Spring Time Hopes

The snow is drifting and the wind chill is supposed to get down to -28 tonight. I have plenty of time to put together plans for this Spring. My hopes are high, but each year I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall just to see how bloody I can get. :banghead I have good water and lake structure but the best I seem to be able to do is maybe 1 small bass or crappie, and lots of small perch. Hopefully this Spring will finally be different. I'll be fishing Newman Lake in Eastern Washington, so if you have any tips, I'd appreciate it.

Do you have a smartphone? The Navionics app has a hydgrographic map of Newman Lake. The app costs about $10 and covers lakes and reservoirs in all 50 states. That should help you pinpoint areas to fish.

http://www.navionics.com/en/mobile-pc-app

Also, check out this presentation by a guy who fishes Eastern Washington for crappie. There's four parts. Here's the first one. Lots of great info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4LHFtuAQus

Nope...no smartphone. I do like the information that Seth Burrill has to offer. He's a good fisherman and I miss his TV show. I met him once at one of the Sportsman Shows they used to have here in Spokane. He's got lots of good information to impart, and all you have to do is ask. Thanks for the link.

Definitely keep the app in mind. It's super useful. There's a ton of lakes in WA in the app, plus the coastal areas and Puget Sound. Even most of the itty bitty 20 acre lakes on the west side are there.

It works on tablets too. Plus it has a GPS function so it will show you where you are on the lake. Great for ice fishing since you can find the approximate depth without drilling holes. I take my phone out with me all the time.

Does that navionics app work on a desktop. Like I say, I don't have a smart phone, tablet, or i-anything.

Sort of. They have a web app but it lacks some of the functionality of the mobile app and map chips. You can pan around and find lakes, but not search by body of water. It also can't show your position or help you plot a course, but it's better than going in blind.

http://www.navionics.com/en/webapp

I would have mentioned the web site earlier, but up until a few months ago they only allowed you to access the charts if you had one of their $100+ map chips and I wasn't aware they had changed it until just now.

If you want it to show your position in the water, you'll need the app and a smartphone or tablet with GPS. You can get older models used for under $100 and you don't even need to have phones on an active cellular line. If you do decide to buy something, just make sure it has GPS. All smartphones will have GPS (the main function is assisting drivers), but it's optional on tablets.

I'm definitely over this cold weather too. I'm ready for the spring to go to the ponds and lakes for some crappie, bass, and perch. I've never fished up in Spokane but have always wanted to try Bonnie Lake up there. I have some spots this spring that I'm going to try along the Columbia that I hit during last summer for the first time and a few other ponds in between the Tri-Cities and Yakima that I've never tried before. A few more weeks and it should be ready for warmwater fishing.

I understand the Potholes south of Moses Lake is a great place for crappies. It's just a bit too far from home for me.

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Originally Posted by Lotech Joe

I understand the Potholes south of Moses Lake is a great place for crappies. It's just a bit too far from home for me.

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Yeah I did well there at Potholes and at Moses Lake last year. Of course all 15" crappie I had on when I went to Potholes came off while trying to get them in. Pissed me off each time it happened haha. My girlfriend and I were always able to bring home 10 or so crappie. If you ever have a weekend to get down there during the summer to fish and stay in the area, it could be worth it. My dad said he would be willing to bring his 14' Hewescraft over so I can keep it over here for the spring/summer to fish so hopefully I can do that, instead of being shore bound. Those crappie were stacked around the docks last summer though at Potholes.