Where are the Fish and What are They Biting On?

Isn't this a question almost as old as the sport of fishing itself?  After returning from vacation to hot temperatures and a week of not having my pulse on fish habits, I am wondering the same thing.  To answer the aforementioned question though, the first thing we need to do is wonder, how do we go about answering this question.  In my opinion, you have a few options.

Your first option is to get on the water and attempt to answer the question yourself.  This will probably take time and patience but could be extremely rewarding.  I rarely fish with a fish finder on my boat but with all of the advancements in technology, I'm thinking about buying a unit to help me dissect things a little faster and maybe lead to more fishing success.  Regardless of whether you decide to use tech or not, it will be a grind and you might get skunked but at least you did it on your terms and you either get all the credit or all of the blame.  This is high risk and high reward.

Option two is to talk to locals and I literally mean talk.  Fly shops, tackle shops, and complete strangers can be a wealth of knowledge.  They can give you vague info or really specific info.  The info could have been obtained within the last few hours or the last few days.  Regardless, this is a great starting point but be aware that what worked for them, might not necessarily work for you.  The advice is free but you still have to put in the work.

Then there is the option of using social media.  This is a double edged sword if I have ever seen one.  You might get great advice from seasoned veterans or you might get told to "put in the time yourself" or that "the fish are in the water".  Just be prepared for answers that aren't helpful and opinionated keyboard warriors.  

Finally, as with many things, maybe the answer is somewhere in the middle.  Using all of this info as a sort of playbook might be the way to go.  The more ideas and options that you have on the water, the more well-rounded and prepared you will be.  Having spots that have traditionally caught fish is great, but hearing an old timer tell you about how bass suspend in the summer on a certain lake or reading about timber that crappie are hanging out in is a nice backup plan as well.  In the end, most roads lead back to option one, put in the time.  Just remember that while you are struggling to find fish, taking in the beauty around you is a nice distraction as well.  You can also be proud of every fish you catch because YOU fooled that fish into biting and YOU earned it!