Deep or Shallow, how do you decide?

[dtag31]

Hi All, 

As I continue to learn more and more, I am feel like I am making it more difficult! I am in the NE, summer has officially hit and water temps are up to 84 degrees. So, I move off to the deep stuff (which is 15-20 foot in my lake) and fish off-shore structure and rock piles. I had a lot of success with this 3 weeks ago, but I have had a few recent very tough outings, so someone recommends I go flip grass/pads. 

 

Let's say you head out early in the morning to your home lake, and plan to fish from 6-noon, I am having a very hard time deciding whether to fish shallow or deep and which to do when. I hear fish shallow first thing, then back off as the sun gets high. Then I watch a video that says, oh when the sun is high that's the perfect time to fish shallow, because they will be pinned to the grass. 

 

I know there is no correct answer, but I am trying to learn what sort of clues help you decide to go shallow or deep. I always rig up about 8 rods the night before, and I'm having a hard time building my strategy on where to start! (especially since we know % wise more big girls are in deep water). 

 

Sorry for the ramble, thanks in advance for advice on what drives your decisions!

[DitchPanda]

49 minutes ago, dtag31 said:

Hi All, 

As I continue to learn more and more, I am feel like I am making it more difficult! I am in the NE, summer has officially hit and water temps are up to 84 degrees. So, I move off to the deep stuff (which is 15-20 foot in my lake) and fish off-shore structure and rock piles. I had a lot of success with this 3 weeks ago, but I have had a few recent very tough outings, so someone recommends I go flip grass/pads. 

 

Let's say you head out early in the morning to your home lake, and plan to fish from 6-noon, I am having a very hard time deciding whether to fish shallow or deep and which to do when. I hear fish shallow first thing, then back off as the sun gets high. Then I watch a video that says, oh when the sun is high that's the perfect time to fish shallow, because they will be pinned to the grass. 

 

I know there is no correct answer, but I am trying to learn what sort of clues help you decide to go shallow or deep. I always rig up about 8 rods the night before, and I'm having a hard time building my strategy on where to start! (especially since we know % wise more big girls are in deep water). 

 

Sorry for the ramble, thanks in advance for advice on what drives your decisions!

Always shallow for me..how do I decide? I don't have a boat..decision is made for me

[Jig Man]

It depends on how early I get on the water.  If real early I use a spinner bait and fish shallow.  Otherwise I set out in deep water, cast toward shallow and fish back to deep trying to get bites and determine the depth range.

[scaleface]

Time of year has a lot to do with it as does  water quality , cover ...  If its summer with a defined thermocline I will usually do both . At 6 AM I will probably be shallow , then try a  point or some other structure later . But I'm not going to leave a strong shallow bite if its happening . If I get to the lake late I may start deep .

[NHBull]

If on the water at 5 AM , shallow flats in open water.  Zero luck shallow in a week.  Out second move to 20 FOW off the flats has been where the action has been at.   

[skekoam]

If we are talking about Summer/spring I'd opt for shallow.  Like someone above said, I don't have a boat so the decision is easy.  Also, when I went on a guided trip a few months back, guess what we were doing?  Casting towards shore in about 5-10 ft of water.  We were also working in about 15-20 ft, and only got 2-3 fish.  The other 25 or so were caught in the shallows. 

[TnRiver46]

Deep!!! Why? I don’t know, I just like it 

[Teal]

Here lately I have stayed on the fish.   But if I didn't know, I'd start shallow, then move deep

[GTN-NY]

The lakes I fish are surrounded by weeds and docks so I start just outside the weed line which is usually 12-16’ deep and that might be 100’ out from shore. I work that outside line mainly but also throw in shallow occasionally. 

[WRB]

Easy, after determine what the seasonal period is I determine what depth the bait, bass and thermocline or life zone and target that depth.

My routine when I launch my boat is survey the marina area, looking at surface water temps, bait schools and if there is a thermocline eastablished. If the bait and bass and thermocline is located at 10', no reason to fish any deeper. If the thermocline /life zone is 25' no reason to fish much shallower.

Tom

[Herbert Lorenzo]

Now that it gets hot quick , I fish shallow . Slow fishing stick baits close to ramp . No time to waste . Sometimes don't even need to crank the outboard up . Productive so far .

