Structure Fishing Question

[Brian Needham]

I am trying to get more into it and do more offshore work.

 

So far, at the roadtrip and since, it has been fun. its a great feeling to find em, see em, then catch one! plus the quality of fish is better too.

 

but there in lies the issue....I will find them and turn around to throw at them I mostly only catch 1 and on the first cast???

Its weird.....I chunk a big jig out there and first cast WHAM, fish on!!!! but after that, nothing..... so what gives? I know there are more down there, I see them, and surely that 4#er aint sitting in 20fow all alone.

 

so what do you think?

[00 mod]

Keep at em. Change something up. Next time we go to pickwick ill show you.

Jeff

[Brian Needham]

will do Jeff.

local lake yesterday on what I thought to be the perfect spot........hump between a point and island top was 9 foot and dropped off to 20 with the biggest ball of bait I had seen all day, plus a little wind blowing through it.

First cast hauled out a 3.5 pounder off it, then nothing. I was really surprised.

 

I am really looking forward to learning this, as I find it to be a REALLY fun way to fish.

 

meantime, I am googling up some stuff to read.

[scrutch]

Things that make deep structure fishing much easier are: good electronics, a good map card, marker buoys, and iPilot.

I don't know how you are going about finding this structure, but you could be thinking you are casting to the same spot but in fact missing it a few feet. Deep structure is more difficult and can be very deceiving because of the lack of good reference points. I'm not sure I could do it without a marker buoy. Every fish I catch I make a mental note where in reference to the nearest buoy it was. Sometimes a foot or two makes all the difference in the world.

[Brian Needham]

scrutch I got all those bases covered, LOL 

 

I think you are right about missing the spot on the spot. I try to throw right back to where I caught my last one, but we all know how hard that is.

 

I suppose I am being impatient too, as I only have done the "structure" deal for a full 10 days, LOL, but ya gotta start somewhere.

 

and  you know, once you see the benefits all you want is to know more and more, and catch more and more!

[scrutch]

scrutch I got all those bases covered, LOL 

 

I think you are right about missing the spot on the spot. I try to throw right back to where I caught my last one, but we all know how hard that is.

 

I suppose I am being impatient too, as I only have done the "structure" deal for a full 10 days, LOL, but ya gotta start somewhere.

 

and  you know, once you see the benefits all you want is to know more and more, and catch more and more!

You got it Brian. That's where the big girls live. And on windy days that windiest of honey holes will be all yours because of that iPilot.

Spot Lock Baby!

[papajoe222]

You are experiencing one of two things that happens when you target fish on structure, especially fish that are also relating to forage.  When you hook a fish, others will follow. Maybe not all the way to the boat, but they will break from the school of baitfish they've been relating to.  The other thing that happens is the school of baitfish will also move, so in reality the spot your end up recasting to no longer holds the forage or the fish.  The good news is that if there is good structure, like that hump you mentioned, the fish and forage will be relating to it. The best thing you could do in that situation is to sit on top of the hump and cast to the school.  That will pull any following fish up to the hump rather than away from that piece of structure. 

[scrutch]

Brian, the other thing I've noticed is that sometimes you might need to leave to another spot nearby for awhile and give that spot time to "reload". Not that all the fish have necessarily left the spot, but you've just came into their lair and caused a bunch of commotion. Maybe a better term would be "settle down". The big girls don't get to be big girls by being dumb. This I've seen only with largemouth. Smallies don't seem to mind as much for some reason. When you return, you might try a slight change in the bait too. Give them a fresh look.

[Nitrofreak]

I like to throw a bigger more visable bait, I like the 5 1/2 in Lake Fork Flutter spoon when they get broken up like that, or a c-rig with an 11 inch worm like the Anoconda, or you can get right over top of them and vertically jig the spot with a drop shot as well, there is a number of ways that can be effective.

 

I agree with others, marking your spot is critical, but you also have to go back and make sure the school is still in the same place from time to time.

 

Glad to hear you are finding some success, keep up the great work !!!!

 

Good luck and be safe !!!

[Fishing Rhino]

It depends on the size of those "humps" or shoals.  Some I fish are maybe twenty feet in diameter.  The water is twenty feet deep, surrounded by 30 - 40 feet depths.  We've hauled as many as four or five fish in succession off of that tiny hump.  Other times only one.  To make things more interesting, we have caught pickerel, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass from the top of that hump in a period of a few minutes. 

 

Another large hump (shoal) I fish has water as shallow as six or seven feet, but averages ten or eleven feet in depth.  It is roughly 200 feet across, north to south, and 150 across east to west.  Water depths around the shoal vary from 25 to 40 feet.  There are times they are scattered on the shoal.  Other times they congregate in sections of the shoal.  I like to use marker buoys.  I mark the shoal's perimeter at 15 foot depths. 

 

Sometimes I'll drift the shoal with a drop shot.  Other times I'll cast a weighted plastic.  There is vegetation on both of the above humps.

[BuckMaxx]

I fished a 60 yard long point yesterday 2.5 feet of water.It fell off to 8 feet on one side and 14 the other. I was fishing a finesse jig and craw on a spinning rod. I noticed that if I positioned the boat with the trolling motor on top of point about center. Then threw parrell left. I would ctach a few, But they'd quit me. So I'd throw right parrell for a bit. Same deal. I did this all day and probably caught 50. I agree with giving a spot a rest. Thats exactly what happened yesterday.

