Deep Water Strategies

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Deep Water Strategies

There are times when bass abandon their shallow water hide-outs and seek the comfort and shelter found in deep water. Anglers who are determined to remain successful throughout the season must abandon those shallow water tactics used in the spring and fall and switch to techniques that will take bass holding in deep water.

During early spring, anglers can expect to find largemouth and smallmouth bass cruising shallow water flats in search of suitable habitat for spawning. Not only are these fish easy to pattern, but because of the shallow depths of water in which they're holding, locating them and presenting a lure to their nest is a rather simple task. Nature instills an instinct to protect their eggs and thus makes the bass vulnerable to anglers presenting any one of several baits within the vicinity of the nest.

Fall finds the bass once again targeting shallow water areas, this time in search of baitfish. As a lake's surface temperature drops in the fall, layers of water above the thermocline are mixed are mixed and cool until they match the temperature of the thermocline. During this period, phytoplankton begin to congregate in bays and other areas of shallow water, as do the small fish that feed on them. And as the baitfish go, so go the larger game fish. Standard stick baits such as Rapalas, Thundersticks and Rattlin' Rogues become the bread and butter lures for fall bass anglers. Again, locating and catching these fish can be fairly simple. They've abandoned their holding areas in deep water to prepare for winter by gorging themselves on the baitfish that are in the shallows.

Although the seasons of spring and fall bring plenty of action to bass anglers, avid anglers must rely on techniques that allow them to put fish in the boat during the summer months as well. This is the time when the vast majority of largemouths and smallmouths aren't in the shallows. In fact, during much of the summer, most large, mature bass can be located along deep points or submerged river channels or holding within deep water structure.

Deep structure can be the most consistent place to fish during the hottest times of the year. These fish will be the least molested bass of all and are out in deep water where the temperature is probably the most comfortable. Success, however, is not automatic. Unfortunately, when bass are deep, those anglers who have become accustomed to catching them in shallow water may now have a tough time locating them. That doesn't have to be the case, however. By pinpointing key structures that attract and hold deep bass, then presenting lures and baits correctly, anglers can successfully fool fish in their deep water sanctuaries into striking as easily as they can in shallow water.

Deep weed edges are prime locations for bass waiting in ambush for the schools of baitfish found skirting these edges throughout the summer. Points and areas where weeds form pockets are especially good bass holding areas. Although presentations of weedless spoons, spinnerbaits and Texas rigged plastic worms are often preferred by anglers in these locations, such lures can't provide and angler with the important deep water information that a jig-n-pig can. Naturally, jigs with exposed hooks will foul up in weeds, but that is precisely why it is of great value to anglers seeking deep rooted weed bass. Using these jigs, astute anglers learn to map deep edge contours of vegetation and discover productive bass hangouts. Learning to pinpoint distinct breaks between thick weeds and open water can give anglers a definite advantage over those who simply cast blindly over a location.

With large schools of mature bass often found along these deep edges, anglers will want to present their jig in a manner that allows it to spend the greatest amount of time in the strike zone. Thus, casts made parallel to the edges are the most productive. When a typical stand up style jig hangs in the weeds, a sharp snap of the rod tip frequently jerks it free. It's best when a 6 1/2 to 7 foot heavy fast action rod is used in these circumstances. The stiff action in the rod's tip is quick to snap the jig clear of any weeds that may cling to it and hang up. Short, quick jerks should be attempted at first and gradually increased until the jig falls free. Often, this quick darting of the lure from the weeds will trigger bass into striking. An exposed hook also increases the number of hooked fish per hit when compared to using baits, such as a weedless Texas rigged plastic worm.