Drop Off Found In Local Pond- How To Fish?

[tiredbobmarley]

Hey everyone,

 

I recently bought a fish finder for my canoe.  I found a large drop off (starts around 6 ft and drops to 22 ft quickly) in my local florida pond.  I was just wondering what techniques have you used to find where the fish are on the drop off? Ive heard to criss cross the drop off to find cover with the fish finder.  But what about baits? Jigs? Texas rigged worms? Senko with weight (or without) or wacky rigged? Deep diving crank? Lipless? Should i throw parallel to the drop off or up it or down it? Also are the bass actually holding that deep at this time in the season? Water temp is around 71-72. Any thoughts would be appreciated.  

[buzzed bait]

i like dragging the jig all over it to find individual pieces of cover then start throwing other baits at/near the cover you find

[RoLo]

When you've found a drop-off from 6 to 22 ft, your depth sounder became a fish finder 

 

Rather than limit yourself to any one approach, a drop-off should be fished from various angles.

There may be a step or some feature on the slope that's only accessible from a given angle.

Naturally, casts made parallel to the breakline will offer the most potent coverage, but I wouldn't rule out

climbing up the slope and walking down the slope. For instance, crankbaits and T-rigs can be used for

running parallel to the breakline, T-rigs are also good for walking down the slope, while a jig or C-rig

is usually a better choice for climbing the slope. As for the best trailers and colors to use,

your personal confidence baits and colors will be real tough to beat.

 

Roger

[Djman72]

RoLo hit it right on the head. Explore that drop off from every angle possible, with a ton of different methods. I would crash deep cranks of the ledge to find some active fish then slow down and dropshot or carolina rig up something to drag around the area.

[geo g]

I have been catching loads of fish in the everglades fishing 7 to 8 foot drop offs.  Been killing them with senko type baits fished parellel to the drop off.  Fishing weightlesss let it slowly fall all the way to thwe bottom, and then jerk and pausel it slowly along the base of the drop off.  It has worked well in Weston also.  Have caught some big Weston fish using this technique this month.

[tiredbobmarley]

Thanks for all the input everyone (especially RoLo, very detailed).  I'll be out to test that drop off in the next couple days.  hopefully returning with a great photo. 

[gulfcaptain]

I found a ledge like that where I crushed them on a 5XD.  But they weren't there all the time, they used it to push the shad up on then moved back off. 

[WRB]

Since you are exploring this break might as well meter all of it looking for bass or baitfish. The zig zag approach works good, just remember the sonar cone is only 1/3rd the depth in diameter: 8' = 30" dia., 22' = 7' dia area your sonar see's clearly. The deeper 22' water is easier to survey than the shallower 8' water.

Get yourself a couple of marker buoys to mark things of interest like big arches (fish) or the top and bottom of the break. You will have plenty of time to fish after you know what the structure looks like and where the bass are holding on this structure. Make a map, note any isolated features, brush, rocks, whatever so you can fish them later.

What lures you use depends on the cover and (in Florida) cover is important on this break!

As the water gets warmer a thermocline may develop and the bass may not use the deepest water.

Tom