Deep already?

[grid]

Location: Central Indiana

Temp: Ave 75

Sky: Sunny/Part.

Water temp: 70 at top

Fishing my local old gravel pit running fish finder all over.  I noticed that the edge drops off very quickly to ave 20-25 ft deep.  Most of lake is at that depth.  Summer days I can catch bass dropping off the ledge with a texas rig, senko, crank, lipless.  As I trolled I could not pick up any fish on the fish finder untill I found the deepest spot on the lake.  Went from 20-25 to 33 ft.  There were fish holding about 24 ft down.  There were no structure that I could feel texas riggin.  Water is very clear.  Rigged up a shaky head and the bass started to tear it up!  Why so deep already?  Been out again and seems they are still holding in that deep spot.  This time had no luck catching.  Maybe need to try a drop shot?  Get my worm up higher?

[Matt 825]

My guess is that they were deep and relating to baitfish instead of structure.  Water temp up here is in the mid to high 50's now, but a few weeks ago when it was in the high 60's I was catching some largemouth as deep as 35 ft on bare bottom but in giant schools of baitfish.  I would throw a drop shot in the conditions you described and if that didnt work then I would try a jigging spoon.  

[Wayne P.]

Maybe you should also try a weightless soft plastic bait and have the patience to let it fall all the way to the bottom. It may not make it that far. A Senko, Super Fluke, or Zoom Trick or Finesse worm would be my choices.

[Raul]

Why weightless ? it 's gonna take kinda like forever to sink, better yet, a weighted hook ( 1/32 -1/16 oz ) and let it the bait sink till it hits the 25 ft mark which is gonna happen a lot faster than letting it sink without a weight.

[WRB]

The difference between 20 and 30 feet when the surface water is 70 degrees is nil, unless a thermocline had developed. My guess is you had some wind, frontal conditions and the bass moved to the deeper water, sensing a seasonal change. In small pit lake environment, the bass will move around a lot, so they could be in 10 feet of water the next morning.

In clear water you may need to back off 50 feet and cast to them, so they are not spooked. They could also be inactive at the time you are trying to catch them, go back in a few hours.

WRB

[Wayne P.]

Raul, taking "forever" is the whole point of suggesting weightless. If the fish are not on the bottom, the longer the bait is at the level the fish are, the more likely they will notice it and may try to eat it. The hook and line are enough weight to get a S-L-O-W fall. I use that presentation most of the time and the fish seem to like it. Baits with salt content sink faster than those without, hince the bait suggestions.

[flipinstick88]

If I were fishing this situation I would throw a drop shot or a football jig, both can be fished slowly for inactive fish.

[senko_77]

I don't think there that deep because they thinks it's winter. They are mostly likely in that depth range because that's where the food is. You catch them on structure in Summer and Winter because they relate to structure more that time of year, but in the Fall, it's all about the bait. Find the bait, find the bass. Stick with the jighead because you caught some on it, but when they stop hitting that, try dropping a jigging spoon right on there heads and snap it a few times. They won't be able to resist it.

Good luck!

[Big-O]

I don't think there that deep because they thinks it's winter.  They are mostly likely in that depth range because that's where the food is.  You catch them on structure in Summer and Winter because they relate to structure more that time of year, but in the Fall, it's all about the bait.  Find the bait, find the bass.  Stick with the jighead because you caught some on it, but when they stop hitting that, try dropping a jigging spoon right on there heads and snap it a few times.  They won't be able to resist it.

Good luck!

Agree, find the food and find the fish.....they are hungry right now and feeding up for fat stores.

Big O

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