# "Deep" water bass



## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

I know deep water is completely different depending on what you normally fish and where you normally fish. Just trying to improve my game for the summer months. I don't pitch to shore every time out but I usually don't fish deeper than about 7 foot. I usually find some nice flats and have some productive spots at mosquito. I really want to expand my area, learn some new techniques, and catch some bigger fish. 

I guess my question is how do you go about finding the best areas in deeper water? I have read a lot of articles online and try to put it on the water but am struggling this year in this part of my game. I have decent but not great electronics. Around what depth should I start at in a lake such as mosquito which isn't real deep? What type of rig should I use? I usually try to deep crank when I do give it a shot.

Any tips would really be appreciated guys!

Thanks,
Jason


----------



## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Mosquito's age, and it being a flatland reservoir, make it a tough lake to try and find classic deep water bass spots. If you're looking for classic summer time structures like steep drops, humps with deep water around them, and points, you pretty much have to look south of Walnut Creek. Deep cranking, Carolina rigging, Drop Shots and Shaky heads on the edges of the quick drops and points, or humps would be what I would try. I love deep water fishing, but to be honest I rarely ever try it at Mosquito. It's just not the kind of lake that is conducive to that kind of fishing. At least not for me.


----------



## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

Get a topo map of the lake and circle a few spots where the main channel comes closest to the shore. Those are a few great places to start. Id use what was mentioned below also a jig and pig or huge 1oz ledge busting spinnerbait and cast up towards shore and stairstep them both down the drop to deeper water. Another i forgot is a Senko on a Spot Remover being worked the same way on bottom.


----------



## Eriesteamer (Mar 9, 2007)

I fished skeeter since it open back in 1944 and as I type this have yet see any good bass in the lake. I am a walleye guy and never try for bass. to deep water bass I got lot lures get them from top to bottom of lake. some 5 or more tackle boxes full. I tried get to you as I knew your uncle Don but you never got back to me to go. any ways still like go to skeeter to catch any type fish that dare hit my bait. I know this lake like back my hand and would be better on where the fish be. if any one else care take up my offer your welcome as I will go with you. like go in boat but then mmmm. since the lakes low the fish ought be condensed and that mean we can get em better. just PM me if care go with a pro


----------



## KWaller (Oct 3, 2010)

I just came back from a trip to summersville lake west viginia. This is a lake with 14 foot visibility. I caught my smallies on the main lake away from everybody. I looked on my side scan and found stump beds or old creek channels. From there I took a rapala dd-16 and casted all around. Also, if it is sunny try tossing some jerk baits in the same area. 

So why was I throwing that crank at 16ft deep in 75'-100' of water? Because I found the thermocline on my screen to be around 20 feet. I marked all my fish during feeding hours from 22ft to 5ft under the surface. But once the heat hit. I would mark 90% of the fish at 40-60ft down... that's when it gets tough.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

Thanks for all the input guys. I will def try these suggestions. I would really like to learn this part of bass fishing better then i do.

erie i def still want to go out sometime. I have only made it out for Thursday tournaments so far this year cuz ive been working so much. we will get out there soon and catch some nice ones


----------



## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

Ive never tried the dropshot though. Is it pretty productive?


----------



## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

qpan13 said:


> Ive never tried the dropshot though. Is it pretty productive?


Absolutely. Working deep structure is probably the hardest part of bass fishing IMO. You can't really see what you are doing. Here are my favorite deep strucuture baits:

1. Swimbaits
2. Deep cranks
3. Big jigs or plastics
4. Finesse - shakey head or drop-shot


----------



## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

qpan13 said:


> Ive never tried the dropshot though. Is it pretty productive?


Yes its really killer in deep open water because its almost always in the strike zone. Adjusting the distance the lure is off bottom is crucial imo. On open Erie for smallies i usually go 18-24" off bottom, yet Lake Guntersville in spring had to be within 6" of bottom to get bit. So it does vary lake to lake, season to season and spot to spot even so imo there's no magic depth. Its kinda like crappie fishing as to where you have to keep adjusting depth till you find where they want it that day.


----------



## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

Fishing the slopes like you were riding a sled down a hill will work, but hit the same slopes paralell with the slope too... some of those fish that didn't want the downhill offering will take the parralell one.


----------



## lang99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Tokugawa said:


> Absolutely. Working deep structure is probably the hardest part of bass fishing IMO. You can't really see what you are doing. Here are my favorite deep strucuture baits:
> 
> 1. Swimbaits
> 2. Deep cranks
> ...


This pretty much covers it, I would like to add a carolina rig with a worm or creature bait dragged slowly across the bottom can be money at times.


----------



## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

If you are trying to learn how to fish deep the best thing to throw is the Carolina rig. You can cover water, it gets to the bottom fast and stays there pretty good if you are dragging to deeper water, and you can feel what type of bottom it is. The most productive points, ledges, drops have a hard bottom and your c-rig should be catching on the bottom. As soon as it feels like you are going to get hung up, that is when most of my bites occur. Nothing better than thinking a rock is grabbing your weight again and it starts pulling back. Another plus of c-rigging is you can still throw a small bait on it in order to just catch fish which will boost your confidence in fishing deeper water. Once you have found a productive area, slow down with a shaky head and catch everything there.


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Bimmer (Aug 12, 2011)

Anyone using flutter spoons? I have been thinking about trying them out but haven't purchased any yet.


----------



## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

Tried the Carolina and dropshot today for a few minutes. I missed a nice one on the c-rig. Nothing happening on the dropshot today. Practice makes perfect tho lol


----------



## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

qpan13 said:


> Tried the Carolina and dropshot today for a few minutes. I missed a nice one on the c-rig. Nothing happening on the dropshot today. Practice makes perfect tho lol


The C-rig is effective getting bit....I find there are two issues with it:

1. Casting can be awkward depending on where the weight is located
2. The weight can isolate you from the bait causing you to not notice a strike until the fish moves the weight...and sometimes they are then gut hooked


----------



## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Agree about getting some gut hooked fish. I probably use a shorter leader than most (18 to 24 inches) and I don't use lures that float. I also don't move it very fast. If you move it fast, or use a lure that floats the lure keeps moving forward and makes the leader go slack, which is what makes it hard to detect a bite at times. Going to the shorter leader has increased my ability to detect a bite. It's reduced the number of gut hooked fish, and it's also upped the number of fish I catch. 

As far as the fish moving the weight, the line is free sliding so the line should just start getting tight before the weight moves. If you're using one of those pre rigged set ups it's going to move the weight quicker because they don't have enough travel built into them. Which is a reason I don't like them. I also think that at times the fish will drop the bait once it feels the weight. Carolina rigging is one of my...... (I hate this term)..... "go to"..... techniques for fishing deep humps, flats, and points


----------



## qpan13 (May 30, 2010)

Some nice tips guys. I'm sure I will get more comfortable with it the more I use it. Just like anything else though, just have to work at it.


----------

