SONGS OF ICE AND FIRE (OR 13 DIFFERENT WAYS TO KILL TIME UNTIL ICE OUT)

 

It's that time of year.  The holiday season is over and we've all just settled in for the "real" winter.  

The wind seems like it is always howling from the north, bringing with it that  lovely mixture of snow and miserable wind chill.  It snarls and growls at your doors and windows as it rushes by.

Then there are the other precious gifts nature has left in her wake.   Icicles hanging from your rooftop.  Your driveway and sidewalks are always drifted in, or you see your truck is buried ...again ...

To top it off,   the last time you checked you discovered your favorite body of water is frozen completely shut and all you can do now is sit in front of your fireplace and dream about ice-out and the first real days of spring.

 But we both know it's a long time between here and there.  Cue exasperated groaning and another shuffle step towards seasonal insanity. 

The long dark nights and short days drag this purgatorial period out far longer than it should actually last.  Kind of like one of those B-movie death scenes where it takes the guy 15 minutes to finally succumb to his injury.  Not pretty.

If you don't ice fish, like yours truly, this part of the year is truly the worst.  What is more worse, is that you have friends who do like to ice fish and they catch plenty in their heated shacks and portable huts.  They post their photos to social media and you are glad they are having a good time and being successful.   More power to them.  They can have it.

 So what else can you do to kill the time?

Fortunately, for you, I have a boatload of suggestions on how to keep so busy you'll swear winter just flew by. All based on decades of suffering through the dark days like these.  So my friend, toss another log on that fire, stoke those embers and sit back down because this might take a few minutes.

 

Suggestion 1: Clean out and re-arrange/organize tackle boxes

Tackleboxes get gnarly throughout the regular fishing season.  Tackle gets disorganized, jigheads and hooks mysteriously disappear into crevices, bits of gravel, sand and grass make their way onto the bottom, etc. etc.  

Now is as good as time as any to take everything out of it, clean it out and start reorganizing your tackle so its easy to find and easy to use.  Why wait to do it until last minute.  Make yourself useful.

Suggestion 2: Paint crankbaits, pour soft plastics or weights, or make crawler harnesses, hoochie rigs, tying flies etc

Ok.  Unless you have all or most of the stuff needed to accomplish any of these tasks, this might not help.  

However, if one of these things is something you want to learn about or more of, now is the time to jump at the opportunity.  You actually have the time to take a stab at some of these productive hobbies.

Hit the forums, group pages and other sources of information to gather what you need to know.

Suggestion 3: Plan out some fishing trips throughout the warm weather seasons

I try to use this downtime to my advantage any and every chance I get.  One of the things I do is start plotting out the new years fishing "campaign".  I identify several lakes or water bodies I've never been to before and incorporate trips to them within my regularly fishing schedule.  Part of planning to go to them involves trolling through archives of fishing reports to get a general idea on when is a really good time to go.  Nothing like driving 12 hours to a lake and find out no one has caught any fish the last month...

Suggestion 4: Read up on your favorites species of fish and refresh your angling awareness.

Cannot stress enough how important it is to read up on the latest information on your favorite species of fish, whether it involves new tactics to catch them, new insights on behavior, or new places to find them, any time you spend trying to improve your "game" is well spent.

Suggestion 5: Look for open water fishing opportunities

Ok, so nothing I have suggested so far trips your trigger.  You are looking to chuck and wind, soak some bait or what not.  Well, there always seem to be some open water options available if you are willing to try them.  Major river systems are often open and given the right conditions, can put out more than a few good fish, if you are really willing to brave the cold.  Don't let a little snow and ice deter you, but do practice safety, common sense and pay attention to your surroundings.  Getting soaked in winter is no joke.

Suggestion 6: Work on, clean or repair boat/kayak  and trailers (in heated garage)

I do believe that most of us who own boats and kayaks clean them up pretty well before winter hits, but there are individuals who don't.  If you are one of those individuals, and you have a heated garage, why not get the boat or kayak into the garage and get it cleaned up properly.  Start off the new year and fishing season right.

Suggestion 7:  Watch some fishing shows/videos

I think most of us do this already so this is almost habit, but if you don't, take some time to hit Youtube to find your favorite pro, or watch some TV shows.  While its not the same as being there, it does tend to get ones mind wandering into the right direction.  Plus, you never know what types of tips or tricks those guys might reveal.

Suggestion 8;  Watch some videos and learn more about your electronics.  And while you are at it, update them if needed.

Electronics. 

