Deep fishing equals little success for me

[farmpond1]

Am I alone out there or are there others like me who have little or no success fishing deep?  Once in a blue moon I'll catch a bass while trolling with a deep diver but that's about the extent of it.  I'll study the map (if I have one), I watch my fish finder.  I look for humps and other structure and, of course, marked fish but it's always the same:  zero, zippo, zilch.  I think I need to form a support group for folks who try fishing deep for bass but always, by the end of the day, wind up beating the banks.

[Crestliner2008]

You didn't say what kind of fish or fishing you are doing? I'll assume you are looking for LM or SM bass and that you have a few spinning rods onboard. And that the water you are fishing is clear to stained (vis. >3'). Forget about trolling - period! Have you tried tubes? Jigs? Drop shotting? Blade baits? Senkos? If not, that's probably why you are not connecting. Your approach seems fine. Find bait on humps or off shore structures, anchor (or drift using your TM to keep yourself positioned - I prefer anchoring) and cast. If there are bass down there (and you're not marking bull heads!), then using the above techniques will produce fish for you. Guaranteed!  

[Jig Man]

Deep is a relative term. If you are from TX it is anything over 5'. I seldom catch anything over 70' deep here in MO but do catch a lot of fish from 30-55' deep in the winter.  Last year a big money tourney was won with the fish coming from 105 fow.

I use tubes, jigs, grubs, and jigging spoons for my deep fishing. If you have any bluffs where you fish, I suggest you get on the end of some of them and do some experimenting.

[farmpond1]

I've pretty much given up on deep crankbaits.  It's difficult to find one that goes deep enough without having to cast it a mile and a half away first.  So unless the fish seem to be suspending, I usually don't even try.  Question:  Will deep bass that are holding on cover chase a bait from some distance or do you have to put your bait right on top (or right in the midst) of them?

[roadwarrior]

This might help:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1186055966

[bighed]

I struggled with deep water fish for a long time.  The turning point for me was when I got a GPS/sonar combo on the boat.  Academy had their Lowrance 332c's marked down from $699 to $500 which got me motivated to try one.  I also bought a Navionic's map chip that really helped.  Now I can use the split screen, half map/half sonar, to pull right up to the places I want to explore and eliminate unproductive water faster.  No fish or baitfish present means to me to look for another spot.  Once I find a spot I think will work I try a few different baits depending on the water temp.  Hopkin's spoons, DD22's, Mann's -30's, Carolina rigs with long leaders, and maybe a drop shot.  The water temp has a big impact on what deep fish will do and how they will bite.  During the summer/fall bass seem willing to chase a bait a good ways but to me those are the fish relating to schools of shad, not cover.  Winter bass holding deep on stumps or ? are better targeted with the spoon that you can drop right on their heads a few times.  Hope this helps a little, big

[Cory20]

Have you tried putting some marker buoys out?  I like having something to cast at, it seems to help.

What are your guys thoughts at catching fish really deep?  I have never caught a fish from so deep that its swim bladder was messed up, how realistic is this?  What depth does this happen at?

[bighed]

Cory, my club has had problems with fish caught on jigging spoons during the winter on lake Texoma.  Fish from about 25' and deeper have to be fizzed or they will often expire by weigh in.    big

[Catt]

Underwater islands, mounds, or humps are a deep water angler's delight; these spots are especially productive when power is being generated at the dam, causing a current in the reservoir. Bait fish will gather on the upper end of these mounds and the bass will bunch up to feed on them. When located near a creek or river these areas can be your big bass hole. A tail spinner or Rat-L-Trap fished across these areas or a 7 to 8 worm can fill your stringer quickly. Position your boat shallow and fish deep with Texas Rigs or Jig to find the bigger bass.

Submerged bridges are excellent holding areas for big

bass, many times these bridges have been blown when the lake was built, creating structure in the form of pilings, concrete rubble (rock piles). This form of deep structure can be a summer and winter glory hole.

Outside bends of a river or creek are common hangouts for deep water bass. Because of the water flow in the river or creek a ridge has been formed on the outside of the bend. Find the point of these ridges; anchor the boat in 12' to 18, cast deep with Texas Rigs or Jig to find the bigger bass.

Spots where two creeks intersect or where a feeder creek intersects with the main river are areas experienced deep water anglers seeks. Inside the Y created by the intersection is where you want to anchor the boat in 12' to 18, cast deep with Texas Rigs or Jig to find the bigger bass. In winter months fish these areas with jigging baits in 20 to 30' of water.

Submerged roadbeds should never be overlooked, locate these on a topographic map, then pinpoint with your depth finder. These are common migration routes to and from spawning areas in the spring, they also hold feeding bass in the summer. Seek out 12 to 18' depths where a sharp drop off occurs on each side of the roadbed. Fish plastics or deep running crank baits across these roadways. Ideal spots are where two roads junction or where the road makes a noticeable turn.

[roadwarrior]

Catt strikes again.

Great post!

8-)

[Cory20]

Bighead,

What is fizzed?  

[bighed]

Fizzing is venting the fish's air bladder after bringing them up from the deep. I use a syringe inserted through the open mouth of the fish and through the flesh about 1/4" above the gullet. Do this with the fish and syringe submerged in the livewell and you'll notice the bubbles of air escape. This is the way I was taught at the tournaments, others may use different methods. big

Here's an article on the subject: http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/columns/story?page=b_col_bt_1106_fizzing_procedure