Techniques for targeting big fish

[TyreeUM]

Anyone on here spend most of their fishing time hunting for monster fish? I thought it would be fun to discuss some tactics used to help locate and target big fish in Canada. I can start with a few technique I use.

Google Earth - especially for fishing river's and creeks, it gives you a great prospective of the water and were big fish might be holding out. I then find a road that get's as close to that location as possible then hike in with a handheld.

Fish late evening and the first few hours after dark - the fish seem to be less spooked at this time and I have found the larger fish seem to feed most at this time.

[densa44]

Anything else and you catch a lot of small ones.

[michelle]

My Dad always said "Bigger Bait bigger fish". But in my experience just dont'try for them or use a Scooby Rod!:sHa_sarcasticlol:
I would like to see some experts comment on this thread so I can learn more:)

[Dust1n]

Heres three of them:

BIG LURES = BIG FISH.

Fishing with a chop breaks the surface and makes them alot less spooky and willing to grab baits.

Ambush points. They will always hold big fish if the lake has them but not all ambush points hold fish. the steepest dropoffs are key anytime when baitfish/foragefish run from the shallow water to the deep water. the fish may be in the shallow water thrashing baitfish/foragefish but will almost always hold in the deep stuff SUSPENDED

anyone else this could be a very useful thread

[Gust]

Anyone on here spend most of their fishing time hunting for monster fish? I thought it would be fun to discuss some tactics used to help locate and target big fish in Canada. I can start with a few technique I use.

Google Earth - especially for fishing river's and creeks, it gives you a great prospective of the water and were big fish might be holding out. I then find a road that get's as close to that location as possible then hike in with a handheld.

Fish late evening and the first few hours after dark - the fish seem to be less spooked at this time and I have found the larger fish seem to feed most at this time.

Google/Satellite is as techy as I get, and got my Dad into this too (with me clicking the mouse and trying to explain how a computer works),,,, if the wind lets up we are going on an exploration tomorrow and the next few days to look for some darker drop offs we've found online,,, quite excited, haven't done a true explore in almost 25 years with him.

[Dust1n]

Google/Satellite is as techy as I get, and got my Dad into this too (with me clicking the mouse and trying to explain how a computer works),,,, if the wind lets up we are going on an exploration tomorrow and the next few days to look for some darker drop offs we've found online,,, quite excited, haven't done a true explore in almost 25 years with him.

keep us informed about your trip!

[Jasonp]

this will sound dumb but what do you look at on google earth? how can u tell spots from it?

[Granrey]

this will sound dumb but what do you look at on google earth? how can u tell spots from it?

I have the same question too

[Dust1n]

this will sound dumb but what do you look at on google earth? how can u tell spots from it?

I have the same question too

you can find fishing spots like beaver damns in river so u dont got to spend all day walking up and down them to find zero of them.map out POI areas like big bends points ect.

[Gust]

this will sound dumb but what do you look at on google earth? how can u tell spots from it?

Many of the reservoirs in Alberta before they were earthen dammed, were natural coullee ponds/streams/upwellings/runoff-grooves,,, for instance, if you Google Lake McGregor you can detect the old streams and bays of Snake Lake now submerged, that's what I'm looking for. I'm a shore fisher (though always contemplating getting a boat again) and can find prime ledges closer to shore.

I think it was in 81 during a horrible drought that you got to see just a small stream on the south side of the Vulcan to Lomond causeway. When the lake refilled on that side, my Dad, Cousin and I set up and spooned one pike after another in front of about a hundred non-catchers. It didn't matter what we used, it just happened to be that we noted that structure during a drain out. Now I can do this via Google Satellite and help from Dace/Tacklerunner and a bathy-maps link.

And yes FH7, hopefully next week I'll have pictures from a few Lake X and what our discoveries brought us.

[TyreeUM]

this will sound dumb but what do you look at on google earth? how can u tell spots from it?

