In this natural lake, we are told that the northern end of the lake produces a lot of fish at certain times. This is good news because it tells us that there is a potentially good structure situation somewhere in this area. So we head to the north end of the lake.

Upon looking at the shoreline, it appears to be about a mile long. We were not told where in this area fish had been caught, so we will fish the entire mile long shoreline.

I start my fishing by motor trolling as trolling is the TEACHER when on the water.

To begin our fishing, we put on the smallest (#500) size Spoonplug that runs 2-4 ft deep. We will let out about 25-30 yards of line and start our trolling pass with enough speed to be sure the lure has a good fast action (tight wiggle). At intervals, the speed will be increased. [At times, in the hotter weather, you may be surprised how fast (9 or 10 MPH) the troll must be to produce a strike.

The worst mistake fishermen make is not keeping their lures in position. Each lure size should run at it's designed depth. Our trolling procedure is done in such a way to keep each size lure in its proper position even though the bottom contour may change constantly. (A word of caution, the depth sounder can be an aid in checking depth but when checking the shallows, the depth sounder is NOT your guide. Your guide is running the smaller lures in position.)

We want to get our lures close to the bottom so that they bump bottom occasionally. In sections with steep banks we will run the lure against the bank with our rod tip almost touching the bank.

In some water the shallows contain weeds. When this happens, we will get as close to the weeds as possible and maneuver the boat so we are not continually fouled. Spoonplugs are designed to come to the top when fouled and most of the time they can be cleaned with quick jerks of the rod, without reeling in. This is where the heavier rod and non-stretch line come in.

To maneuver the boat, we first move toward shore until the lure starts bumping the bottom. Then very slowly (at a gradual angle) head the boat toward deeper water. As soon as the lure runs free, gradually maneuver the boat back toward shore until the lure starts bumping the bottom again. By continually maneuvering in this manner, the contours of the bottom will be followed regardless of their shape. The depth sounder will not allow this and the lure is out of position most of the time. And a lure out of position, will catch no fish.

After the entire shoreline section has been covered with the #500 Spoonplug and no strikes were produced. We now change to the next larger (deeper running) lure (a #400 Spoonplug) that runs 4-6 feet deep. We troll this along the entire shoreline. Again, we keep the lure in position by keeping our eyes open to the shallows and terrain and maneuvering the boat.

The third size Spoonplug for the shallows is the #250 Spoonplug which runs 6-9 feet deep (depending on line length). We fish it exactly like the other two, trolling the entire shoreline, maneuvering so that we bump and run free, contouring as we go. If at any place we catch a fish, the immediate area where we caught the fish would be fished more thoroughly by making additional trolling passes and by casting.

When catching a fish (bass, etc) 2½ lbs or better on the troll, it indicates the fish are on the move on the "Structure Situation" and it is wise to anchor the boat and cast (larger Spoonplugs) with a fast retrieve into the deeper sections. In deeper water, sink the lure before making the retrieve. We know we are doing it right when a limit of good-sized fish (bass, etc.) is caught on consecutive casts.