Fishing a break

[GoneFishingLTN]

Ok this this will be my first year trying to truly understand a productive break. 
 

as far as I understand it’s just the contour line change, so what makes one break better than other I’m assuming shallow 0-5 water with a break to deeper water but how deep? Which are on that break line to fish, do I stay out deep and cast toward the shallow area and drag deep and cover the very small section?

 

what other breaks are good? 
 

[WRB]

So many breaks so little time.

Structure breaks include depth changes, soil changes, water color changes, thermal changes, vegetation changes, light changes....etc.

The basses world under water is made of all the above and find a break or combinations that suit their activity level.

Deep topic.

Tom

 

[Catt]

Breakline: A breakline can have more than one meaning. It can be another word for a drop-off/ledge, or a point of any quick change in depth. It can also be used to describe the edge of a vegetation line. For example, a "weed break" is the area of the weed bed where the weeds meet up with open water; or, where one type of weed meets up with another. The last example happens when bottom composition changes, as different weeds prefer different types of bottom composition. In rocky impoundments, a breakline can also describe a line where rock meets mud, pea gravel, etc. In other words, the most correct definition for a breakline is "Any distinct line that is made by cover or structure which leads to an abrupt change in bottom depth, composition, or cover transition".

 

Ya confused yet? ?

[scaleface]

I generally fish a contour break with a diving crank or a multitude of sinking lures . The depth finder will help a lot on how  bass are positioned . Might be right on the lip of the break , close to the break or suspended over deep water near the break . There are a lot of shad in my area , I always take note of the depth they are in open water . Bass know that depth and will often set up accordingly . There are  many ways of fishing contour breaks , I cant cover them all . Yoyoing a lipless bait that vibrates like a Red Eye Shad on the descent  has been a good producer for me the past few years .

[Team9nine]

A break could be defined as “anything that alters the continuity of something else.” As such, and as @WRB mentions, the amount and types of breaks in a lake could nearly be endless. In the simplest of terms as to what makes one break better than another, focus your efforts on “breaks along a breakline,” which is what I believe @Catt was getting at - or go read the chapters on breaks and breaklines in your copy of Spoonplugging again (good idea anyway).

[A-Jay]

In the past 10 years,

unless my rig is on the trailer, it's on, over or at least near, 

some type of Break . . . .

When it's not, I'm probably not using the Frabil very much.

The 'type' of break can and does vary wildly and not all breaks are created equal.

The presence of bait can make one fairly attractive but it's not a guarantee the bass will be there.

But it usually doesn't hurt. 

In order to find the best ones, I always need a starting point.

Whether it's a depth, a water temp, a wind direction, a shadow line, a bottom composition, bottom color or even a cover change.

Just something to point me in a direction.

Finally, out of the thousand plus waypoints I have on 3 graphs, I bet 900 of them are on breaks.

My brain hurts just thinking about that.

When's open water again ?

A-Jay

 

 

[Catt]

36 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

or go read the chapters on breaks and breaklines in your copy of Spoonplugging again (good idea anyway).

 

If I were a inexperienced angler wanting to understand structure i would start here.

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

When's open water again ?

Not soon enough, but not terribly far away. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

I did search for “ Spoonplugging “ and wow ! Lots of controversy for some reason. I want to read it. Does anyone know where to get a copy ?

[Deleted account]

What are we back in the 20th century? Run the breaks eyes glued on the FF until it lights up like a Christmas tree.

[WRB]

A good method to understand elevation lines on a map is look at the local terrain above the water. Terrain doesn’t change underwater. You get topographic maps of the area you are at, look at map verses terrain and it should clear up what the elevation lines mean.

A steep bank varies greatly depending on the local topography. Where I live we have mountains with deep canyons where the reservoir dam was built filling the canyons with water. A steep bank is at least a 45 degree angle. The steep bank isn’t the same angle and changes to a cliff or flattens out. Both the cliff and flats are structure break lines.

The same steep bank could be dirt and change to gravel or rocks, both changes are breaks.

Tom 

[Tennessee Boy]

8 minutes ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

I did search for “ Spoonplugging “ and wow ! Lots of controversy for some reason. I want to read it. Does anyone know where to get a copy ?

https://www.bucksspoonplugs.com/Spoonplugging--your-Guide-to-Lunker-Catches--Soft-Cover-Edition_p_88.html

 

I would also recommend this 5 part YouTube series featuring Buck himself.

 

 

[A-Jay]

16 minutes ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

I did search for “ Spoonplugging “ and wow ! Lots of controversy for some reason. I want to read it. Does anyone know where to get a copy ?

Bit of a collector's item at this point.

Prices are all over the place.

This is as low as I could find and is new 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324770367434?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1dfdEfbWgTJSk67BxbtFKfg35&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=324770367434&targetid=4581046489808874&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=418640322&mkgroupid=1239149842233245&rlsatarget=pla-4581046489808874&abcId=9300602&merchantid=51291&msclkid=36f45f5f2feb1aefb6963d58d184173f

 

A-Jay

[Skunkmaster-k]

Awesome. 25$ is way more doable than what I found. Thanks 

[GoneFishingLTN]

7 hours ago, WRB said:

So many breaks so little time.

Structure breaks include depth changes, soil changes, water color changes, thermal changes, vegetation changes, light changes....etc.

The basses world under water is made of all the above and find a break or combinations that suit their activity level.

Deep topic.

Tom

 

Thank you Tom,catt everyone I'm just quoting Tom currently to make this response.

 

I have read buck perry spoonplugging and in the pursuit of the giant bass, that being said I'm going to start rereading spoonplugging now.

 

Now back on the topic of breaks I think I understand breaks just how everyone described them and I guess what really open my eyes was a-jays post about fishing the structure on the breaks.

 

My main confusion is if I'm fishing a area that is 1-6 foot of water pretty constantly then drops down to 12, but is a stretch of 3 boats lengths how do I attack this by casting angles?

Or is this not even a productive spot to look, unless I see some sort of cover/change?

 

I understand this is a deep topic and appreciate all the help on here I don't take it for granted.