Technique order on offshore structure

[Anthony Watson]

So say you are fishing offshore structure (brushpiles, rockpiles, etc), is there a lineup of baits you will throw at it and if so what order do you prefer. I’m not asking for specific baits, I’m just wondering if you pull up to a spot do you throw a moving/reaction bait at it first, then follow it up with a worm/jig or is it vice versa? Or do you just hit it with one bait and move on?

[LrgmouthShad]

More intuition than anything else, but I will say that nowadays, I will often throw no more than 1-2 baits at a piece of structure with about 20 casts or less between the two, or one. If I do not get bit, I am moving. If I get a bite, but do not get a quality fish within the next 20ish or so casts, again, I am moving. I used to anchor pretty much anytime I fish structure. Now, I may not. I may just slowly work over the structure, including both deep and shallow until I establish a good depth for the fish. I move, I move, I move.  

 

What do I throw? What is working/what the conditions or cover dictate. 

 

Almost 90% of my fishing is "offshore" structure. I might be close to the bank, but I can guarantee you that I'm on some kind of structure.

[Catt]

Texas Rig, Jig-n-Craw, deep diving crankbait, Rinky Dink

[Anthony Watson]

19 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

More intuition than anything else

I tend to go with my gut instinct as well, and what I have confidence in
 

19 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

 

Almost 90% of my fishing is "offshore" structure. I might be close to the bank, but I can guarantee you that I'm on some kind of structure.

This year I’ve been trying to force myself to fish offshore/structure more instead of relying  on visible cover. It’s been a bit of learning curve but I’m slowly making progress

27 minutes ago, Catt said:

Texas Rig, Jig-n-Craw, deep diving crankbait, Rinky Dink

I have been leading off with a dd crank, then going to a Texas rig, jig, or c rig. I’ve heard multiple people say that approaching it with a moving bait may actually pull fish off of the structure. I’ll have to try your order and see if it produces more bites for me 

[LrgmouthShad]

@Anthony Watson pay very close attention to bottom composition and look for anything "different" on the structure. It could be cover. It could be a hard spot. It could be a little difference in the contours. Pay attention to where bait is and if you are consistently not getting bit, pay attention to what depth you are targeting

 

These are things that I wish I would have done when I started structure fishing

[papajoe222]

I fish cover on structure basically the same way I fish visible cover while keeping in mind that off shore structure often holds multiple fish.  That's why I prefer a stealth approach with something I can cast well past the cover and still stay far enough from it as to not spook the fish.  My #1 approach is a T-Rig with a pegged bullet weight. Tungsten is smaller and comes through brush and submerged weeds better than lead.  I'll go with a tube if I think a slower fall is the ticket, but I don't use an internal jig, I just T-rig with an internal weight to give it that spiral fall.  If a reaction strike is called for, a heavy, double willow bladed spinnerbait run fast through, or just above the cover hangs up less than a crank and can draw some hard strikes. Cracking a tube doesn't require changing rods/baits and will get them also. I'll go back over the spot with the slower approaches if I catch a couple and the action dies.

3 hours ago, Catt said:

Texas Rig, Jig-n-Craw, deep diving crankbait, Rinky Dink

Talk about a flash back. I haven't seen or heard about a Rinky Dink in years. AS far as I can recall, they aren't made anymore.I know some outfit is marketing a very similar bait a Wink Dink I think it's called.

[scaleface]

Brush, I almost always go with a Texas rigged something . I cannot work a crankbait through brush . I dont know how others do it. 

[Fishin Dad]

21 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Brush, I almost always go with a Texas rigged something . I cannot work a crankbait through brush . I dont know how others do it. 

I usually go through a progression if I feel the spot deserves it.  I will usually throw a chatterbait, spinnerbait, or swimbait/swim jig over the spot first.   Like Scaleface above, I am still trying to figure out how to work a crank through wood cover.  After I try moving baits, I will throw a football jig.   If that doesn’t work, I will try finesse (drop shot, Neko, shakyhead).   If those don’t work, I may throw a quick Ned through.  That if is I think the spot is worth that much effort.  

[Anthony Watson]

@LrgmouthShad thanks for the advice. I’m starting to learn that little keys like what you mentioned are what separate “good” spots from “great” spots

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

Brush, I almost always go with a Texas rigged something . I cannot work a crankbait through brush . I dont know how others do it. 

It’s tough to run a crankbait through brush, especially a DD crank. I just try to pinpoint my brush pile and then run my crank right next to it as close as I feel I can without running it right through. A lure retriever also helps a lot and has saved me some money

[Catt]

8 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

.I know some outfit is marketing a very similar bait a Wink Dink

 

Exact same bait ?

Norman Knockoff or Wahoo Wing Ding

[Anthony Watson]

7 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Exact same bait ?

Norman Knockoff or Wahoo Wing Ding

I’ll be honest I had to look this up to see what it was

[bowhunter63]

Big thumping Spinnerbait slow and close to the cover 

[WRB]

Warm water periods early summer to late fall T-rigged 8” to 13” soft plates worms and Senko's.