[zip pow]

I always start this kind of spot with a deep crank and get the most active then follow it up with a jig or c-rig when they stop biting those I fire them back up with a big casting spoon. It almost always get them going again .As mentioned early be careful not to pull the school to far from the structure. It will go dry for a while let it rest for an hour then start back thru the lure progression

[quanjig]

I've noticed that not all of the fish on the structure are relating to it the same way. The active ones may be right on top, looking to be opportunistic feeders while some may be suspending off to one side or another. The trick is to get the ones actively feeding first, then motivate the ones not as active to bite. To me, it's a fun game to play because it can be very rewarding with lots of fish as well as quality fish. I'm still learning about the off shore stuff, but so far, I look forward to it more and more each year!!

[Brian Needham]

thanks guys! all great info.

 

I hope to get out and put more into practice this weekend.

[flippin and pitchin]

Here's a thought Brian,

 

How fish posistion themselves on a piece of structure can give you a hint of their mood.  I'm no super experienced structure fisherman, but it seems like fish on the shallow portion of structure,fish tight to the break or fish that move along the running edge are generally feeding. Crankbaits are a good choice in that scenario.  Fish who suspend off the side at the break line depth but suspend well off the edge are less active. Jerk baits and wacky worms dropped through them can get a bite.

 

My buddy says, find em with a crankbait and catch them with slow plastics.... or a jig.  Maybe this will give you an option when you find that good looking spot with the arcs on on it but the bites just aren't coming.

 

Doug

[WRB]

Two things to remember;

1. Everything your see on your sonar screen is a history of what you passed over. The only real time info is located on the right edge of the screen as it prints out. Locate the general structure using your big engine, then use your trolling motor to relocate the fish on the structure.

2. Bass feeding on bait fish are moving, not stationary bass like bass holding on cover type targets.

Structure spoons can cover more deep water faster than other types of deep lures when bass are feeding on baitfish around structure.. jigs, drop shot worms etc., are better for stationary bass on deep structure.

Tom

[Swamp Johnny]

Here's a thought Brian,

 

How fish posistion themselves on a piece of structure can give you a hint of their mood.  I'm no super experienced structure fisherman, but it seems like fish on the shallow portion of structure,fish tight to the break or fish that move along the running edge are generally feeding. Crankbaits are a good choice in that scenario.  Fish who suspend off the side at the break line depth but suspend well off the edge are less active. Jerk baits and wacky worms dropped through them can get a bite.

 

My buddy says, find em with a crankbait and catch them with slow plastics.... or a jig.  Maybe this will give you an option when you find that good looking spot with the arcs on on it but the bites just aren't coming.

 

Doug

 

 

 

I totally agree. Many times you can find and catch a couple on a Crank, mark the area, move off and fish something else for a while, then return with a small Soft Plastic Swimbait, Jig, or Pumpkin Ed Jig/10" Worm, Drop shot, Etc. This is a common practice for Smallmouth fishing in MN, (and the surrounding region).

 

Also, (I havn't checked if anybody mentioned this)- the bigger the fish, the more apt your not going to FIND another fish. BIG fish are (typically) loners. As you move up in size, the bigger fish will have the best " ambush spot" nearest the structure and push smaller fish to the sides of the structure. (I've seen this happen A LOT on deep structure) 

 

Also, If you catch a 4LBer and then get zero bites afterward you may have caught the only ACTIVE fish in the vicinity, OR the other fish you are seeing on your graph are spooky.

 

When fish get spooky, leave the area for 30-40 minutes, then return with your electronics turned OFF. (Have you ever gone under water and heard what electronics sound like?? They are so loud it hurts your head! Pro's don't run their electronics all the time.) Use a point of reference along the shore, to remember where the general vicnity of structure is, approach the structure slowly ( from 40-50 yrds), NEVER stopping the trolling motor,  and start fishing with something quiet and natural- 6" Wacky Rig fished on a Flick Jig, barely weighted Fluke, Short Carolina,  Etc. You'd be surprised how many more fish you'll catch if you use your electronics sparingly in a heavily pressured lake.

 

This Summer go take a swim under your boat and listen to what your electronics sound (and feel) like! Add in the supposed "quiet" trolling motor and big fish can feel and hear you from a great distance. (And aren't we all after the bigger guys? Dinks under 2 1/2 LBs havn't been around long enough to know the difference.) If you must have your elctronics on at all times don't dally! Keep your trolling motor on high and move through the area quickly, (like 8 miles an hour fast). Believe it or not, moving through fast looks (and feels) more natural to a fish than those guys who stop and start their trolling motor 50 times from the offshore structure.    

 

Hope this trick helps ya?

[xbacksideslider]

Great thread.

 

Spoons throw so well, their distance adds an element of stealth.

[quanjig]

I've gotten on spots and caught the dog snot out of 3-5 lb fish for a couple hours straight with the graph on! If they are turned on, it doesn't matter. Conversely, I can see how unagressive fish may get spooked by the ping of a graph and it might be something to consider when bites are at a premium! I think releasing fish back to aggressively feeding fish will shut them down just as quickly, but that's just me!

[Nitrofreak]

I've gotten on spots and caught the dog snot out of 3-5 lb fish for a couple hours straight with the graph on! If they are turned on, it doesn't matter. Conversely, I can see how unagressive fish may get spooked by the ping of a graph and it might be something to consider when bites are at a premium! I think releasing fish back to aggressively feeding fish will shut them down just as quickly, but that's just me!

 

X2, the trip I took with you on the res made me think about this very thing all the way home.