# Reading Maps.



## moe1078 (Apr 8, 2004)

I am trying to get a little more detailed in Bass fishing local waters so i can fish better areas and more fish and spend less time pounding bad streches of shoreline for hours with just a few fish. I am looking at Maps and on all of them the blue line going through the map is the creek channel correct? Now I want to fish the shorelines where the creek channel comes closest to the shoreline is this correct? I just want to be able to look at a map when going to a new lake and have a better idea of where to start of the day. any help would be great.


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## TritonBill (Apr 9, 2004)

Map Reading:

If you have a fishing map for a lake that has contour lines a great way to help you focus on certain aspects of the lakes (Points, depth ranges, etc) is to get out the markers and color the contours. A map will have contour lines on it starting on the outside of the map. Between the first line and the second could represent 0-5 feet, 0-10 feet, etc. Color each of those rings and by time your done you will not only have a colorful map  but you'll have a map that the different depths stand out on. You'll be able to see points much easier, etc. This can help when looking at maps of unfamiliar lakes and trying to learn it and put a pattern together. 

For example, say your map has the following contour lines...
0-5 feet: Color Yellow
5-10 feet: Color Green
10-15 feet: Color Pink
15-20 feet: Color Red

I'm not sure what map you are looking at but the blue line could indeed be a creek channel. 

Let me know if you need more explanation...


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

a lot of maps around here are not real good but better than nothing. Most do have a blue line showing a creek channel. Some lakes are silted in so bad the channel is hard to find others are easier. At times a bank with a creek channel close by is good. For example summer deep water close by is good. In the fall the bass will scatter on shallow flats sometimes really far from a creek channel. As the water gets cold they will be closer to the channel. This is just a basic observation i seem to notice. Maps will definantly help you out. Learn to make the best of what you have in a map. Also it will give you something to do in the winter.


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