This item originally appeared in the alt.fishing newsgroup. We are allowed 5 tip-ups and 2 hand lines per person in most waters.
Chances are they are die-hards or locals who go out frequently, and know where the fish hang out.
If you drive by a lake on a Saturday about 2-3 hours after sunrise, everybody should be set up, and you should get a good idea where the fish are. I've found trying to park the car in a legal spot to be a bigger headache than finding the fish. Fish VERY close to the bottom. I've never looked into this further. Try and locate a bend or break in the weedline and fish it.