Fishing Deep

[Crazykidd]

I was out at a lake this week the water was stained and 91 degrees. I was fishing 15 feet and still struggling to get a bite. As I was putting my boat up I watched a local tournament weigh in. I saw several people weighing in some Hawgs. I talked to them and they said they caught them deep, around 25 to 30 feet, off of ledges
1) My question is what do you use to fish that deep? (Drop shot is out of the picture to much timber.)
2) Do you fish dropping bait off the ledge or do you bring the bait up the ledge?

[JB]

You could always throw a big ratLtrap and let it sink to that depth, or C-rig to that depth, however you need a graph to locate where the fish are at any given day...last weekend we found fish over 12-15 feet, but they were suspended at about 5-7 feet, so our crankbaits and jerkbaits worked just fine for that depth...it changes every day or so.

[ironman]

Where do you get a graph that say's where they are everyday??

[mack]

i like carolina rigs with paddle tail worms and jigs with a big profile...

[zooker]

nope crank baits thrown along the ledge work both sides and work the bait out 3-10 feet from the drop bass will stack up and suspend. if the ledge is in a currant area fish the bait with the currant they rarely take a bait being fish against the currant..


zooker

[Rebbasser]

Originally Posted by ironman

Where do you get a graph that say's where they are everyday??

There ain't no such animal. The graph will find the structure, but it is trial and error to find how the fish are relating to it.

To answer the original question-T-rig, C-rig, Jig-n-pig-something that will get that deep.

What lake were you fishing?

[Fish2win]

Depths of 25 to 30 foot are a dailey summertime fact in the highland lakes in East Tennessee. Last weekend I caught Smallies and spots at that depth between 12:00 and 2:00 AM. We use Texas rigged plastics. pig and jig combos or short arm single spin drop style spinnerbaits. I usually use a 1/4 to 5/8 oz weight. If you fish a 20 foot pro style bass boat look at it like this,. 25 feet is barely deeper than your boat is long. Dont let that depth scare you. Just learn to read your graph and have faith. In the winter time at that depth. We use Silver Buddy's. Jigs or Little Georges. Occasionally we will get a jigging spoon bite. These lakes get a summer thermocline and the fish often stack up just above that depth of the thermocline. In the winter the temps are basically the same from the surface to 50 feet and so is the Oxygen. The only shallow fishing we really have is Spring and Fall. Sure there are always a few guys beating the banks during the summer . They are ctaching there weight in slicks not toads.Most of the lakes here at full pool are more than 200 feet deep in many places. Fish2win

[Vabass22]

Jnps, ratltraps, senkos, c rigs, t rigs, crankbaits, spoons, spinnerbaits. You getbthe point, anything that will sink, and work it up the ledge, if the fish don't like that, work it down the ledge, then next try working parallel the ledge.

[Rodman_Rob]

Originally Posted by ironman

Where do you get a graph that say's where they are everyday??

get a fish finder. they make life easy, show you the bait fish, big fish, small fish, and the depths they're at. of course real fishermen don't rely on fancy electronics.

[ironman]

I already have one, so do you just drive around and stair at your fish finder till you find a good spot?

[Christopherkeene9]

yep!! .

[ironman]

sound's good, .

[Crazykidd]

I was fishing Choke Canyon, here in Texas. I was using my depth finder. I found a ledge it looked like it was holding fish. I used Black blue jig, watermelon red brush hog, red shad ribbon tail, 1oz fire tiger spinner bait. I fished the ledge for about 2 hours no bites so I moved on to the weed lines that were sitting in about 8ft of water to catch my blistering 15lbs. I've tried fishing ledges before I'm almost to the point where I'm going to give up fishing the deep.