Year around Jig ‘n Pig,Jig ‘n soft plastic Craw, 5” to 8”  Swimbaits, Scrounger w/Sluggo, Deep diving crank baits , Drop Shot, Slip Shot finesse worms...basically soup to nuts.

Tom

PS, if you see a follower it will return.

 

[Pogues2300]

Not really specifically answering the question but I watched a video by fish the moment where he more or less said when people fish a spot off shore they spend way more time on that spot then they do a piece of cover shallow. That resonated with me and positively changed how I approach off shore fishing. 

[jbrew73]

57 minutes ago, Pogues2300 said:

Not really specifically answering the question but I watched a video by fish the moment where he more or less said when people fish a spot off shore they spend way more time on that spot then they do a piece of cover shallow. That resonated with me and positively changed how I approach off shore fishing. 

Are you saying to fish it quickly and move on to another spot?

[LrgmouthShad]

@Pogues2300 right. It's easy to spend forever on a spot when your sonar tells you that there's bait, and maybe you see bass, and maybe you know you've caught em there before, but timing on a spot is important and if the bass don't want to eat, ain't no sense in trying to force feed em. Leave, and come back later if you want

[FishTax]

That happened to me at least 3x today. Not sure if I'm more frustrated with myself or the fish lol 

[Anthony Watson]

2 hours ago, Pogues2300 said:

Not really specifically answering the question but I watched a video by fish the moment where he more or less said when people fish a spot off shore they spend way more time on that spot then they do a piece of cover shallow. That resonated with me and positively changed how I approach off shore fishing. 

I find myself doing this often. I spend WAY more time on an offshore spot than I do on visible cover spots. I’ll spend 30 minutes on an offshore spot yet maybe 2-3 minutes on a visible cover spot, usually I stay moving when fishing down the bank. 

[WRB]

Shore pounders tend to approach a visible casting target the same direction and casting angle as 99% of the anglers before them and expect the bass to strike their lure when they didn’t all the others. Wishful thinking imo.

The bass in shallow water are alerted to you as you approach and either leave or shut down and wait for you to leave. Why not let the target area a chance to settle and reload before leaving and stirring up another spot.

Try approaching close to shore as if walking the bank and cast the opposite direction everyone else is doing, then work the area from different angles.

Outside structure bass are use to boat traffic coming and going as few ever stop to fish. Approach off shore structure as if you know bass are there, quietly. If it’s windy target the wind end 1st by drifting back to it, active bass are usually located on the wind blown areas. Like a shore target work the structure from different angles in lieu leaving.

Tom

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, Pogues2300 said:

Not really specifically answering the question but I watched a video by fish the moment where he more or less said when people fish a spot off shore they spend way more time on that spot then they do a piece of cover shallow. That resonated with me and positively changed how I approach off shore fishing. 

If angler is not fishing competitively, time has a completely different meaning.  There is no too long or too short, just the right time.  Recreational anglers that adopt a competetive type fishing style when there is no need for it, IMO are making a mistake.  Fish the moment sounds cool, but those moments add up to hours, days, months, years, decades and finally a life time of bass fishing fun and knowledge.

Nothing wrong with pacing yourself.

A-Jay

 

[Bankbeater]

If the structure isn't too deep I will start off with a topwater.  If the bass don't want to come up after that I will try a jig or Texas rig.

[huZZah]

I usually go the other way, from bottom to top for some reason. So like a jig, then a worm I can move around, a spinner, then a top water.  
 

Or I just keep throwing my spinner out toward the middle and contemplating life and being surprised when something bites it. 

[Columbia Craw]

Crank, Shakey Head, Jig, Drop Shot

[Anthony Watson]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Shore pounders tend to approach a visible casting target the same direction and casting angle as 99% of the anglers before them and expect the bass to strike their lure when they didn’t all the others. Wishful thinking imo.

The bass in shallow water are alerted to you as you approach and either leave or shut down and wait for you to leave. Why not let the target area a chance to settle and reload before leaving and stirring up another spot.

Try approaching close to shore as if walking the bank and cast the opposite direction everyone else is doing, then work the area from different angles.

Outside structure bass are use to boat traffic coming and going as few ever stop to fish. Approach off shore structure as if you know bass are there, quietly. If it’s windy target the wind end 1st by drifting back to it, active bass are usually located on the wind blown areas. Like a shore target work the structure from different angles in lieu leaving.

Tom

Great advice Tom as always! I learn something every time you post

[papajoe222]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Shore pounders tend to approach a visible casting target the same direction and casting angle as 99% of the anglers before them and expect the bass to strike their lure when they didn’t all the others.

You can apply this same reasoning to off shore, structure, fishing. I always attack an spot from different angles before moving on and it's paid off more often than not.  A dock pattern is very productive on a lake I fish as there are so many that are close to deep water.  I'll follow a boat or two down the shore, make my casts from close to shore out under the dock rather than sitting off the front of the dock casting in. I picked up my biggest smallie doing exactly that two weeks ago.