Bass Fishing Deep Help

[Sportfish1850]

Hey guys, alright I'll admit it, I'm kind of a newbie to bass fishing. I spend more time fishing Walleyes and Northerns and about now when the walleye bite gets few and far between I usually start looking for big panfish. But I have to admit, I've caught plenty of 9-10 inch sunfish and am getting bored. Its just not much of a challenge. I'm looking for something new to try, with a little more excitement than panfish and something new to teach my 14 year old son to keep our summer fishing going.

Recently got into trying out the new ways to "rig" up soft plastics I see the guys doing on TV. Drop shot, carolina rigs, dead head, wacky rigs. Now in the past I've caught plenty of bass casting spinner bairs in classic shallow fishing areas (reeds, rushes, underwater weed beds) in the spring and early summer during the day time hours between prime walleye hours. But these new (to me) presentations of soft plastics are really difficult to fish in these shallow water areas and every 5th cast when you actually don't get hung up in the mature weeds, there just are not the numbers of fish holding in 3 ft of water now compared to early June since surface temps are pushing 80-82 degrees.

So I've been reading wonderful advice online like "go bassin on deep structure" in mid summer . But what is deep structure for a bass in summer ? 10ft, 20ft, 40ft ? What bottom type ? Presence of cover or structure ? I really have no idea what to look for as a good spot for finding deep bass. I have a good lakemaster lake map and chip in my gps and am not above spending some time to mark a few spots to take the boat on a run and find some fish but going after them on classic walleye structure doesn't seem to be working for me. I'm hoping some of you bassin experts on here can give me some education on where to look on my lake to go out find a few big bass.

Thanks guys.

[Deitz Dittrich]

first off.. please have a listen to the newest podcast with Matt Johnson.. it might help answer a few questions.

http://hotspotoutdoors.com/podcast/hsopodcast081207.mp3

Next, I would call deep water relitive to any lake. And I would start with the deepest place a weed grows, and then beyond. Some lakes, have a weed edge in 18-20 feet. So deep would be that range, or slightly deeper. The deepest I have ever caught a bass in MN is about 28 feet deep. There are other lakes(Like the one I fished this morning)that the weed line is in about 3 feet of water right now. I found the fish on deeper rocks in about 11 feet of water. The deepest spot on the lake I was fishing is about 28 feet. So I wuld call 11 feet quite deep.

Bottom type?.. IT depends, today they were on the rocks.. I fished the other day and the fish were off the rocks on the sides of bars in the sand... But trasition areas are usually very good.. trasitions from one bottom type to another, sand to rock is usually money!!!

Finding deep structure is very time consuming!!!! Hence why so few do it. The ones that take the time to find the deep stuff are rewarded. (this morning I caught 20 fish and never moved the boat, casting to an area about 10 feet by 20 feet.)

[FishHawk11]

I have been catching a lot of bass deeper lately, 10 - 20 feet. I usually target points with a moderate amount of weeds and/or rocks. My two best ways have been a stand up jig with a 5-6" plastic worm or a weighted worm hook with a senko work rigged wacky style. I try to use the lightest jig head or weighted hook I can so that the fish can grab it on the way down instead of dropping right past them. Hope this helps with some deep fish.

[Craigums]

I fish a lake that is (with this dry spell) about 6-8fow in the deepest parts...All the bottom structure is silt with no major drop offs....this probably isnt a good lake to try deep water fishing huh?

[Deitz Dittrich]

LOL--nope.. probably not!

[Craigums]

You'd Be surprised of the quantity of monster bass in this lake though, I get most of them in the "deep" 6fow middle of the lake casting at the reeds or else, in the slop...I'll try to post pics soon

[Sportfish1850]

Guys thanks for the all the great info and the Podcast was very helpful Deitz. This is what makes this forum so useful.

In looking for a drop off, do bass in general prefer a slow gentle drop off or a step sharp drop. The step sharp drop in my regular lake transitions from sand/gravel to rock at the point where the bottom falls out. ITs also next to a very pronounced point and it drops off fast on both sides of the point. Is this spot worth exploring or would I be better off looking for a more gentle slope away from weeds into the 20 ft deeper water ?

[Fluker]

I'll say it because I know many are thinking it.... "It depends".

One factor is if the fish are active or not. You'll most likely find that if the fish are active, they might be on one or the other, and vice versa. Which will depend on the bait fish. For example if you have a point lets say, that tops out in 9 feet. In gently slops on one side down to 16 feet, and more sharply drops on the other side to 16 feet. "Most" of the experience that I have had is that when the fish are active (feeding), they are up on the point, or off the slower sloping side. When they are inactive, they are off the steeper edge just hanging out. Again, this is not ALWAYS the case and will change from lake to lake.

I think the more improtant part is fishing what is unique. If this slow taper is huge, is there anything unique about it? Or is the drop the unique piece? Same thing with a point or a ridge, is there somethign unique about it (a saddle, or a point, etc). You want to find the "spot on the spot" to narrow your search down in finding those catchable fish. Fishing a HUGE slow tapering area might produce fish, but you'll liklely have to cover a LOT of water. If you can find a rock pile, or something unique on the huge area, you'll likley find a concentration of find rather than a "here and there" bite.

Thanks,

Chuck

[ikeslayer]

If things continue they way they are and deep fishing for bass becomes more and more popular and Esboldt and Esboldt keep winning out deep. Will deep fishing become the new shallow?

ike

[Central Bassman]

I used to love fishing shallow and still do when the bit is good, but it just seems like I’m getting bored with it. I have starting fishing deeper and deeper the last few year and I’m really starting to like it. It brings a new challenge to fish. To be a successful angler you need to be able to fish shallow and deep.

[Cabela10]

When you are fishing deep, what is usually your bait of choice? A texas rigged worm? Jig? Whats your typical bait used?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Bobby- thats going to depend on where the fish are and what the weather is. If the fish are over deep rocks, then anything can really work.. IF the wind is up and you have a crankbait that can get down there, cranks can be a blast... IF not a carolina rig, a dropshot, jig worm, roller rock jig, jig pig.. and probably quite a few more things... However, if you are fishing the bottom of a weed edge, a dropshot, carolina rig and deep crank may not be the best choice as they will get hung up... a stupid rig, texas rig, jig pig may be better choices. Each spot is different, find the fish, then decide which lure presentation will get to them the best.

Catching deep fish is easy.. Finding them is the hard part!

[Ray Esboldt]

Quote:

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To be a successful angler you need to be able to fish shallow and deep.

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That is 100% correct. Deep fish don't matter much when they're all 12"ers. And, that happens. Just because you fish deep doesn't mean you're into good fish.

[Central Bassman]

Great information Deitz….You need to fish something that you are confident in. You will catch a lot more fish if you use something that you believe in and really have confidents in.