[Plugger]

Fish finders will not catch fish, only fishing knowledge of how and where to find them. The structure is the key. Don't worry about looking for fish. If there's no structure theres no fish. You should buy this book:
http://www.buckperry.com/product_inf...oducts_id=1232
It will give you everything you need. Most guys don't want to spend $20 on a book that could change their fishing life. Yet they don't mind paying $10-$15 for a crankbait. Then they get mad when the crank don't catch fish. Successful fishing doesn't come in a fancy packaged box. It comes through knowledge. It's like anything else you do in life. If you want to become better, if you want to catch more fish you are going to have to put forth some study. PERIOD!

[bassbooger]

Originally Posted by Plugger

It will give you everything you need. Most guys don't want to spend $20 on a book that could change their fishing life. Yet they don't mind paying $10-$15 for a crankbait. Then they get mad when the crank don't catch fish. Successful fishing doesn't come in a fancy packaged box. It comes through knowledge. It's like anything else you do in life. If you want to become better, if you want to catch more fish you are going to have to put forth some study. PERIOD!

Isn't that the truth. You know how many 1.00 spinner baits and buzzbaits I have in my tacklebox that has outfished the 5.00 ones? I have loaded up on them. Seems like everytime I go where I get them from they have different designs to choose from.

[Crazykidd]

I'm going to get it. I just need to learn how to fish ledges I have a tournament in 2 weeks and the fish are so deep it's crazy. The shallow ones are not biting.

[Rebbasser]

Crazy, last time I fished Choke the biggest fish came deep on a C-rig. Have you got a GPS unit? If so I'll see if I can't find you some coordinates for some ledges.

[Vabass22]

Great post plug!

[zooker]

Originally Posted by Plugger

Fish finders will not catch fish, only fishing knowledge of how and where to find them. The structure is the key. Don't worry about looking for fish. If there's no structure theres no fish. You should buy this book:
http://www.buckperry.com/product_inf...oducts_id=1232
It will give you everything you need. Most guys don't want to spend $20 on a book that could change their fishing life. Yet they don't mind paying $10-$15 for a crankbait. Then they get mad when the crank don't catch fish. Successful fishing doesn't come in a fancy packaged box. It comes through knowledge. It's like anything else you do in life. If you want to become better, if you want to catch more fish you are going to have to put forth some study. PERIOD!

wow this has got to be the best post i have seen in a year.. dead on pluggin

zooker

[JB]

i read that years ago, its great

[flbassman]

Originally Posted by ironman

Where do you get a graph that say's where they are everyday??

same place you get a whiz bang....

[JB]

I think you have to subscribe to "Where they at Today" weekly publication, try a google search for a area near you..hope that helps

[Plugger]

Originally Posted by Crazykidd

I'm going to get it. I just need to learn how to fish ledges I have a tournament in 2 weeks and the fish are so deep it's crazy. The shallow ones are not biting.

Don't expect to slay 'em the first time out. When you don't slay 'em don't throw out the book and say "This don't work for me". It's going to take more than one trip out. However, you will be able to eliminate a lot of non productive water on the first trip. When you read the book, successful fishing is determined in terms of DEPTH & SPEED. If you can't control either one you simply won't catch fish. When you read the book you will understand what I'm talking about.

Good luck at the Tourney. Let me know if you have any questions.

Plugger

[Crazykidd]

I've only been bass fishing for 2 1/2 years. I've fully jumped into the sport. Now I'm hooked and poor I do rather well in all season except summer. When the water warms up my game goes down hill. I've went to this lake at least 20 times and everytime i try to fish deep ledges, but no luck.

[Plugger]

Originally Posted by Crazykidd

Now I'm hooked and poor I do rather well in all season except summer.

A Spoonpluggers favorite time of year is the summer. There's nothing more that I love than to have skiers and runnabouts all around me while I'm putting fish in the boat. It doesn't bother me a bit unless they run over my lines. Think about it, the weather and water situations are more stable in the summer. Just check the weather. It's almost the same every day. Once you find the fish in the summer it's almost guaranteed that you will find them again in the same place (deep water) the next day.

Plugger