Because the ALLNORTHWOODS.COM fishing page is more for intermediate anglers, I would like to define words that you will be seeing in the future and or words anglers use when referring to different lake locations. Here are most of the words I can think of that are associated with fishing.  VEGETATION, WOOD, STICK–UPS, FLATS, DROP OFFS, HUMPS, POINTS, SECONDARY POINTS, COVER, and STRUCTURE

Vegetation is just that, there are submerged (GROWS BELOW THE WATER) weeds like cabbage, coontail or pondweed and emergent (EXTENDS ABOVE THE SURFACE) like lily pads.

Wood, shoreline trees that fall into the lake.

Stick-ups, the name says it all, it’s branches of a tree sticking out of the water. The description of (wood) above.

Drop offs, The lakes bottom drops off to deeper water.

Flats, is an area (BIG or SMALL) of a lake that is shallow (COULD BE 5 to 10 FEET) and is mostly the same depth, before dropping off to deeper water.

Humps, are basically different size submerged, (usually small) islands and the top of those islands can be ay any depth.

Points, (MAIN/PRIMARY) If you follow the contour of a shoreline, any part of the shoreline that extends outward into the lake is a point. (SOME MAY ARGUE, POINTS ARE ONLY ASSOCIATED WITH DEEP WATER) NOT TRUE. A point is shoreline big or small with water on three sides.

SECONDARY POINTS, some say secondary points are the mouth of bays or creek channels into bays. Maybe times have changed, but I was always told by old timers that a secondary point is or can be smaller point that extends off either side of the main point to deeper water.

COVER, is anywhere fish can hide. So, weeds, stick-ups, logs, docks and even a swim platform can be considered cover.

STRUCTURE, OK, if you look up fishing structure on some websites, A LOT of them will say vegetation is structure. I have even heard some professional anglers on those TV shows say they are fishing on structure when they are fishing weeds. STRUCTURE is basically the floor of the lake, (rock/gravel) or when the bottom depth changes composition that is structure. Drop-offs, old river channels, mid-lake humps or deep holes are all structure. Confused? NEXT WEEK, I WILL GET A LITTLE MORE INTO COVER vs STRUCTURE.

The only two locations I am not going to define are INSIDE and OUTSIDE TURNS because if you ask 10 different anglers to define them, you will probably get 10 different answers. The more I thought about this, right or wrong, here’s my definition. I’ve always been told by old time guides, that depth doesn’t madder but what direction your boat is traveling. Let’s say you are following a river channel while using your electronics/locator. The shoreline is on your right, and the channel takes a sharp turn towards the shoreline, that’s an inside turn. If that river channel bends out away from the shoreline, that’s an outside turn. If you are going in the other direction, the turns would be opposite. See my point?

I hope this helps some of you for future articles.

PLEASE RELEASE WALLEYES OVER 24 INCHES. THESE BIG GIRLS PRODUCE MORE EGGS AND LARGER WALLEYE IN THE FUTURE.