Sounds like your fishing to shallow. Those bass get beat up yr in and yr out. U dont even need a finder to find big fish. I find areas like points jutting out from the shore with a deep crank u can find out where the sides slope or where the drops are. I have found ledges where i can tell it drops from around 4-10 ft or even more. Also most coves have a channel up the middle of em ir the mouths of channels have points and deep water. Once u fish around deep water alot with a heavy jig or deep crank like a 6xd u will start to be able to feel the drops and cover. One of my best areas this yr is a river channel that connects 2 lakes. I never knew how deep it was i could just tell thete was a serious depth change. I have caught 3 8lbrs out of this spot and idk how many over 5lbrs. Then a buddy of mine graphed it and it goes from 6-16ft. Nice wintering/prespawn area. Dont be afraid to move off shore. One of the best decisions i made about 10 yrs ago and has yiedled many nice bags of fish. And it doesnt even have to be deep. Maybe just a grass flat that comes up from 20ft to 8ft or rock pile. Here are my best 3 this yr with no depth finder all over 8lbs.
