The old sunken road bed. The bend in the creek channel. The sunken fence row. The rock pile on the deep side of a point. That drop off in the river channel. Like many bass anglers, I started out strictly fishing shallow. Cruise the bank, throwing a spinnerbait, or top water. I caught fish, but mostly in spring. After summer came to my area, deeper water was where most of the action took place. Learning and understanding deep structure fishing is a process. For fisherman who would say it's easy, I have to disagree. Finding the best areas, depending on all factors, can be a challenge for sure. I'm still learning about structure fishing, even after all my years at bass fishing. Many fisherman become secretive and tight lipped about their own favorite places, and in some ways I can understand this. They've done their homework to find these areas, putting in the hours, months, and sometimes years looking for that spot within a spot, that offers the best combination of structure, and cover and often will produce quality fish. One of my own special places is a drop off 10ft from the bank. A rocky shoreline which stays level for 10 ft, then quickly drops to16ft. A huge blowdown on the bank provides additional cover. We can usually count on a couple of fish here, through much of the season. Deep water is a relative term too. For some, it may be 10ft, for others it could mean much much deeper. Baits for deeper structure? Many will work, but I've settled on Texas rigged soft plastics as the best tool for me. Others have their own favorites too, based on what works best in their waters. After 35 years pursuing bass, I'm still learning about structure fishing. It's one of the most fascinating aspects of this sport. Always looking for those special places, and bigger bass. What are some of your favorite structure types? What baits do you like for this fishing? Do you fish deep water often, or not much? Have you found some prime spots by accident, or have you searched for them?Tell me about your deep water bass fishing.
