Scoping single fish advice wanted

[Auston22688]

For someone wanting to target bigger fish, what’s the best advice you got? I’m talking gear, presentation, location to look, everything. Thanks guys. Yall are more help than yall know.


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[jdk426]

Bigger fish tend to like to be alone. What I do, I don't know that its right but it works for me is, I like to look along the channel on flats with steep drop offs or the main intersections of channels and canals. As far as gear and presentation it just depends for me I'm typically vertically jigging structure, therefore I use my HH Rod and Reels Warpig 13.5 footer, usually with a 1/32 or 1/16 oz. jig head with #8 pound vicious hi-vis line usually with a light weight pegged about 10 inches above it. I will tend to try to stay about 18' back from the fish but you may be able to get closer depending on how spooky they are. I pitch out past the fish and control my fall using the excess line in my free hand. Let the bait fall in a pendulum effect just easing it over the top of the fish, this will generally get a strike. You usually only have 1 shot with these fish I've found so make it count. If you notice your fall of your jig isn't going to be on target quickly pull it out the water and re-flip it. Never stop your bait near the fish keep it natural. I am not the best at trying to explain these things so I hope you could make some sense of it!

[Auston22688]

I’ve just got my livescope so I’m still getting used to it and figuring it out. You have your transducer on your trolling motor?


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[mozingo1952]

If you lake has areas of standing timber close to river or creek channels, that would be a good place to start.
I have noticed that on small brushpiles holding only a few fish, the fish tend to be bigger. I am not an open water fisherman , so I can't help with
that.

Good Luck

Mo

[Auston22688]

My home lake is Eufaula down here. It’s got some very defined creek channels. I grew up riding jet skis and playing all over the lake. It’s amazing how much time I’ve spent on this lake and I know so little about it as far as fishing goes. I like trying to figure out where these fish spawn and then follow them out to deep water, but I’m not that good. I just happen upon them all over the place. That’s what so frustrating.


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[jdk426]

Auston,

Yes i have my lvs34 on my Ultrex shaft, i personally like to have my hands free and dont wont to mess with a pole, but that is just my preference.

What Mozingo said is absolutely right, smaller structure with just a few fish tends to be bigger fish, bigger structure loaded with fish tends to be more smaller fish.

Look at the maps with contours find the deeper waters with steep edges and shallower flats nearby, find the creek channels, alot is trial and error and every lake is a little bit different, heck even the same lake can be a little different each season.

The best advice i can give, i remember trying to learn and watching youtube, and listening to advice all that is great to take bits and pieces of, but remember youtube shows you a perfect world it shows all the good and none of the bad, the best teacher is time on the water. Take you a note pad write down your wind direction, weather conditions, wind speed, color and size of baits you used, depth you caught them, etc. you will gain more out of that then you will anything else.

As far as livescope settings again its all personal preference. I dont think anyone has "wrong" settings per say because its what works for them. These are the settings i use you can use as a guide to adjust to your liking. Personally i think a clear screen has to much filtered out and you are missing stuff, therefore i like to see a little clutter. The best way to describe a open water crappie is a dime glowing on the screen sitting still, they will be suspended in the water column.

Gain - Early Morning/Late Evening or heavy overcast days i run 56-62 -----Normal day i run 63-68 gain
Color Scheme - Black Emerald
Color Gain - Early Morning/Late Evening or heavy overcast days i run 60-70 -----Normal day i run 70-80
Color Limit - 18% its just my personal preference i know alot of folks run it off/default
Trails - Off
Bottom Fill - Off
Install Depth - 1.4ft (this depends on your trolling motor)
Stabalization - On
Orientation - Forward
Focus - 158
Noise Rejections - High
TVG - Off
Ghost Reject - Off
Reverse Range - Minimum
Depth - 15' (but i always adjust to stay at least 5 feet deeper than actual bottom regardless of depth with a minumum of 10' deep)
Range - default is 30 foot i never change the range any closer but will go further out when i am searching for structure or open water fish - if you are getting distortion its generally because your range to depth ratio is not ideal.

[Slabprowler]

Look up Tony Adams Guide service! Give him a shout he is a super nice guy and willing to help ! He know your lake like no other! And is absolutely a hammer!

[Auston22688]

Look up Tony Adams Guide service! Give him a shout he is a super nice guy and willing to help ! He know your lake like no other! And is absolutely a hammer!

I’ve seen Mr. Tony at the gas station some. Never got a chance to speak to him. I don’t like bothering people asking for advice. Feels like I’m annoying them. Atleast here, you guys can answer on your time.


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