Finding Structure?

[Catt]

Ok I've got the map out now what do I to look for?

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 Honey Hole.

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 Honey 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 points of these ridges!

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 fish. In winter months fish these areas with jigging baits!  

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 where a sharp drop off occurs on each side of the roadbed. Ideal spots are where two roads intersect or where the road makes a noticeable turn.

[Brian_Reeves]

Stop telling people about submerged bridges!!!!

Great post though.  I might add that knowing how to pull a 8 or 10 digit grid from a map then plug it into your GPS will save you a ton of time.  Wandering around looking at a depthfinder or graph can be time consuming, but can pay off.  You really need both to get on the structure each time, every time.  A GPS will get you to a good looking area and a depthfinder will help you define it by locating cover or structure that can't be found on a map.

[Wesley]

Good info catt, now I can find the structure!  Just have to learn to fish it

[roadwarrior]

Hey Catt!

Great read.

8-)

[fishfordollars]

Great read as always Catt. I probably spend more time map studying than I do fishing. It is not uncommon for me to pick an area, copy it up to 20 times, and retrace the contour lines(Each time I do this I seem to locate something I have overlooked). I am now in the process of using Navionics Explorer and several other search engines to preplan a route before I arrive at the lake. Also calls to agencies that can give me the dam activities as well as lake levels, water color, etc. Of course this can be wiped out overnight due to weather issues, but it still gives me a great head start.

[senile1]

Excellent post, Catt, and it bears repeating.  Locating fish-holding structure is the key activity to putting fish in the boat on a regular basis.

[Bankbeater]

Thanks for the post.

[fisherdave]

Great post catt. Let me ask you this how do you locate a roadbed if you just have a fish/depth finder?

FisherDave

[Glenn]

Fisherdave - first set your depthfinder to double the depth.  Meaning, if it's 20', set it to at least 40'.  Now watch the area UNDER the 20' mark as you criss cross the area where you think the roadbed is.  Note there's not much under the 20' mark.  However, when you go over the roadbed, you'll see another contour line at the 40' mark.  That's the roadbed.

No, it's not at 40', that's a "double echo".  When you go over a hard bottom, that's what you'll see.

This is also a great technique for finding rock piles, rock ledges, etc.

[Jeff H]

It's a little different for us up here in the north.  We don't have submerged bridges, creek and river channels, or road beds in our natural lakes.  On top of that, the topo maps are generally not real accurate.  You better be real good at reading your "locator" to find some of the best spots on these lakes.  If you don't have one, playing in the "twilight zone" is pretty much out of the question.

[Hooked_On_Bass]

It's a little different for us up here in the north. We don't have submerged bridges, creek and river channels, or road beds in our natural lakes. On top of that, the topo maps are generally not real accurate. You better be real good at reading your "locator" to find some of the best spots on these lakes. If you don't have one, playing in the "twilight zone" is pretty much out of the question.

I was just thinking that about our lakes up here as well.

[fisherdave]

Thanks Glenn.

FisherDave

[Team9nine]

Good read, but I have to side with Jeff H.'s thoughts on this one, regardless of whether we're talking reservoirs or natural lakes. For the most part I believe maps and map reading are way over rated, the exception being some of the new super-detailed (micro contours) maps being put out. They can get you a good overview of the layout of a lake and point you in the right direction seasonal pattern wise, but if it shows up on a map then everybody else can see it also, meaning whatever you find is potentially a community hole. Much of the really good stuff is either between contour lines or doesn't show up on maps (isolated cover).

-T9  

[fishfordollars]

Good read, but I have to side with Jeff H.'s thoughts on this one, regardless of whether we're talking reservoirs or natural lakes. For the most part I believe maps and map reading are way over rated, the exception being some of the new super-detailed (micro contours) maps being put out. They can get you a good overview of the layout of a lake and point you in the right direction seasonal pattern wise, but if it shows up on a map then everybody else can see it also, meaning whatever you find is potentially a community hole. Much of the really good stuff is either between contour lines or doesn't show up on maps (isolated cover).

-T9

I'm going to have to disagree on this one. Maps allow you to get a general lay of the land if you will and help with starting points for reference. you can certainly learn a lake wothout one; however, when you can sit down and pick out points for reference(ditches, drains, creeks, humps,  navagation bouys,etc., it cuts the learning curve way down, as well as making it safer. I generally learn more in an hour with a good map than eight hrs on the water without it. Perfect example. I fished the TABC Texas state championship last September on Lake Falcon in southtexas. Never seen the lake. Spent well over 20 hours map studying before we took the seven hour drive to the lake. Had over a dozen spots I wanted to check when we arrived Wednesday for two prefishing days. The first three we went fishless. Caught a 3 and a 5 off the fourth spot. Next spot caught a 6. Next several were nothing special. About 3:30 I checked a spot that was a long point covered with brush running out several hundred yards with 20-30 ft water on one side. Fished it for a few minutes and never got bit. Put the rods down and started looking it over. Found two drains on the back side running up into the brush where you would never expect. The next dayof practice(Friday) I ran the 12 miles to the point to see about the early bite. Third cast off the end of the point caught a 10.4 on a swim bait. Went around the point to the drains and caught a 5 out of one and a 5 out of the other. This is in the first 20 minutes. Left and fished another spot that I had not checked tyhe day before and in six cast caught a 5 and a 7  on a series 6 crankbait.

Saturday morning(first tournament day) ran to the long point but it had three boats on it went around the side to the two drains and never left there until time for weighin. Five fish that weighed 24.89. Day two went back and had another 20+ sack. This spot was 12 miles from the launch. I never would have been down lake that far without the map study. I'm sure your plan is fine; however, I will not go fishing without map study, and infact I probably spend as much or more studying Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend, both lakes that I have won a ton of money on. I am not confident without my map study. Sorry for the long post, just something I strongly believe in.

[Wesley]

I probably spend as much or more studying Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend, both lakes that I have won a ton of money on. I am not confident without my map study.

Now tell us your spots on Rayburn and Toledo so I can verify you do good homework

[Catt]

First off for reservoirs you can acquire Topographical maps from before the lake was flooded that show more detail than any on the market today. I have Topographical maps for Toledo Bend from the 1950s that show 3' contour line and I promise you I can find prime spots that most people will never find. Then you would be surprised how many anglers can not properly read a Topographical map and there are many anglers that can read one but can't locate the structure once they get on the lake.

I was taught at a very early age how to plot a course in the Gulf of Mexico using just a map and compass; so I can take what I find on a Topo map and give you the GPS coordinates.

That my friends is map reading  

[CJ]

And now thanks to Navionics, gps coordinates are at the push of a button.

Maps can only help you. Knowing what to look for is the important part.

[srv1990]

First off for reservoirs you can acquire Topographical maps from before the lake was flooded that show more detail than any on the market today.

Catt, just curious, where would one find a topographic map, and specifically for the reservoirs here in Missouri?

Thanks!