Don't care how good you think you are at reading them, odds are pretty high you're not as good as you think.  So why not use this down time to learn more about interpreting your sonar, how to get the most out of it,  and actually updating the software that runs it?

Dig out that user manual, really familiarize yourself with your units options and operation.  Electronics are some of the most valuable tools we have as anglers.  Learn how to use them to your advantage and to make you more successful on the water.

Suggestion 10:  Start stockpiling or making some road/trip snacks like jerky, trail mix, sticks, etc.

This might be one of my more favorite winter past times.  Getting some road grub made up ahead.  Grab and go.  Im talking trail mixes, jerkies, dehydrated fruit snacks, meat sticks etc.  

Everyone has their favorite gas station snacks.  It just seems each time you go into one to grab a quick snack it costs more than the last stop.  Drives me crazy.  How can an ounce or two of chips in about 6 ounces of air and a paper thing container cost me almost 2 freaking dollars?  Wrong answer.  Thats almost  the cost of a container of crawlers.

Save some money and make some up ahead of time...most specifically the meat sticks or jerky.  They freeze real well and damn, they are usually tasty. Deer, beef, turkey, goose or wildebeast, its all good when you are cruising down the road to your next fishing hole.  

As far as trail mixes, I have a personal recipe similar to the proverbial chex mix that makes awesome road grub.  I'll make some up a few months ahead of times, and use my vac sealer to keep it fresh.  It works great for dehydrated fruit snacks too.  

Suggestion 11: Get on the internet and start looking at expanding your horizons and scouting new lakes

Ok.  This has actually become a full time habit for me.  If I get a few spare moments, I'll hop on google and start searching state maps for lakes, rivers, reservoirs etc.  I love to check out general layouts, camping areas, area attractions, nearby amenities etc. And if I like what I see overhead, I'll make a note and then do further research at a later date and time.  

Its actually pretty important to get out and expand your fishing horizons.  Its all too easy to get locked into a single body of water and forget everything else.  It stifles growth, knowledge and who knows what kind of opportunities are missed.

The only time I would suggest actually really hammering on a single body of water is if you are completely intent on learning as much about it as you can and acknowledge it will come at the expense of other knowledge.

Suggestion 12: Get a head start on your new season by cleaning your reels and putting on fresh line

I do know a lot of people who neglect these items.  They never clean their reels, or ever put on fresh line.  They seem oblivious to the fact that dirt and dust get into your reels and sunlight silently and gradually damages your line.  The thought of replacing line isn't even on their radar.

So get a good start to your new year by hitting the water with fresh line and clean gear.  Clean gear will last you longer and provide more enjoyment than something that has sat neglected in your dusty garage for years.

Suggestion 13: Go through your tackle and sharpen or replace (when needed) all the hooks

I should have put this up there right next to the top, but this is a bit more intense.  Your tackle has hooks.  Crankbaits, jerkbaits, bladebaits, rattlebaits...they all have hooks.  Take the time to sharpen them all up, inspect them, and where needed, replace them with the correct size hook to keep them running right and to prevent losing any fish.  

Invest in a pair of good split ring pliers.  They are worth the money.

So, there you have some suggestions to kill some time.  I had some more but these ought to keep the average angler busy the rest of the winter.

Dont fret...spring is coming.  The ice will leave the lakes and streams and open water will be upon us all.  Keep the faith.

So until the next blog entry, 

BOGSTALKING AND THE FORGOTTEN ART OF HIGHLY MOBILE ANGLING

If anything this year has shown me as a shoreline angler, it is the absolute need for mobility.  When the fishing slows down, its time to move.   But a lot of people don't get it...they'll sit in the same place for hours and wait...and wait....and wait...

Not me...There are only so many hours in a day and life is too short to waste time waiting for fish to come to me to bite. No sir. 

 If I find myself in that situation, its s time to kick it up a notch and bring the heat..

Call it spot hopping, puddle jumping, or a bayou boogie .., for me its always been Bogstalking .

The overall premise of Bogstalking is all about searching for active fish, pinning down their location and searching for anymore active fish in the area before moving on once they stop hitting your presentations. No need to waste much time trying to coax neutral or inactive fish into biting.  

This also isn't about trophy fishing or lunker hunting, although you will find over time Bogstalking that you will run into far more bigger fish than you would have sitting and waiting for them to come to you.

It isn't just a warm water technique.  I use it year round albeit it, aggressive in terms of fish behavior is a relative term that changes throughout the day and season.  

Throughout my travels, I've come across a few anglers who have adopted this angling lifestyle on their own terms and are extremely successful at it.  

