fishing points

[rwsasser]

I always hear fish the points.  How do you pick which points to fish?  When I think of point I think of a finger of land sticking out into the lake body and there are tons of those on most lakes.  Should I be looking for steep drop offs, large shallow points, points at the bend of a creek channel. etc.?  Any suggestions?

[roadwarrior]

Fish them all, they generally hold fish. After a while you may discover a pattern and that might reduce the time spent fishing unproductive structure. For example, if you are picking up a few fish on the inside cut, just fish the inside cut on the other points that day. Sometimes bass seem to have a preference for secondary points, on other days primary points on the main lake. Sometimes it's the relatively shallow water, other times it's the break between shallow water and a steep drop. I promise you, it varies. But on any given day, a pattern may emerge.

[ball_coach_1]

roadwarrior is hitting about all the things I have learned about fishing points.  I enjoy fishing shallow water with jig, texas rigs, carolina rigs, and spinner baits.  I ALWAYS try to find fish there.  But when fishing is tough, especially early pre-spawn and the heat of the summer, I have to go and make myself find fish on points - cranking or carolina rigging are my preferences.

Roadwarrior, what type of lakes (geographic area) do you fish?  Any tips you have found fishing points effectively in tough times would be welcomed by me. Always looking to learn something - especially cranking if you do it much.

[roadwarrior]

I mostly fish the Tennessee River below Pickwick Dam, but we sometimes have too much water when the TVA opens the flood gates! Then you might find me on the lake. Because Pickwick is truely a river/lake there are numerous creeks and streams that feed the system and now provide both small and large arms as well as countless channels. bluffs and points.

I'll describe a couple of productive structures that you will find on similar systems. My favorite is a relatively shallow flat, immediately adjacent to the main channel and what was once a large feeder creek. The point defines the old creek, but some might describe the shallow flat as a hump. This structure is approximately four hundred yards long and one hundred yards wide, 8-12 ft deep with an immemdiate drop to 35-50+ ft. Talk about the ideal place to fish deep diving cranks, this is it. I never catch LITTLE smallmouth in this area.

Spot #2: This may have been a ridge before the river became a lake, it kinda defines a shallow swimming cove at Pickwick State Park. The point is relatively shallow (5-10 ft) and extends more than one hundred yards out into the lake, less than a quarter mile from the dam. Now the water at the dam is deep, d**n deep! The water surrounding the point and the water at the end of the point is deeeeeeeeep. Shallow cranks (Bagley BII) and medium dept lures (Rat-L Trap, CV 500) are very productive, but so is topwater! I had the largest smallmouth I have ever not caught, hook-up on a Zara Spook. Since I didn't get it in, it must have weighed at least 10 lbs.

That being said, I still have better luck with a baby diaper yellow Gitzit, traditional rig, and Carolina rigged lizards.

[bassin4life]

Fish every point you can, prob the most sucessful points are the ones that are real sharp.

[Larry_Landgren]

I like long narrow main lake points that have a few cut up secondaries on them and run out a long way with lots of deep water access