Suspended fish -- frustrating!

[MrWrinkle]

Advice needed. My local reservoir has a submerged road and bridge. When I fish around it, my electronics show about 18-20ft in the surrounding area, about 11-15ft over the bridge, and a very abrupt drop-off to 32-36ft immediately either side of the bridge (I guess that's creek bed). I see quite a few fish above the bridge but most of the fish seem to hold at about 15-17ft directly above the deep (32-36ft) water, just off to one side of the bridge. They're packed very tightly at that depth range -- I don't see them any deeper than that.

So, two questions for the experts:

1) Why are they all holding at that one level?

2) How can I catch them (assuming bass are among them)? I've tried jigs, swimbaits, dropshot, wacky rig, cranks... I can't seem to catch any of those "hovering" fish.

I guess it's possible they're all just shad, crappie, etc, but surely there would be some bass nearby? It's an all-you-can-eat fish buffet down there!

[Wayne P.]

1. Thermocline

2. Try crappie jigs or small minnows.  If they are shad forget it.

3. The bass don't know they are there, the bass are not hungry, or the fish are not on the bass's   

    diet.

Something like this example?

[MrWrinkle]

Thanks for the reply! Yep, that pic pretty much sums it up perfectly!

Good idea -- I'll take my ultra-light next week and see if I can catch one of whatever the fish are. Maybe that'll tell me something. The bass must know they're there because I'm getting a lot off the road itself, not far from the bridge. I just can't pull them off the bridge structure. But perhaps I'm being distracted by fish that just aren't my target species.

[bassinbob54]

Those suspended fish may not even be bass and even if they are its very difficult to catch them.

[Hook Set]

Have you tried a spoon?

Simple but can be VERY effective, local guy here has won a ton of money using spoons on suspended fish.

[5bass]

Yep. Spoon.

[Catt]

[jdw174]

I agree with a spoon or perhaps a blade bait like the Silver Buddy.  In looking at your photo, the two masses on the left look to me like baitfish.  The one to the right next to the bridge looks like it may have some larger fish in it.

[Vinny Chase]

You should turn your fish indicator off....Most of the time the icons do not equal fish, in fact they could be anything.

With that being said the structure looks like it could hold some big ones. What to use? Well that takes an elimination process

[MrWrinkle]

Thanks for all the replies!  I don't own a single spoon -- looks like an oversight on my part.  They've never grabbed my attention.  I'll pick up a couple and give them a go. 

[Bass Fisher55]

Like Wayne P. says, if all fails try live bait such as minnows.  If you don't catch anything then, they could be carp or other fish that don't eat minnow type bait. 

I would try deep diving crankbaits and if you can, try trolling them.

[Flipsk828]

When you get to the launch. look for baitfish in the shallows. if there up there the bass will be too. If they arent then those fish you are marking are both bass and panfish. I would throw a Blue Chrome Rattle Trap or a Red Eye Shad.