I have mentioned my friend Sheridan a few times in the past and for good reason.   He has taken Bogstalking  to a whole new level; stalking the shorelines almost every day of the year, he has become an apex predator of sorts along the shores of Lake Sharpe and Oahe, catching limits of fish, primarily walleye,  in all manner of ungodly extremes of weather and temperatures.  He has raised Bogstalking to an art form, taking it even further than I have ever been able to. He has set the bar high and relays his success through social media.

I used Bogstalking just last week on a night trip to the Missouri River below Gavins Point dam.  I knew from past experience up there this time of year can be feast or famine if you are fishing from shore.  

This trip around proved no different.  But this time I had prepared and done my homework and went up early to get started combing the shoreline.  I opted for what I've been hearing in some recent fishing reports, a barometer of true activity from guys who are out almost every day along the entirety of the Missouri River system.  I fished areas normally not highly pressured and eventually found my active fish...all the result of Bogstalking. It took hours to comb the shoreline but when I found them it was in a very non-descript little eddy off the main current.  A spot I normally might have walked by.

One point I really want to immediately clarify about Bogstalking is that for an angler, looking for aggressive and active fish doesn't necessarily translate into fast aggressive retrieves.  Sometimes just slowing down beyond the norm can be the ticket.  A jig can be fished slowly and yet as aggressively as any jerkbait and sometimes draw in more fish and provoke them to strike.

Bogstalking is also about finding new spots, holes or areas that are bypassed by others simply because they don't look fishy enough or don't raise the proverbial "stop and fish this spot" signs.

Key point to always remember...Our eyes aren't especially suited to see any real depth into stained water (-the norm where I typically fish) so while we might think we have a general idea of what lies below, often we are are being mislead about our ability to read water or what think we are seeing.   Our minds direct us to move on and "ignore".

Keep in mind that spots do change from one year to the next for all manner of reasons. The fish will always adapt.   Someone may plant a few brush piles in the area, the primary weed type may change, the weeds may thin out...there are a host of spot changing events.   The hot spot last year, may or may not be as hot the following year.  Stalking and actively fishing from the shorelines helps identify these little nuances and allows you to make adjustments.

Walking long lengths of shoreline necessitates packing light and only taking what is necessary.  This is key to a more enjoyable experience.  Why lug a huge tackle box around a lake if there is no need to do so?  Especially when the bulk of your fishing is going to probably going to be you using a select few lures.

I typically use my Cabelas club bag as a pro tempore stalking bag.  Its big enough to accommodate a few trays of lures, a stringer, forceps, clippers and a few cans of soda.  All that will only weigh a few pounds if that.  Packed correctly, there is hardly any weight to it at all and I am geared up to walk miles with little to no discomfort.

But what to take for lures?  That is the rub right there isn't it?

Part of knowing what to take is to do your due diligence on seasonal factors affecting the water your fishing.  Water temps, cover, structure, available forage, looking over topo maps for key areas, prevailing weather patterns, water body type etc etc...you get the idea.  

But for those of who aren't quite grasping what I am implying, here is an example...

I am currently moving towards more removable Plano trays and organizing and labelling them by the standard Calendar developed by In-Fisherman and by species type.  

I base the selections filling those trays on water temp, fish type obviously, and the areas I will be looking for or fishing.  When I decide to hit the lake and fish for walleye or bass, its often just a simple matter of  taking a few  trays out of the bag and adding new ones.  You might think this all sounds like overkill but I am  telling you, organizing your tackle this way eliminates a lot of unnecessary baggage, headache and/or mystery.  It is worth the effort.  

The more you know, the better you can prepare and hone down what you are going to take with you.  And as I have stated in a previous article, (Failing to Plan is Planning to fail), the better you plan, the better your success rates will be in general.

There are other challenges you will come across.  

No matter how well you plan, you will come across areas where you will wish you had brought something else that might help you fish the area better.  That is normal and something you need to make note of for your next trip out.  

You might also come across areas of rip rap which tend to be a little hard to maneuver through, especially in the dark.  The last thing you want is to try and wind your way through that maze of sharp shifting stone while trying to maintain your balance with a tackle box that weighs more than a toddler. Try that and you will likely get hurt. A light source is definitely a must.  I prefer headlamps rther than lanterns or flashlights but do what works best for you.

You will likely come across areas that might not necessarily be holding a lot of fish now, but through your past angling experiences, you'll recognize might be the best place to fish in a few days, weeks or months.  You will come across areas that hold a lot more fish than you suspected and yet will be overlooked.  Time and experience will guide you if you let them.

