Navigating To Your Fishing Spot - Early Morning Fishing
Hazards
Well, you have been sitting in the house all winter and you got that itch to wet a
hook. You plan a trip to your favorite lake and set the date. The morning finally arrives and you have everything
loaded and you just can not wait to get there. Too bad that your truck and boat do not have wings and it seems to
take forever to get to the lake.
You arrive just before daylight and you get the boat in the water, get the truck
parked, got the coffee and you fire up the big motor. STOP put on that
LIFE
JACKET, remember that water is still pretty
cold.
As you let the big motor warm up from its long winters nap you go through all the
checks, Rods, Lures, snacks, landing net, and by the way did I put the plug back in the boat. This should have been
checked before you launched the boat, you or your buddy should have already went through that check off
list.
If you have not read my article on Fishing Trip Check Off List at basshogfishing.com or crappieslabfishing.com either read it or even print a copy to take
with you.
Navigating In The Dark
Seeing it is before daylight make sure that your running lights are on, and your
stern light is in working order.
One thing that I might have left out in my earlier articles I like to also have at
least a large candle
power light (3,000,000 or
more) to see where I am going.
This is where your fishing partner comes in handy.
  He can light your way
and keep you from doing the driving and trying to hold the light too.
Proceed out into the lake at a idle, this way it will let your big motor warm up
and get use to being run again, and it allows the fluids to lubricate everything.
Now it is time to put the hammer down, here again if you have time take your
time.
The reason for this whole article is that I just read a article in Bass Times
where someone was going across the lake with all the boat would do and low and behold a floating log was just in
front of the boat and neither saw it. Well, it cost them a lower unit and they missed out on the tournament, and I
would venture to say it could have cost them the MAX.
Unseen Boat Navigating Hazards
Early morning, what I mean is before daybreak can be very dangerous on the water,
not only for floating objects, but the lake just might be still be at winter pool.
Meaning it might be down and mudflats and sandbars will be just above the surface
where in the summer when there is plenty of water in the lake you never saw them.
I have read horror stories where a boat was flying across the water and hit a
sandbar and both anglers were thrown from the boat, this is not a pretty site.
A close friend and angler of mine fishes REEL FOOT Lake and knows it very well. He
had a GPS and had plotted his course very well.
It was very FOGGY one morning, and low and behold, he hit a stump that before had
not been there. I think it cost him about $8,000 to fix his RANGER.
Early Spring mornings will have fog on the lake seeing that the water temp is
cooler than the air temp.
Take your time I know how excited you are and must admit I get the same way, I bet
I caught three Bass Hogs in my dreams the night before just thinking about getting back on the water, needless to
say there was not a whole lot of sleep either.
All I am saying is take your time and enjoy the great outdoors and arrive at your
Fishing Honey Hole and have a great trip and catch that BASSHOG.
Keep The Hooks Wet!
Steve McGoldrick
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