[Dens228]

I start shallow if I'm on the water before the sun is beating down.  Once the sun is up higher and if the bass are biting I'll keep fishing shallow, targeting shadow areas.  If they weren't biting or stopped biting I go deeper. Depending on water clarity I'll either continue to hit the shadow side of cover/structure or I'll go deep enough that the light isn't penetrating.  I used to be a shallow water guy, pounding the banks and shallow cover.  I caught bass but usually small to average sized.  Once I started learning to fish deeper in the summer the bass got bigger.   Like said above, I stay above the thermocline. 

[Catt]

It's a coin toss ?

 

Early pre-spawn/spawn everybody is beating the shoreline to a froth. I tend to stay deeper than most anglers because the bass have to move through the deeper water to get shallow. I'm picking em off before they get to y'all.

 

Summer time there's a deep water bite going on at daylight just like there's one shallow.

 

I'm going where you ain't!

[Teal]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

It's a coin toss ?

 

Early pre-spawn/spawn everybody is beating the shoreline to a froth. I tend to stay deeper than most anglers because the bass have to move through the deeper water to get shallow. I'm picking em off before they get to y'all.

 

Summer time there's a deep water bite going on at daylight just like there's one shallow.

 

I'm going where you ain't!

Good points catt, I think deeper/offshore fishing intimidates alot of anglers.  What methods or techniques do you use when you are picking these fish off

[Catt]

@Teal Texas Rig, Jig-n-Craw, Carolina  Rig, Deep Crankbaits, Flutter Spoon, Drop Shot, depends on structure & depth.

 

I'm still fishing shallow (12-18') it's just a mile offshore. ?

[the reel ess]

I go early or late. My PB came in July in water about a foot deep. I'm a shallow water guy. Usually I'm looking for places that are shallow with deeper water close by. But I caught that pig on a shallow flat.

[Black Hawk Basser]

On 7/8/2020 at 7:13 AM, the reel ess said:

I go early or late. My PB came in July in water about a foot deep. I'm a shallow water guy. Usually I'm looking for places that are shallow with deeper water close by. But I caught that pig on a shallow flat.

Ditto on the PB in a foot of water in July.  Mine was on a Sammy, right in between two islands at 7 pm.  I know you're not supposed to "fish memories", but man that one is hard to forget!  That experience always makes me try super shallow topwater in the summer evenings.

[J Francho]

I prefer fishing deeper, but regardless of depth, there has to be some factor that I feel draws fish.  I don't often cast to shallow water, unless there's something there, either weeds, a dock, stump, change in the bottom, point or cut, slack water in current.... These are the the of things that draw my cast in any depth.

[Big Hands]

My sample size of one: In the summer, I tend to catch smaller fish up shallow (1' to 15 '), and better fish in deeper water (15' to 25'). In the winter, it has been the opposite, smaller fish in deeper water (40' to 60'), and bigger fish in relatively shallower water (10' to 25').

[MickD]

Make a choice based on all the factors you've read about.  They probably won't be there.  Now that you know where they aren't, you can find where they are.  I usually find a number of places they aren't.  Then I have to go home.  ?

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, MickD said:

  I usually find a number of places they aren't.  Then I have to go home.  ?

I did that today ~

A-Jay

[MickD]

Just now, A-Jay said:

I did that today ~

When I saw you had commented I wondered why you weren't fishing today.  Now I know.  I hope everything is going well with you and your family.  With the heat and some projects I couldn't postpone, I haven't been out in a couple weeks.  Gotta get out again!

[A-Jay]

Just now, MickD said:

When I saw you had commented I wondered why you weren't fishing today.  Now I know.  I hope everything is going well with you and your family.  With the heat and some projects I couldn't postpone, I haven't been out in a couple weeks.  Gotta get out again!

Me too.

First time on the water in weeks.

Felt good.

Stay Safe

A-Jay

[Bankbeater]

The bass around here have been starting shallow in the flats around 3' to 4' then moving deeper around 9 AM, or when it starts getting hot.  When the bass move deeper they are staying around vegetation.

[the reel ess]

4 hours ago, Pickle_Power said:

Ditto on the PB in a foot of water in July.  Mine was on a Sammy, right in between two islands at 7 pm.  I know you're not supposed to "fish memories", but man that one is hard to forget!  That experience always makes me try super shallow topwater in the summer evenings.

Hey, since I posted that, I caught a new PB Saturday in about 3 ft of water on a spinnerbait. You can see it in my post in the Fishing Reports forum. It is a bit unusual because it's in the shallow headwater of the reservoir in the heat of July, but it has rained a good bit lately.