If you aren't actively stalking the shorelines at least several times a season, you aren't maximizing your opportunities to pop fish, learning or discovering  seasonal habits or taking advantage of adding more spots to your go to list.  

We as anglers tend to get stuck in certain ruts and go to the same spots over and over and over...regardless of times of year.

Dont get me wrong. Some bodies of water don't necessarily have a lot of options available for shoreline fishing.  This is when the little things you find on your spotting trips during the day can translate into bigger and more fish at night. 

Every lake has community holes, like I have mentioned above.  Fish do adjust to the level of angling pressure in many ways.   Getting away from the crowds, even just a little bit or fishing off hours can put more fish on your stringer. 

Observation, continual fishing education, time on the water and awareness are the four cornerstones of sustained success.  Proper gear, thinking outside the box, and a sense of adventure through Bogstalking can and will help pave the way to greater opportunities than you imagined.

Keep those lines wet, those hooks sharp and the fish afraid...

NIGHT SHIFT IN THE ARCTIC OR JERKING AROUND THE ICEBERGS

Without fail, I typically find myself the only guy at the local lake fishing after Halloween.  Usually its before even that.  If I do see someone else fishing, they almost always call it quits as the sun sets and the cold comes calling.  Something about those first chilled autumn breezes and lots of anglers shrivel and retreat back into their winter dens.

The ones who do stay and fish near me after sunset don't seem willing to brave much past 7 pm, regardless of how much I iterate that the fish don't typically move into the shallows until after that the first part of fall.

So far this fall I can't count the number of times one of these guys has picked up their gear, made the short trip to their vehicle and loaded it up and before they are even out of eyesight, I'm setting the hook into some gravel lizards or bass.

Make no mistake.  Night fishing in freezing weather is almost always a little sucky no matter how well you dress.  I cannot say its fast paced or even action packed most of the time.  No.  Recalling my military service years,  night fishing in the cold is more akin to forced long marches across grueling terrain.  Its a grind, mentally and physically.  Numb stiff fingers, frosty cheeks, feet like ice blocks, heavy clothing hindering movement.  Throw in some freezing rain, snow and a nice stiff 20 -30 mph wind and you got yourself a literal suck-fest.

But the fish are still biting.  Really they are. 

These days, I'm not much of a live bait kind of guy.  Know it works and could probably save me some time fish-wise, but trying to keep it fresh and alive is not a hassle I even want to consider.  Heresy to most walleye guys but  its not very cost effective from my point of view.  Nor do I want to sit on shore and try to watch a rod tip at night with any amount of wind blowing.  I'd sooner watch paint dry.  

Nope.  I'll stick to the jerkbaits, long minnow baits, jigs and shad raps.  Throw in a few blade baits and some plastic moxies and I'll be a happy angler.  Keeps me active and focused and it makes it easier (but not impossible) to ignore the cold.

Right now, a day after Thanksgiving, the lake still hasn't froze up yet, but the temperatures are getting closer to that fateful and utterly inevitable day.  Maybe another week or two and I'll be scrounging for open water to fish during the daylight hours.  

In the meantime, I'll keep prowling the shorelines for "biters".  Hunting for active fish that have almost forgotten the pressure they had put on them during the warmer months.  

I use the word active fish but its relative to the season.  Active in this case means fish willing to hammer a jerkbait or jig without much cajoling.

Under the cover of darkness is the best time of the day to really pull in some big fish. I've found over the last few years that the adage is certainly true.  Throw in the colder months and fish trying to fatten up for winter and there are definitely nights that will make you forget about the cold.  

So if you do decide to venture into the icy darkness of your local fishing hole, here are some definite things you must consider.

