… you better know where that is,” Swindle exclaimed. “That’s one example, but knowing the names to different areas on a lake helps in a lot of ways.”

Outside of the occasional fishing tip you may overhear, memorizing specific names to creeks or rivers helps when talking about the body of water to someone. Whether that’s your fishing buddy at the end of a long day or in the case of an issue on the water and you’re directing someone to your location.

Find the boat ramps and any major marinas

Another worthwhile piece of basic info Swindle pays attention to on a lake map is locating several different boat ramps and any major marinas on a body of water.

Swindle often prefers to drive his Tundra around a lake rather than making a long, unnecessary run in his Phoenix boat when not in competition. Knowing where numerous boat ramps are helps him be more efficient with his time on the water.

“Knowing boat ramps and marinas will also make you more prepared for emergencies on the water,” Swindle explained. “If your boat breaks down or runs out of gas, knowing the nearest place to troll to could save a lot of time. God forbid you experience a medical emergency on the water, whether it’s you or someone else, knowing how to get to the nearest ramp or marina means getting to safety.”

Mechanical or medical emergencies aren’t something we like to think about when preparing for a lake day, but having a game plan is imperative. Spending a few minutes on map study and following these suggestions from Swindle will assist in formulating that plan.

These tips will improve your time on the water whether you are fishing a tournament or heading to the lake to have some fun.

The post Become a Better Map Reader – Foundations appeared first on Bass365.com.

Jeff Clough Optimum Baits Pro Staffer and Cali Big Basser tries every Swimbait in his box this day. Were the conditions changed because of Blue-stoning (a practice of treating lake grass) the lake? After a rough morning with little action, he changes to Top water bait[slitherK/deps]..

[Date]
・Summer/2021

[location]
・Lake Skinner/Riverside/California

[Baits]
・Papa Boom Boom 8″[Optimum Baits]
・Baby Boom Boom 4.5″[Optimum Baits]
・Balam 245[Madness]
・Sakamata Shad 7″HW[deps]
・Slide Swimmer 175[deps]
・SlitherK[deps]
・Little Stik[ima]

[Cast]
・Jeff Clough/@topwateraddix[instagram]

[Produced]
・Optimum Baits/ https://www.optimumbaits.com[HP]/@optimum_baits[instagram]

[Director/Cinematographer/Editor]
・Miroku@miroku_bigbaits_in_cali[instagram]

The post 【Crush #1】Lake Skinner appeared first on Bass365.com.

The formation of thick yellow matts of algae atop hydrilla, coontail, and milfoil beds each autumn is often comically called “cheese” by anglers. And it becomes as much a part of October for some bass anglers as treestand locations and college football rivalries.

Few look forward to tossing a topwater frog across the melted gouda-looking goodness more than 7-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, Brandon Lester. But before Lester shares two tips for picking apart this annual unique bassin’ habitat, recent Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inductee, Gene Gilliland graciously shared his scientific perspective on the aquatic event.

“The ‘cheese’ is actually dying algae,” says Gilliland. “As it dies, it turns yellow, and gasses emitted from the decay cause it to float. It can be found just about anywhere in the United States this time of year as long as the fishery has thick beds of hydrilla, coontail, eel grass, or milfoil for the dying algae to attach to,” he explains.

Lester, who lives near the southern epicenter of cheese-topped waters like Guntersville, has learned two key things to increase his hook-ups. First, don’t get in a hurry. Once you get bit, stay put. And secondly, have two different sizes of frogs tied on.

Asked to pick just one frog for the next year, he chose the original Spro Bronzeye size 65 in color Natural Red, but he never leaves the dock with just one size and color tied on.

“I can’t tell you exactly which size of frog to throw at a particular time. I’ve never really figured out why some days they prefer one versus the other – they just do. So, you have to experiment some days with a couple different sizes until you figure out which size they want most,” advises Lester.

Once you get a bite … stop! Don’t go hard-charging onward through the cheddar slop. Instead, stay put right where you got the bite, and make numerous casts to the same area that is likely not much bigger than a backyard swimming pool.

“Once you get one to blow-up you can pretty much bet there are more bass right in that super specific spot,” says Lester. “Don’t make the mistake of moving on like you’re going down the bank covering water with a crankbait,” he emphasizes.

“A lot of times, fishing the cheese can put a good limit in the boat from a spot twice the size of my Tundra. But you gotta stop and make several casts to that area once you get that first blow-up. Once you find ‘em, you’ll be dang near shaking on every cast as you anticipate another one crushing your frog,” Lester grins in conclusion.

Keep a couple different sizes of Kermie tied on and saturate a small area with casts once you get a bite. Two simple but critical pieces of advice from Lester that are sure to improve your chances in the cheese this fall as much as smoked sharp cheddar brings grins to tailgate parties.

The post B. Lester: 2 Tips for Fishing the Fall “Cheese” appeared first on Bass365.com.

Ish Monroe is known aa a power fisherman but he’s pretty good with a spinning rod to. Take a look at his drop shot bait of choice, and get a sneaky little tip to help you put a few more in the boat.

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The post Monroe’s Smallmouth Choice appeared first on Bass365.com.