New Water

   We all love fishing new water, and why shouldn't you? New sights, new smells and new fish. With new fish comes some work figuring them out though and that's where I'd like to offer a few tips...

   First, lower your expectations and give yourself the time to learn. Even if you've heard the fishing is phenomenal, remember that you're probably behind the learning curve to begin with. Remember that you'll have to deal with trials on a first-timer's basis. There are new rapids to assess, or new boat ramps and access points to figure out. Expecting to just get wet and catch a fish quickly is unrealistic and setting yourself up to be disappointed. If you can, join some folks experienced on that waterway. Enjoy that you're experiencing something new. Try to talk to other fishermen on the water to see what they've noticed (this might be easier in Texas and specifically on Texas rivers where not only are they friendly fishermen but you end up passing within yards of them when the water is low).

   Next, start with your confidence lures and make adjustments. You should spend the time to factor in a few things (water clarity, water speed for rivers, sunlight conditions, temperature... you know- the basics) but don't drift too far from starting with something you're confident in. This will greatly reduce the time it takes you to learn the fish habits and locations. Expecting something to work because you fished this river about 20 miles downstream of here, or because this lake looks like that other one, isn't going to help you analyze trends- which is what good fishermen do- YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. If you're a crankbaiter, then start off there and work towards finding what the fish want. If you're a jig flipper, then you're going to feel confident working with jigs and tailoring jigs to find the fish. Imagine going from a jig, to a jig with a thin and long trailer, to a drop shot worm- that progression shows similarities between each step. If the drop shot works, sick with it. Start with confidence lures and work towards successful lures.

Author with a chunky LMB on his first run down the Colorado River. Going with others who were experienced on this river and sticking with a confidence lure helped get this girl to the boat.

   Lastly, keep track. Failures are truly failures if you don't learn anything. We've all heard a similar idiom. However, successes aren't nearly as successful if you don't learn anything else other than, "Hey we caught a lot of fish." Take the time to go back and analyze (or even record) ambient temperature, sunlight (weather the last few days actually), water temperature, clarity, flow, depth, thermoclines, fish depth, fish movement, structure and cover conditions, bait, technique, tackle specifics and anything else you can think of that influenced the bite. Looking at trends over time (seasonally and annually) as well as focusing on specific water bodies will help you master fish trends and water bodies. As time passes you'll get better at fishing new water. New water will begin to look like old water and you'll have more successful "first runs."

The author with a second run bass down the Colorado River. Analyzing trends from the first trip and adjusting the technique to colder air and water temperatures helped bring this hefty Largemouth to the kayak.