• Make sure to venture into the area doing the daylight hours.  Make some casts to identify snags and other structure and orientate yourself to know where they are at.
• Dress warmer than you need to.  Once the sun drops, so does the temperature and usually pretty fast.  You're also on the waters edge and any wind is going to cut through your clothing pretty easily.
• Use a headlamp.  Forgot about lanterns.  This is stealth guerilla style fishing.  And when you do use your headlamp for something, make sure your back is to the water to prevent its light from shining out over the water. .  Why?  The water has already started to clear due to the cooler temps, the plankton and algae have nearly disappeared.  Any lights that are nearby, the fish have become accustomed too.  Anything out of the ordinary or unusual will send them back into the depths and your fishing spot for the night is compromised.  Note however, this is not usually a problem fishing rivers.  Moving water refracts light differently and you can get away with it in my experience
• Hand warmers of any type are a godsend.  You haven't lived until you've tried to tie good knots with frozen fingers. Good times....good times...
• Heavy or warm waterproof boots.  The ground is usually frozen or close to it.  Standing on it in the darkness can numb your feet quicker than you realize.
• Be prepared for long stretches of no action....none...zip...nada.  When these fish come in, its usually in a short quick lived spurts.
• The moon can affect their behavior, especially its brightness during the fall.  The air is crisp and so is the moonlight.  I've usually had better luck this time of year when the moon is non-existent.  Especially fishing jerkbaits.  The fish seem to home in on the rattles better.
• Grow a beard.  Seriously.  They help keep your face warmer.  
• Travel light.  A few rods, a stringer perhaps, maybe a net.  You don't need your whole tacklebox.  A few removable trays in a small lightweight duffle-bag is really all you need.  Figure out what you need to fish the areas you choose and then minimize as much as you can.  
• Be prepared to clean your rod tip of ice build-up.  Its going to happen and will hamper your casting ability.  As my friend Sheridan pointed out, use rods with large eyelets especially on the rod tips.  This helps prevent the ice from building up so fast.

No doubt many of you have read the articles on wading at night in the fall for big walleyes.  I won't disagree that its an  extremely effective tactic, but its not something I am willing to do.  

I am older now and my balance is crap.  The last thing I want or need is to slip or fall over and have my nuggets immersed in a cold bath of lake water and then having to get the waders off and making my way back to the warmth of my truck. before I get hypothermia.  

I urge caution when considering that option.  Especially if you have little knowledge of the areas you intend to fish.

All in all, night fishing in the fall is very rewarding.  Especially when your effort pays off.  The fish tend to be bigger and thicker, and when they do bite, they are not usually shy, they tend towards aggressive.  

Above all, be safe, use prudence and be stealthy.  The fish are there.  Closer than they have been all year.  All you got to do is brave the cold and go out after them.

THE ROUGH CHOP: A STRATEGY FOR STEPPING OUT OF ANGLING COMFORT ZONES INTO UNFAMILIAR WATERS

Farm ponds, rivers, the local creek...you know, those unassuming rural places we all went to,  were my introduction into the sport;  where a wildfire of bold adventurism was stoked and prodded by the waters quicksilver transparency and the mystery each promised yet hid within their shadowy depths.  

Throughout my older youth I fished  whenever  I could, mainly for pleasure and for whatever was biting. Bass and sunfish were usually the main targets as they usually had the largest appetites and were the easiest to catch.  An added bonus was that most of the time, I could see their reactions to my offerings and I watched their behaviors eagerly.  

Catfish, bullhead and carp rounded out the usual list of hard fighting thugs and a few times a year, in mid to late November, my grandfather, dad and uncles would get together for a few nights of sauger and walleye fishing below Gavins Point dam. 

Back in those earlier years on the river, one could expect to catch the occasional paddlefish, sturgeon and serpentine eels beneath the crisp ebony sky and the raspy hiss and flickering light of the trusty Coleman lanterns sitting on the shoreline rip rap....those fish were true monsters for me at the time and as always, the Titans of the Missouri were bigger than anything I had previously imagined; grand visions of Leviathans, Gargantua and Behemoth fish that swam just out of reach and slightly beyond my periphery

Entering early adulthood found my fishing time seriously curtailed.  Gone were the lazy days of fishing with no worries or serious expectations.  Instead, those were replaced with trying to earn a decent living, raise a family and keep all the bills paid and still have cash left over.    They were definitely lean years, with occasional excursions to whatever water body was closest and trying to bring home some enough eating size fish to make the trip worthwhile.  

Most of the time I was successful, but sometimes, the dreaded skunk followed me home.    The stench of angling failure hung around me like a shroud for weeks.  And as my fishing trips and time on the water slowed to a trickle, the success rate I had enjoyed before plummeted.  I had trouble locating active fish and even when I did, the numbers I used to enjoy seemed a distant memory.  Nothing I tried seemed to work.  I had become "lost".

I made the best of it, as best as I could, fished as often as I could and dreamed of a time when I rounded that corner of hardship and could fish as often as I wanted, practically anywhere I wanted.  But with that came the realization I needed some serious strategy.  

Fast forward almost 20 years later.  I've arrived at that time I'd dreamed about and suddenly find myself fishing a lot of unfamiliar water and dealing with all the challenges that come with it.  

