# Deep water bass



## devildog (Jan 2, 2005)

Ok heres my question. I am mainly a junk bass man. I like to get up on the shore and throw my lure right up in the nastiest stuff and pull'm out. However this is not always where they are, So for someone who has done basically no deep open water fishing where should I start. and what features should I be looking for? I've tried cranks and a little carolina rigging with minimal results. HELP!!!!!!!


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

I second that question! I always try and fish drop-offs or deep structure with minimal results and I always find myself back at the shoreline again! so I would love to hear what people have to say!


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## Urnso (Jul 13, 2005)

Structure! Structure! Structure!! 

A bass will go to 10-15' of water with structure before 20-30' with minimal or no structure.

You should start by plotting/charting the lake in all the 10' ranges. Find structure fish them and take notes. Sun/Barometric/Time/Moon/Wind/etc. 

Then move to 15' then move to 20'. This will take a lot of time I realize this but if you truly want to learn your home lake it need to be done. Don't forget, you'll be catching fish during this long process.

Then on days that you compare to your notes as "almost identical" you can go to those spots with more confidence.

I just starting plotting Ladue today. I maybe got 3-5% of it on the gps. I plan on this taking years. But if you see my post today I caught 3 fish that I would have missed because I found what I was looking for while plotting.

Another thing you can do is buy topo maps of your fishing lake from a baitstore... most people don't use these. They have more on them than you think. Take a look at one the next time you stop for your minnows.


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## Urnso (Jul 13, 2005)

jiggin'fool said:


> I second that question! I always try and fish drop-offs or deep structure with minimal results and I always find myself back at the shoreline again! so I would love to hear what people have to say!


I know what you mean. Sometimes they just don't bite. There are many rigs you can try. Make sure you change up size, color, and cadence every 5-7 casts. If you can't catch'em they aren't biting. Try a new spot and come back later.

Have you ever had a good day where you're cathing fish and then all a sudden you can't get one. It's like someone flipped a switch. If you leave that spot and go to another for awhile catch some maybe not. If you return to the original spot they are biting again.

Sometimes they are just off. It does happen... it happens to me all day at Ladue almost evrytime I'm out there.


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## devildog (Jan 2, 2005)

Thanks for the reply. Looks like I got some work ahead of me. Well if you can really call fishing work!


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

now are you marking the fish prior to fishing or just marking the structure as far as drop-offs and such?? especially for like smallmouth cause i know they are deep water fish more than largemouths!


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

bait!!! if you find shad on the surface it will alot of times help you find structure and bass. shad do free roam but follow creek chanels and points usually. find the shad and start watching your depth finder to look for ledges and drop offs. alot of times the bass will hug the bottom and your depth finder won't spot them. i make a few casts to every peice of stucture i find reguardless if i see fish on it or not.deep fat free shads and rapala dt 10'S and 16' are my favorite cranks. also try texas rigged worms with heavy weights when you locate ledges and poits with stumps or brush on them.

most important is patients. is you don't force yourself to learn you never will. and around here very few people will stick with it so that leaves alot of fish untouched.


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## ill be on the water (Jun 5, 2005)

I gave up on the deep bass cause I kept getting skunked everytime no matter what I tried. Now I am a senko-to-shore fisherman.


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## FutureClassicChamp (Jan 16, 2006)

1. get good electronics
2. get to know your electronics like the back of your hand
3. know what to look for, "bassy areas"


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## Urnso (Jul 13, 2005)

ill be on the water said:


> I gave up on the deep bass cause I kept getting skunked everytime no matter what I tried. Now I am a senko-to-shore fisherman.


Are you sure they were bass?? I have found many times that what you think is down there is normally NOT! It's hit or miss... make sure you try everything you have available. 

Remember.... there really is no such thing as a bass that won't bite. If you get them mad enough they will strike. Your presentation must be correct to make them strike. 

here's one thing to remember in deep water. Spend more time on lure selection (type) and presentation than color. Color means very little in 20' of water. Unless you're using white or hotpink or any other extremely brite color. But a natural red vs natural watermelon or blue black means much less to the fish. 

I have been bassless at Ladue now that last 3 times I've gone. It's very frustrating. VERY!!

when you get to your home lake don't go right to the spot you laways catch fish. Try that new fan casting pattern you're working on or new pitching technique.

Fishing won't get as boring if you learn something new on every trip. It gets boring when you stop learning. I catch myself many times in the "this lake really sucks" chant. All the time actually. But I do go home with some new GPS coords and or some new techniques. Whether they worked that day or not I still learned something.....

Don't give up on the deep bass altogether man... you can catch them and you will. Just take the time to learn the fish!! It make take you a year or more to fish deep water. But when you do.... watch out. Those little dinks you catch on 4" senkos won't be work the time spent burning the shoreline!!


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

here is a great tip, go to a structure oriented lake, or a lake with atleast some deep water structure, that has a large quantity of bass, such as portage lakes and learn there. also, the deep water may not really be that deep, fish relate to changes, such as drops and lips. if you find a hump fish the edges, then move to the top, or vise versa. also, you must find baitfish. more shad and bluegill the better.


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## ill be on the water (Jun 5, 2005)

For me, its the year I believe because last year, 90% of my bass were from trolling. This year, its senkos-to-shore to catch them. Oh and Ursno, I do catch quite large bass up to shore, plenty of 4lbers. You also asked if I was sure that they were bass out deep, which they could have been but im not positive, They could have been walleye for all I know? I try tons of different lures and presentations but I just cant catch the deep ones any more, especially those in the 18ft deep water out at nimi by the christman rd launch. I am determined to catch some of them before the year is over so I am not giving up!


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