Sorry everyone, had this answer all typed out and my connection went down.
I have a process I use when going fishing. Even on my home water.
I used this same process when I worked a crappie camp in PA this May when I did not get any practice time on three different lakes in three days. Caught 65 on the last lake on day three.
I always research on the web, talk to local fishermen, visit bait shops and study maps before going to fish.
I buy or use preloaded software for the electronics such as Navionics.
I look for spawning grounds as the fish normally can be found somewhere near there, even in the summer or winter. I like to fish the fertile areas of the lake as bigger fish live in those areas.
Once on the water, I spend time on the electronics using side finder and Down Image technologies. They work and work well.
In practice on Beaver Lake in Arkansas this year, I placed 4th in the tournament by marking these key areas and fished four of them. I don't move much once I zero in on a good area.
I use the color selector down to the depth I have found the fish hanging out and use it periodically during the day.
Water temp, weather, moon phases are also taken into account and once I find the active fish, color, depth area, I concentrate on replicating the pattern
Speed can also be a factor. Last Sunday I caught 37 spider rigging and had to move at .1 to .2 MPH on GPS