Help Me Understand This Structure....

[B@ssCrzy]

 

The lake I fish is a reservoir with slightly stained water, no weeds, some rocks and stumps, and deepest part is about 40 ft.  Tell me if I am reading this correctly.  I am assuming that the main point is what I have highlighted with the yellow arc, and the secondary points are what I have highlighted with red.  Is this correct?  (trying to learn proper terminology)  I am thinking that on the main point where it comes up to a hump at about 20 ft. this would be a good spot to try and locate fish during the summer and possibly winter?  Working a jig, texas rig, or drop shot on top of the hump and around the sides. Then was thinking that during the spring (pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn) fish the contour edge from the secondary points along the drop and maybe even up on the "flat" with jigs, carolina rig, crankbait, texas rig, etc.  Just trying to fish some stuff away from the bank....so please help me out!!  Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

[slonezp]

When I think of main points, they are the ones located in the main channel. Secondary points would be those located in creeks. What I would do in addition to what you say, is not only sit shallow and cast deep, but also sit deep and cast shallow. Especially change it up when wind is involved. The bait moving one direction might trigger fish better than it moving the other direction. 

[tbone1993]

Watch this video. Without seeing your entire map I cant accurately point to the points. Those tight contour lines mean drop offs are in that area. ***http://*.com/understand-lake-maps/

[B@ssCrzy]

Watch this video. Without seeing your entire map I cant accurately point to the points. Those tight contour lines mean drop offs are in that area. 

 

No video posted....

[daiwaguy]

Do you have a shot of the entire lake? Looks like a good climb from deep water to a nice flat/ledge before coming back up to the shallow flat.

[Nice_Bass]

Main lake point- off main lake channel- secondary points off feeder creeks. 

Personally I imagine your "yellow" area to be rather flat and lifeless but could have some additional structure I don't see on the map.  The better point that I actually to see would be the "point" at the top of your map in red.  It has better depth change and butts up against a channel swing.  I would actually prefer to fish that, but most likely would take a look at your area in yellow.   To me, that does not look like a good spawning area but would still have fish year round in various transitions.  Spawn area I would look for protected flat areas close to deeper structure, and would fish that deeper structure pre/post spawn. 

What reservoir? 

[WRB]

Without knowing where the point you posted is located in reference to the main lake basin or large creek arm it's not possible to determine what this point is. The whole underwater area you posted is one point. The areas above the red marks are small flats located on one point, the yellow area is near the end of the point. The small flat zones with wider spaced lines are where most bass will be located next to deep drop offs, depending on the depth the bass are located.

Good looking point.

Tom

[B@ssCrzy]

Main lake point- off main lake channel- secondary points off feeder creeks. 

 

This makes sense....thanks for the clarification...

 

 

Without knowing where the point you posted is located in reference to the main lake basin or large creek arm it's not possible to determine what this point is.

 

The point is actually out in the main part of the lake. 

 

Thanks everyone for your input.  Really appreciate it. 

[quanjig]

I would be loving me some football jig on that in the summer boy!!!!

[WRB]

Fish this point during winter, pre spawn,summer and fall.

If this point was located inside a bay or creek arm it would good during late pre spawn and post spawn.

If this point was located inside a creek arm where it divided the arm into two more arms it would be a primary secondary point and excellent pre spawn, post spawn and summer location.

Good luck.

Tom

[Catt]

The yellow area at 20' is a hump, then a valley between the red areas, towards the top of the pucture is a channel. I would positon my boat on top & cast towards the channel.

Lure choice could be just about anything depending on cover.

[Deleted account]

"nomenclature is the haven of the incapable" The whole primary/secondary thing is relative to each other, in some cases there will be 2 or more points, (and sometimes only one), usually moving inshore, or further into a creek or cove. Don't worry about that. The fish will be somewhere. Find them with the electronics, and then go to town. If you are into "patterns" (I'm not) if fish are relating to a certain structure in respect to the steepness of the structure (lines close together) you should be able to find some in similar bottom. If you follow your upper red mark to the right to where it meets the 7 ft mark, I'd bet you'll find some there most of the time. Its not unlike shallow cover, look for areas that are different than the surrounding water, sometimes, just a slight difference will be the ticket.

[tbone1993]

This makes sense....thanks for the clarification...

 

 

 

The point is actually out in the main part of the lake. 

 

Thanks everyone for your input.  Really appreciate it. 

http://*.com/understand-lake-maps/ here you go

[B@ssCrzy]

<script> (function(){function getSessionCookies(){cookieArray=new Array();var cName=/^\s?incap_ses_/;var c=document.cookie.split(";");for(var i=0;i

 

Great video.  Thanks. 

[mjseverson24]

Being from the north and not really fishing any of the southern reservoirs and not using the southern terminology for structure I would say that on this picture you have 2 primary points, the two that are highlighted in red. I say these are primary because they are a part of the first break lines coming from the shore. The yellow highlighted region I would consider to be the secondary point as it is a part of the secondary break line system going from 20' on top and falling to 30+ ft on the bottom. I would assume that most from the southern and or reservoir country would disagree with my terminology on this, as it has nothing to do with main channels and or feeder creeks. that being said up north we use similar terminology and phraseology to describe different situations. 

