Let's Talk Structure...

[RoLo]

Roger, couldn't see the forest from the trees until you pointed out movement verses migration.  Sometimes it takes a diiferent few point to see things clearly. 

Hope the upcoming season is enjoyable and good fishing.

Tom

 

Thanks WRB.

I hope your back surgery proves to be a success, and good bassing in 2014.

 

Roger

[WRB]

Thank you Roger. Planning on putting the boat in the water tomorrow. Batteries are charged, the engine started, wipe off the dust and getting the tackle together. The weather out west is warm and shouldn't be too windy. Our lakes are way down due to drought conditions, fishing should be pre spawn 20' to 30', just takes awhile to get in tune of what's going and remembering what a bit feels like.

Tom

[RoLo]

Thank you Roger. Planning on putting the boat in the water tomorrow. Batteries are charged, the engine started, wipe off the dust and getting the tackle together. The weather out west is warm and shouldn't be too windy. Our lakes are way down due to drought conditions, fishing should be pre spawn 20' to 30', just takes awhile to get in tune of what's going and remembering what a bit feels like.

Tom

 

Prespawn in 20 to 30 ft of water, wow. We're in the early pre-spawn right now, but our girls are only 3 to 6 ft deep.

Don't forget,  when you get the rig back in the barn, hook-up the charger and add a little Stabil so you're ready to blast off on Thursday 

 

Roger

[Hattrick7]

Digging this thread! There is a video of a fish biologist that gave a lecture at a BassResource.com road trip. He had a lot of intersting knowledge. He said that 90% of the fish are in 10% of the body of water because of factors such as temperature, ph, oxygen, etc. Alongside the obvious is food source, bass and other fish must be instinctively tuned to understand these factors in order to survive. It somehow has to know or a mechanism of knowing where the optimal conditions are.

Given that bass move and we may not fully know why other than the obvious food source it seems logical that based on current weather conditions especially wind would somehow alter a lakes "sweet spot" for these bass? It's intersting to watch an four day tournament and many guys say the same thing. "I was slaying em here for the past three days and now I can't buy a bite." So did they move because the food source moved or did they move because the water condition at that point in time was just not the best?

If the theory of deep, shallow to feed, deep again is really true then wouldn't the bass typically be at the same location on a regular basis given that the food source is consistent?

I've noticed the little lake I fish all of my bites are 15' from shore and in. I've gotten one bite on a spinnerbait further out but that was it. Other regulars tell me that they have gotten bit further out. So that leads me to believe that the first breakline is where they relate to. But what if that breakline is fairly consistent around the whole lake?

[Todd2]

Reading the last few posts reminds me that there are so many variables. First, species... Spots, Smallies, Largemouth (Florida/Northern). Then different waters...natural lakes, reservoirs, rivers. Even the size of fish. John Hope's research showed that bass larger than about 7lbs behave different. They suspend in deep water during most of the day and come in middle depths 8-12 to feed at night flushing up prey as they move up and down the structure. It's no wonder there are so many opinions and observations like Roger mentioned.

[Catt]

1. So did they move because the food source moved or did they move because the water conditions at that point in time was just not the best?

My questions would be

Were the bass there because it was their home?

Were the bass there following bait?

Were the bass there moving with seasonal patterns?

2. If the theory of deep, shallow to feed, deep again is really true then wouldn't the bass typically be at the same location on a regular basis given that the food source is consistent?

Ask your local guides if they hunt for new locations daily or do the fish the same areas?

3. So that leads me to believe that the first breakline is where they relate to. But what if that breakline is fairly consistent around the whole lake?

On Toledo Bend for instance 15' of water (+ or - 3') is the depth at which most vegetation stops growing, this is the "key" breakline where experienced anglers start their search for bass.

[Hattrick7]

1. So did they move because the food source moved or did they move because the water conditions at that point in time was just not the best?

My questions would be

Were the bass there because it was their home?

Were the bass there following bait?

Were the bass there moving with seasonal patterns?

2. If the theory of deep, shallow to feed, deep again is really true then wouldn't the bass typically be at the same location on a regular basis given that the food source is consistent?

Ask your local guides if they hunt for new locations daily or do the fish the same areas?

3. So that leads me to believe that the first breakline is where they relate to. But what if that breakline is fairly consistent around the whole lake?

On Toledo Bend for instance 15' of water (+ or - 3') is the depth at which most vegetation stops growing, this is the "key" breakline where experienced anglers start their search for bass.

 

So I was able to go fish the lake during my lunch break. Went to the exact same spot I caught two a few days ago. I was between a two hour window from the previous time to today. Second cast hooked into a nice one. Good for him he shook the hook. Several cast later hooked into a small 2lber. That one looked just like the one I caught there the previous time. Of course two times isn't enough to call it a regular pattern but for the bass to be biting at the exact same location gives me at least a little hint as to their movement patterns. 

 

I've fished that same spot close to sundown and nothing. It'll be interesting to fish that same spot during a similar time and weather condition to see if they will be there again. I would have to speculate that the bass go there because a) they get what they need food wise they're comfortable there c) part of their regular movement pattern

 

For #3, I don't know if you walk the bank or fish it from a boat, let's say you do find bass and get them to bite wouldn't it be theoretical that bass would be holding all along that breakline up and down the lake (given conditions are constant eg. food, water quality, etc)? And then once you do find the location where bass are holding and biting, coming back to that same location at different times during the day to see if they are still there. 

 

Of course actually tagging and then tracking bass would be ideal for several different bodies of water would be an interesting study.