Lost in Lake Anna?  Trust your electronics!

Perhaps you have seen an increase in boat traffic over the last couple of years.  Maybe you are new to the Lake and represent a small portion of that growth.  Either way, for the shoreline pounding bass angler, no dock is sacred.  Unless you get up early, and I mean early, that stump at the mouth of Terry’s Run has already been bombarded with everything in the tackle box by the time you get there.  Don’t be afraid to back off the shoreline and look for structure that may be a little deeper and a little less obvious.  Get familiar with your electronics, maybe even read the manual.  Constantly adjust your chart speed, ping speed, and sensitivity to tune your graph for maximum performance.  These settings will not work all day.  As you move around the lake and water conditions change you will need to make adjustments.  Keep at it! 

 

Some features are small and difficult to map, others may be linear and can only be marked while traveling in one direction.  When you think you have found something, drop a marker buoy and approach it from several angles.  You will then be able to determine the best approach and cut down on driving over top of your fish when you return.  There are hundreds of “hotspots” that never get fished.  Follow creek channels and sharp drop-offs looking for something irregular on the bottom.  Brush, rock piles, and deep grass along the breaks will hold schools of baitfish and large predators.  If you have a GPS, mark these spots as waypoints and return to them.  If you are marking fish and solid structure don’t ever think that you are fishing too deep.  Lake Anna Bass love to hang in the 20-30+ foot range. This is especially true when the surface temperature approaches 90° but some of these spots will produce all year long (with brief exception).  Next time you’ve fished half the day and have nothing to show for it but a scorching sun burn, lose the shoreline security and venture out into uncharted waters.  Be patient, hone your technique, and set your drag ‘cause there’s monsters down there.  Let’s go fishing!

-TM-