where are those bass

[Scott1301599761]

where do the bass go after they spawn? do they still hang out in the weads or do they go deep. (i have a boat with no electronics)

[gamblerOH]

mostly bankrunners(small) will stay shallow and the bigger fish will move to deeper water. That dont mean they cant be caught shallow, just that the majority of bigger fish will be deep this time of year. A guy in our club always weighs in a good bag of fish and he says if his rod dont touch the bottom its too deep ??? so I guess that proves they can be caught shallow even when its hot and bright.

[Max-in-Mn]

Yea I know how it is with no electronics, not so easy to find deep structure. But if the lake you fish has slop and or docks, you can still catch big summer bass. Or maybe you have some visible reed beds, those usually droff-off on the edges. And if you have all 3 of those structures I'd say hit the slop and docks during mid-day bright sun, and than hit the reed beds at low light.

[DDbasser]

I've been catching a lot of smaller fish in 3 to 4 ft of water in the weeds and lilypads.

Most of these fish are 14 to 16", occasionally we'll get one around 3lbs.

Fishing deep water is my weakness!! I've got to start learning how to fish it though.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

ddbasser- I was always a "topwater" fisherman.  I would fish plastics or a rapala if that wasn't working but it led me to also shy from the deep water.

I was forced by my partner a few yrs ago to use a jig all day, nothing else.  I've been a believer ever since!

Jig is a great way to break into that deep water.  Give it a try, good luck

[Jason]

Hi guys. So in everyone's opinion what exactly constitutes deep water? Does is very from hole to hole? Is it above or below the thermocline? Is 10 feet deep at 6:30 AM but shallow at 1:00PM?  

[roadwarrior]

I fish soft plastics weightless in water <12', anything deeper is deep and I generally fish tubes, Kreatures and Kut-Tail T-rigged "deep".

[7Lbass]

After the spawn the biggest females in a system will move to deeper holes...Yet some will remain in relativly shallow water....I agree with Max that docks and slop are key spots for shallow hot weather bass..Along with lay down trees that go from shallow to deep....

I have a private lake that is loaded with big fish(for illinois) and last weekend I could catch 2 to 3 lbr's in 1-6 ft of water on a slow rolled Buzzbait....After the buzzbait died I went to the steepest drop in the lake a place where the creek channel is butted up against the bank, and threw a 1/2 ounce black Jig with a black pro chunk and was able to get bigger fish by working the jig out to 20ft or so...The biggest was 6-4 and it was roughley 17' deep on a stump....

Deep to some may not be deep to others...I have an 18' boat and when I look from one end of it to the other 18' doesn't seem that far...So to me when I start reaching the 30' ft depth I feel that is deep.....I have learned to back off and fish deeper and it has payed big in many ways....