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Have you ever been fishing in a spot that you were absolutely sure that there weren’t any fish? How frustrating! Here are a few tips to help you select the best spot possible that will yield large catches of fish.

First, look for clues to the area where you are fishing. Are you fishing on a lake that is feed by a creek or a river? If so, the area where the river dumps into the lake is a natural gathering spot for fish. The current from the river will oxygenate the water and fish will collect in this oxygen-rich environment.

Check out the layout of the shoreline. Is there an area where it juts out to a point? If so, these sections of land continue on into the water. You’ll want to fish both sides of this jutted land piece. Fish will collect along this shoreline because bugs will collect in the weeds and grasses. Fish will also collect underwater along this jutted shoreline.

If you are fishing on a river, look at the surface of the water. Locate spots where the current “breaks” or makes an edge on the surface of the water. These breaks could be caused by rocks, logs, or other debris in the river. Fish naturally collect in the breaks. They don’t have to fight the current so it is a spot where they collect to rest. Fish also check on the food that is available in that area.

If you see birds diving down into the water, they are seeking small species of fish to eat. Chances are you will also find bigger fish in the same area.

Sometimes you can see fish jumping out of the water to catch bugs to eat. This is another good sign of where the fish are collecting.

Before you venture out into a lake or a pond to fish, finding out what you are up against saves a lot of time. A professional angler prepares by doing extensive research about the fish and the lake. It is okay to be enthusiastic, but the most important part is combining that enthusiasm with knowledge. More often than not inexperienced fishermen use the wrong bait or the wrong line, or are in the wrong place. This is precisely what separates a professional from an amateur.

Learn about fish in books or articles online. If your particular choice of fish isn’t available, you can look up information about similar species. Knowledge about the biology of the fish, such as the size and their prey, is important. The body temperature of a fish lets you know where the fish can be found in the lake, and the maximum size your fish can grow dictates the line and rod you need. Find out if the fish you’re looking for is a predator, schooling fish, spawner, ‘near bottom’ or ‘near edges’ fish. It is important to pinpoint the exact location of fish in a vast lake. Some fish are comfortable with a wide range of Ph, others are specific. Ph in the lake varies with depth, rotting vegetation, micro-organisms. Getting acquainted with water Ph can be useful to know where fish may be located.

Knowledge of water ecosystem and chemistry gives the added advantage of predicting the presence of fish. Existence of dead perch and wooden logs is a sign of low dissolved oxygen, and abundant vegetation is a sign of dissolved oxygen. Learning to find out the depth of the water is also important to locate different kinds of fish.

Take the time to learn about the factors that influence your chances of catching fish and you can control just how productive your next fishing outing will be.