I just bought a 14 ft alumacraft, and ive always fished from the bank. So what advice can you give me to find my own "honey holes" ill be targeting bass, and panfish. i have a depth finder as well. i have a couple of spots ive fished with buddies over there years, but ill be going to a new lake so how does my first trip need to go.


fisherman256

SAFETY,safety, safety! Make sure everything on the trailer functions properly. Safety chains crossed under the hitch. All welds are strong, no cracks anywhere.
Boat - lights work properly. Horn works. FIRE EXTINGUISHER! Throweable life saving device. PFDs for everyone on board. WEAR THEM! If the big motor is running, wear the PFD. Don't stand on the side of the boat to pee....use a mug. I use a 32 ounce plastic mug, then pour it over the side and rinse it out & stow away till needed again. Use two transom and one bow tie down straps. Don't rely  on the trailer bow strap to hold the boat on the trailer.  These are just the very basics.
Now, have fun and enjoy your boat. Happy Fishing!

If you can find a good lake map, buy it! It is worth the money in time saved. Do you have a GPS? Also a good thing to have on board. Also, you might be able to get an electronic map that you can load into the GPS. I run a FHS map chip in mine and it has fishing areas marked along with tips, etc. Don't be afraid to spend more time getting used to the boat the first time out. It will pay in the long run

Maps are an excellent investment, a good topo map will serve you very well. Also, please learn from my dads mistakes, he just got a boat last summer and the first time he brought it out in the harbor for her maiden voyage it started filling up with water. Guess who forgot to put the plug back in after she was done at the shop! The moral of the story is check the plug before you put the boat in for the first time, make it part of your pre-launch checklist, which should also include all the stuff bass or bass said. Best of luck with the new boat, treat her right and she'll serve you well for years to come.

Congrats on your new boat! Assuming you have all your required safety gear, let's talk about getting fish in your new boat. Get a map of the lake you will be fishing, if there isn't one available, go to Google earth and find that lake. Zoom in on it and study it. You should be able to see drop-offs, channels, flats etc, etc..study it. Now once your on the water, use your fish finder/depth finder, to locate bait fish, drop offs, channels. Experiment. Before you even make a cast, troll around, get a lay out of the lake. Once you have a good idea, then proceed as you will normally fish. The main thing is get a mental picture of the lake, know where the key spots are, and then fish..Good luck! Let us know how you do.

thanks for the replies guys. bass or bass i have everything you said ready to go safety is top priorioty, and ill have my mug ready to go. Pegsguy i had to look at the lake on google earth thanks for that suggestion Barresi. it didnt even cross my mind. i have a gps and it will be on the boat with me this weekend Lord and weather permitting. Skewl i hope an injury didnt occur because of the forgottet plug i painted mine highlighter yellow so i will see it lol. I will let you know how i do thanks for all the tips!!!!

Think of where the fish you want to catch should be during the particular time you are going to be fishing . example pre spawn, spawn, post spawn , early summer, late summer, early fall, late fall, ice now you should be able to eliminate a lot of water, now go check those spots out . Birds like gulls and loons can also tip you off to bait fish so you may want to have a pair of binoculars on board too ,They also work to get a better view of if that guy over yonder is really catching fish with out getting to close to them .