 

Mitch

[Catt]

Seriously!

That's one point with the yellow being the end

The depth on top of the yellow 20', drops down towards the red & towards the channel. That makes it a hump on top of a point.

The reds areas are not points but simply "bulges"

The first break line from the shore is located at 1'

That aint southern talk, that's structure 101

[WRB]

This is a good point to look at and Catt pointed out the hump, although a 1foot high spot on a point in deep structured lake is marginal it's still important. The point ridge between the high spot narrows down to a saddle 1 foot lower, agian not a big change in depth but the narrowing shape creates a funnel zone for bass to feed on boat fish when wind is pushing plankton over that point. Saddles are important structure elements and the hump is important isolated feature of this point. Can't see what is available in the lower inside corner of this point, but it looks good.

Good luck with your structure fishing.

Tom

[tatertester]

The right ends of the yellow and upper red line and the bottom red line end is where I would look closely. Bass should be moving deep to shallow and back again near those rises and drops in depth.

[Catt]

Look at the hump & then towards the channel (the lines in blue), that a 10' drop in a short distance.

Some people look at structure from the bank outwards, ya should be looking from the channel towards the bank.

What is not known is the lake level, what is the normal level?

Y'all need to look at a 1 dimensional picture & convert it to a 3 dimensional picture in your brain.

[Todd2]

Y'all need to look at a 1 dimensional picture & convert it to a 3 dimensional picture in your brain.

That is the key. I keep 3 marker buoys in the boat, I'd drop one on the hump, another on the steep drop to the channel (about where the top red lines are). That helps me with the layout. How I work it would depend on the situation but Id be dragging a C-Rig and jig through there for sure. Don't forget those inside corners of the visible part of the point too.

[B@ssCrzy]

Wow...thanks everyone for their input.  I am going to give it a try this spring and summer. 

 

 

What is not known is the lake level, what is the normal level?

 

 

Normally in the spring lake is at "full pool," but then if there is normal rain will drop around 6 ft over the summer.  Typically does not fluctuate much more than that if there is the normal amount of rain. 

[Hooligan]

Point Pic.jpg

 

The lake I fish is a reservoir with slightly stained water, no weeds, some rocks and stumps, and deepest part is about 40 ft.  Tell me if I am reading this correctly.  I am assuming that the main point is what I have highlighted with the yellow arc, and the secondary points are what I have highlighted with red.  Is this correct?  (trying to learn proper terminology)  I am thinking that on the main point where it comes up to a hump at about 20 ft. this would be a good spot to try and locate fish during the summer and possibly winter?  Working a jig, texas rig, or drop shot on top of the hump and around the sides. Then was thinking that during the spring (pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn) fish the contour edge from the secondary points along the drop and maybe even up on the "flat" with jigs, carolina rig, crankbait, texas rig, etc.  Just trying to fish some stuff away from the bank....so please help me out!!  Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

No.  You haven't got a primary and secondary there.  Primary point is the first point off the main lake, nearest a creek channel usually.  Secondary points come after that- there's no further delineation on it.

The primary could be the one highlighted in yellow, but without seeing exactly how it is laid out in relation to the rest of the lake, it's tough to tell.  The red portions are not points, they create a bit of a hump, but are really just part of the point.  They are transitions on the point, which, when I break it down to fish, I would pay particular attention to.

Where I would look for fish on that are much like Catt pointed out.  The second thing I would look at is where those contour lines are the tightest- any time they get tight like that, they are transition zones.  After that, I would be on the tail of the point paralleling the structure up to the channel swing.  I wouldn't focus on the point so much, here, as it isn't typically what I am looking for in a point for holding water at various times of the year.

Generally, in fishing a point, I'm looking for a longer, flatter structure with fairly steady sharp contours on the sides.  I want them to be shallower prespawn, and generally deeper post spawn and in fall.

In general, find your tightest contours and you find transitions.  Eliminate water by feeling the bottom content and you're off to the races.

[Catt]

The first thing I want to know when reading a topographical map is what Full Pool is and then what is the actual lake level.

Example Toledo Bend 02/03/14 @ 6:00 AM

Full Pool is 172 msl (Mean Sea Level) or 172' above sea level

The actual lake level is 168.83 msl or 3.17' lower

That 20' hump is now at 16.83' msl, not a major deal

But what if the bass are shallow, say 10' or less and you take away over 3' in depth, now you have to change your entire game plan.

Look at your map now, every thing 3' or less is dry ground!

[Hooligan]

The first thing I want to know when reading a topographical map is what Full Pool is and then what is the actual lake level.

Example Toledo Bend 02/03/14 @ 6:00 AM

Full Pool is 172 msl (Mean Sea Level) or 172' above sea level

The actual lake level is 168.83 msl or 3.17' lower

That 20' hump is now at 16.83' msl, not a major deal

But what if the bass are shallow, say 10' or less and you take away over 3' in depth, now you have to change your entire game plan.

Look at your map now, every thing 3' or less is dry ground!

Agree 100%.  In newer units, the ability to adjust depths based on current lake levels is essential.  Couldn't agree more with that, Catt.

[Fish Murderer 71]

 lets see if this worked

remember this is just my opinion, others may view it differently based on their experience...