I still fish the local lake primarily because it is close, is ranked as one of the top 10 bass lakes in the state, has a decent population of bigger crappie, catfish and bluegills and an emerging population of walleye.  Actually fish it quite a bit.  

That said, I bypass a lot of my old stomping grounds, due to ever increasing boating crowds and angling pressure, exploding zebra mussel infestation, and a population of various and equally voracious rough fish that barely make the trip up there worthwhile.    Call me an elitist or what not, I don't care.  If I wanted to fish for gar, skipjack or anything else, I'd stick closer to home and save my gas and time.  

Thus, the road trips.  More often than not, but not as often as I like, I find myself on the long drives along I-90 to places like Lake Pactola, Lake Francis Case by Chamberlain or up to Pierre and Lake Oahe.  Different types of water bodies, different prevailing weather patterns and most certainly different tactics.  Throw in a lovely wife who loves eating a lot of fish and suddenly you have a ton of pressure to catch something to take home.  Not an ideal situation, but one that is usually manageable if I apply some general  principles to the places I find myself in.

Lets take Oahe as an example.  Since I am not a local ( I wish), the time frames I am present there are often separated by weeks.   Depending on the time of year, that can pose some serious problems.  Fish locations can change quickly given water temps, water levels,  food availability, water clarity etc.  Places that were hot yesterday can be totally devoid of fish today.  While I usually take my boat up there most of the time,  that's still a lot of water to try and cover both quickly and successfully.  Here is the primary tactic I typically employ.

Enter pattern fishing.

PATTERN FISHING

Remember I mentioned I needed some serious strategy?  Pattern fishing was eventually my answer.  Developed by bass tourney fishermen back in the late 70's and early 80's, its been an invaluable tool and has helped me stay on fish.

The general short theory is that given any water body section, if one catches fish and the bite suddenly stops, you should be able to move to a similar location, say across the lake, find similar conditions and find some active fish at the same depths, using the same tactics.  Its simple logic and its a proven tournament winning strategy.  Works in reservoirs of all sizes.  

What many people fail to realize is that for huge reservoirs like Oahe is that there are typically several types of forage options available for fish and those options are not generally going to all be in the same areas,  thus you can have several distinct patterns happening at the same time.  Smaller lakes too can exhibit similar situations but usually to lesser degrees.

They key therefore is to do some research before the trip to get a general idea on where the fish are, what depth they are holding, what the locals are catching them on and what weather conditions are going to be prevalent when you are there.  Also doesn't hurt to make sure you have a backup plan in case the weather conditions change as they are wont to do across the Plains.  I usually try to have some shore fishing options lined up just in case.  Since most of my fishing experience revolves around shoreline angling, I am not usually too upset about not getting the boat out if the wind is howling.

Once (if) you do manage to locate and catch some fish, you now have a baseline idea on what to look for, what to use and what depth to use it at .

There are several caveats to this strategy though.  The lake needs to be divided into no less than 3 parts; The upper section, the middle section and the lower sections.  Also, if any large bays are present, you can divide them up in the same manner.  

Recognizing where you are in terms of water body sections further helps to eliminate more water and keeps you in areas where your tactics should work.

Another thing to remember is that some patterns will typically be comprised of bigger fish than others.  Bigger fish tend to eat bigger forage and bigger forage typically inhabits differing areas than smaller forage. 

 Note the word typically...while usually the case, there will always be exceptions.  Mother Nature can be fickle and there are no guidelines she will not bend if not outright break occasionally.

Another note of interest:

If you live in an area where nearby reservoirs are the same general type, say for instance flatland reservoirs, their depths, forage options and cover  roughly being similar, that pattern fishing methodology can help steer you to more starting points and put you on fish quicker.    

As I normally fish almost daily, I do occasionally switch out what water bodies I fish.  Keeping those lake choices as close as possible to the current water body type I am fishing, I can usually expect to find active fish in similar spots on those other reservoirs and catch them using similar tactics.  Its not totally a fool-proof plan, but I believe it does help me get into the ballpark.  A lot of fishing involves memory and awareness.  

So there you have it.  A relatively simple game plan to help eliminate a lot of water and put you on fish quicker.  The tactics you chose to employ ultimately affect your fishing starting points and each species tends to have its own methods leading to success.  I'm not going to pursue that avenue in this post.  Suffice to say, know your quarry, learn how to read topographic maps, pay attention to fishing reports both current and past years, do your due diligence and you'll arrive on new water with a better arsenal of knowledge and baits that should help make your trip a success.