Dead Calm.

[bankbuster]

This morning was a nightmare, I got to the lake a little later than normal but just by 10 or 15 minutes because we had a very dense fog in our area, There is a Dead Calm on the water and there is not much signs of anything moving around at all.
First I try all my trusty top water baits not even a chaser. I tried everything I could think of and never got a hit that I was aware of, and I never saw any baitfish like I normally do either.
So what do all you bankbuster's do when you encounter this condition?

Sean

[Fishaholic]

how large is the body of water, what's the air/water temp, color of water, depth you were fishing, structure, barometric pressure...lots of variables there, can we have some more info please

[bankbuster]

the lake I was at this morning I would say is about 10-15 acres, air temp was about 56f and the lake temp I would say 75-80f, water is clear. I fished from the top to the bottom and everything in between. Structure would be wood and rocks (the only structure in this lake). barometric would be 30.11 in and falling.
I haven't checked the water temp in awhile so that's what I think it should be giving what the larger lakes in my area are at.

Sean

[Fishaholic]

OK, it's a pond, not a lake...with conditions the way they are, I just happened to have fished a similar (by your description) lake today...all the activity was had by casting parallel to the shoreline with a gray/white Kinami Flash T-rigged weightless on a 2/0 Tru-turn hook keeping the bait within the top 12" of water and working it with a herky jerky erratic retrieve.

Clear ponds I use 4lb. and 2 lb. test line on a super ultralite rod...and downsize the lures and/or match the hatch. With the cooler weather, the bass are starting to cruise the shorelines.

[BIG PAPA]

Hey Fish it was a little cooler here today too! Yesterday it was 100 degrees, today it only got to 98 
papa

[bass1cpr]

10 to 15 acres is a lake.   
Actually anything over an acre is considered a lake.
Ponds are any bodies of water an acre or less.

     I fished a five acre lake yesterday same kind of conditions used a drop shot rig with a 4 inch worm caught three off of a brush pile  in 7 to 8 feet of water. Moved caught some more fish under trees overhanging the lake providing shade caught a few more fish. Water about two foot visibility.
     

[Fishaholic]

sorry bass1cpr, you got the 1 right, but it's a pond is any body of water up to 100 acres, a lake is anything 100 or more acres of water.

I used to manage a 17.5 acre pond.

[Pferox]

Guys, I dunno, I think the difference between a lake and a pond is either regionally differential, or few people use that tennant anymore.
Down here if its bigger than a puddle, its called a lake.
If it is a retention pond that holds water and fish in it, Developers call it a lake and charge twice as much for a house on it.
Most ponds around are man made, and are waterin holes for livestock.

[Fishaholic]

In developments they may call them lakes, but what they really are are retention ponds...man-made up to 100 acres is considered a pond and man-made over 100 acres is considered a reservoir, aka lake.

I'm basing my statement on information I received from my State when I was managing a 17 acre pond for the Optimist Club of Hammond...there's plenty of man-made ponds which are given names like Turtle Lake, but just by giving them that name, according to my state anyway, doesn't make them a lake...they're still ponds.

[Fishaholic]

So what do all you bankbuster's do when you encounter this condition?

The most important thing is to maintain your PMA (positive mental attitude).

Sometimes when I run into this type of situation I benefit from taking a break and just observing all around me, and searching my memory banks for past trips with similar experiences to try to remember how I approached it.

The other thing is this...there's nothing wrong with going fishing and not getting any fish, it may not feel great at the time due to certain levels of frustration, but, in reflection, you spent a great time in the outdoors in all God's creation...it was better than working wasn't it?

[Pferox]

I agree with ya Fish, and another thing is ya learned something, NOT to do what ya did this time.
Next time the conditions are the same, try sometihin else. 

[Lipripper]

Tomato..toemoto..  lake.... pond to my way of thinking as long as there are fish in there hey go try and catch them 

[Kal-Kevin]

you coupled my thoughts right on target!  I'll fish in a mud hole and call it a lake, if I can not walk over it.

[bass1cpr]

    Fish, in the Illinois Pond and Lake management book is where I got the defination.  I've also seen it in several other Lake management books. So I'll stick to what my State Resources managers say it is.
    In Texas they are called Tanks. But I still believe anything over an acre is a lake.   

[Fishaholic]

that's fine if you want to call it a lake, go ahead...I don't agree, but it's no big deal.

[silversalmon]

Now Pferox, you mean gator swimmin pools I love the dead calm conditions, but fishing for mainly topwater bug eaters, I would

[Pferox]

Been so long since I've fished on one of those dead calm days, that I really don't what to do anymore. 

[bankbuster]

Sorry folk's I haven't been around for awhile as we were hit by a tornado Monday night and I have been in the process of cleaning up and helping out my neighbors all week so I wont be around for awhile, But I and my family are all right just allot of cleaning and fixing going on.

C'ya'll Soon!

Sean

[Lipripper]

 bankbuster  glad ya'll are all right and we will be here when you get a chance to drop back by.