So this is where it gets fun...I will give you just an idea for where to find big sturgeon. Everyone does well for sturgeon in the spring - why? They are on the move and almost anyplace you fish with slower current you have a decent chance of catching some sturgeon that are hanging out there before they head further upstream. But what about in the fall? These fish tend to have certain locations that they hangout for the rest of the summer, fall, and over winter. Hop on google earth and take a look at the river. Look for large bends in the river that have a visible sand/gravel bar on the INSIDE bend. These sandbars are formed from scouring and deposited by a back eddy and will typically be the deepest sections of the river and also the locations that sturgeon will hold outside the spring spawn. These are also the places in the river that typically hold the biggest walleye.

I imagine there are going to be people that would be upset with me (as a fish biologist) for posting info on targeting sturgeon but I would gladly have a civil debate on why I feel sturgeon fishing is an important part in their conservation.

[chubbdarter]

wiggling your toes off a dock...can result in some hard attacks

[WayneChristie]

Many of the reservoirs in Alberta before they were earthen dammed, were natural coullee ponds/streams/upwellings/runoff-grooves,,, for instance, if you Google Lake McGregor you can detect the old streams and bays of Snake Lake now submerged, that's what I'm looking for. I'm a shore fisher (though always contemplating getting a boat again) and can find prime ledges closer to shore.

I think it was in 81 during a horrible drought that you got to see just a small stream on the south side of the Vulcan to Lomond causeway. When the lake refilled on that side, my Dad, Cousin and I set up and spooned one pike after another in front of about a hundred non-catchers. It didn't matter what we used, it just happened to be that we noted that structure during a drain out. Now I can do this via Google Satellite and help from Dace/Tacklerunner and a bathy-maps link.

And yes FH7, hopefully next week I'll have pictures from a few Lake X and what our discoveries brought us.

There is also a submerged lake under Crawling valley reservoir.

[Jasonp]

So this is where it gets fun...I will give you just an idea for where to find big sturgeon. Everyone does well for sturgeon in the spring - why? They are on the move and almost anyplace you fish with slower current you have a decent chance of catching some sturgeon that are hanging out there before they head further upstream. But what about in the fall? These fish tend to have certain locations that they hangout for the rest of the summer, fall, and over winter. Hop on google earth and take a look at the river. Look for large bends in the river that have a visible sand/gravel bar on the INSIDE bend. These sandbars are formed from scouring and deposited by a back eddy and will typically be the deepest sections of the river and also the locations that sturgeon will hold outside the spring spawn. These are also the places in the river that typically hold the biggest walleye.

I imagine there are going to be people that would be upset with me (as a fish biologist) for posting info on targeting sturgeon but I would gladly have a civil debate on why I feel sturgeon fishing is an important part in their conservation.

Wow thats great advice. I just took a look and saw devon (good sturgeon spot) has exactly what you sais. Same with the spot by legends golf club n it also has the same.

Very good advice thank you very much

[Gust]

So this is where it gets fun...I will give you just an idea for where to find big sturgeon. Everyone does well for sturgeon in the spring - why? They are on the move and almost anyplace you fish with slower current you have a decent chance of catching some sturgeon that are hanging out there before they head further upstream. But what about in the fall? These fish tend to have certain locations that they hangout for the rest of the summer, fall, and over winter. Hop on google earth and take a look at the river. Look for large bends in the river that have a visible sand/gravel bar on the INSIDE bend. These sandbars are formed from scouring and deposited by a back eddy and will typically be the deepest sections of the river and also the locations that sturgeon will hold outside the spring spawn. These are also the places in the river that typically hold the biggest walleye.

I imagine there are going to be people that would be upset with me (as a fish biologist) for posting info on targeting sturgeon but I would gladly have a civil debate on why I feel sturgeon fishing is an important part in their conservation.

As fisherfolk, we are the largest group of impromptu, volunteer, amateur research assistants.