Dam deep water

InEccess · 10-07-07, 08:21 PM

I got skunked today at the club tournament, as did my boater (I'm the co-angler), but I'm hellbent on growing from my mistakes instead of pushing the blame on other aspects of my day. This is the first time I've ever fished DEEP water. I've fished Lake Erie, not just the bay, but it didn't even come close to the depth we fished today.

80 feet of water, and the depth finder was making HUGE schools of fish in 60 feet of water. Besides tying a dropshot 20' above the sinker, what else could I do to improve my chances of catching fish. As I said, I'm the co-angler and I'm at the mercy of where my boater fishes, so I'm forced to become a well-rounded angler even before I get my own boat.

Any suggestions?

carolina-rig-01 · 10-07-07, 10:05 PM

well first off you wouldn't have to tie you dropshot hook 20' above your weight, a 2 or 3 foot leader would be fine and let out enough line to suspend it at the right depth. another thing you could have done is use a jigging spoon. spoons and dropshots are deadly here on tablerock in water well over 100'.

Rebbasser · 10-07-07, 11:57 PM

Try a jigging spoon. It will get deep enough, and if they are feeding that spoon dropping through them could trigger a strike.

I water that deep, though are you sure they were bass? Never fished up there so I'm just speculating, but with my limited knowlege of that area could they have been lake trout or something else?

InEccess · 10-08-07, 12:22 AM

I heard through BassinBob that a friend of his was doing repair work on the dam and saw bass 50' down. My boater DID hook a bass from the school, so I know SOME of them were bass. The fish did break off when it shot up on the opposite side of the boat, but not before he jumped and I saw him. I don't have the heart to tell him that the fish he broke off would've won the lunker pool.

JB · 10-08-07, 05:48 AM

Actually for this time of the year in the northeast I would believe most fish would be coming up shallow adjacent to any creek channel, at least they are in ohio. You could try a silver buddy blade bait it you fish deep like that, a jigging spoon, a C rig, or a big grub, or a big rattle trap...all of the above will sink to any desired depth.
I would have ignored that depth for fall fishing, bass tend to seek the shallows
and creeks this time of year chasing bait fish, regardless of what you saw on the graph.
I've been in plenty of tourney's in mid summer where guys caught deep fish off points with a rattletrap.

Rebbasser · 10-08-07, 06:25 PM

Shows you what I know

.

BigBassin144 · 10-08-07, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InEccess

I got skunked today at the club tournament, as did my boater (I'm the co-angler), but I'm hellbent on growing from my mistakes instead of pushing the blame on other aspects of my day. This is the first time I've ever fished DEEP water. I've fished Lake Erie, not just the bay, but it didn't even come close to the depth we fished today.

80 feet of water, and the depth finder was making HUGE schools of fish in 60 feet of water. Besides tying a dropshot 20' above the sinker, what else could I do to improve my chances of catching fish. As I said, I'm the co-angler and I'm at the mercy of where my boater fishes, so I'm forced to become a well-rounded angler even before I get my own boat.

Any suggestions?

Lake Erie is not a good exapmple of a deep lake. I Myself have never fished anything deeper than Erie, but it really isn't that deep. Better luck next time!

pig n jig · 10-19-07, 06:55 PM

JB put you on the right track. The reason the fish were so deep was because of the thermocline.They hold in, or just below the thermocline.Chances are they were alot of non bass species in the group, luckily your boat was able to connect with a bass.I troll with downriggers alot looking for the very same thing you found.I do catch alot of smallmouths, but the majority of those fish , are salmon, or Mackinaw trout.Next time you find yourself in this situation, tie on a jigging spoon. I prefer Manns brand, or swedish pimple brand and you want to be just above the ball of baitfish.In all of my experience, nearly all strikes came when the lure was just above the baitfish cloud, not in it, or below it.Most importantly, hang on your rod when jigging, the strike will be very violent, practically taking the rod out of your hands before you can react quick enough.

Your chances would have been better fishing shallower water for a limit of bass.

3dkicker · 10-26-07, 05:39 PM

Sliver buddy (or some similar baits since they aren't made any more) on braided line with a leader. Once the fish is hooked wind very quickly and swing the fish into the boat. A 6.3 or new 7.1 reel is needed. The faster you can pick up line the better.

Smith Mt. lake in SW VA is a great example for fishing this technique. You can be in over 100' of water just one cast away from the shoreline.

zooker · 10-27-07, 05:58 AM

in my honest opinion both of you need to learn to read your graphs better.. always key in on bait fish balls NOT schools of big fish.
suspended schoolin fish are nearly imposable to catch-i would have used a rattle trap by the way-

as jb said the more activly feeding fish would be shallow. deep is good if your in the extreme water temp ends-very cold or very hot- but not very good in between them two..

finding a bait fish ball in 10 feet of water near struture will ALWAYS result in fish caught...

zooker

10-07-07, 08:21 PM	#1
InEccess BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: East of Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 227	Dam deep water I got skunked today at the club tournament, as did my boater (I'm the co-angler), but I'm hellbent on growing from my mistakes instead of pushing the blame on other aspects of my day. This is the first time I've ever fished DEEP water. I've fished Lake Erie, not just the bay, but it didn't even come close to the depth we fished today. 80 feet of water, and the depth finder was making HUGE schools of fish in 60 feet of water. Besides tying a dropshot 20' above the sinker, what else could I do to improve my chances of catching fish. As I said, I'm the co-angler and I'm at the mercy of where my boater fishes, so I'm forced to become a well-rounded angler even before I get my own boat. Any suggestions? __________________ Bass Club '07 season Rookie of the Year runner up. '08 seasons Runner Up. Second overall.

10-07-07, 10:05 PM	#2
carolina-rig-01 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Webb City, MO Posts: 6,387	well first off you wouldn't have to tie you dropshot hook 20' above your weight, a 2 or 3 foot leader would be fine and let out enough line to suspend it at the right depth. another thing you could have done is use a jigging spoon. spoons and dropshots are deadly here on tablerock in water well over 100'. __________________ You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.

10-07-07, 11:57 PM	#3
Rebbasser BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10,141	Try a jigging spoon. It will get deep enough, and if they are feeding that spoon dropping through them could trigger a strike. I water that deep, though are you sure they were bass? Never fished up there so I'm just speculating, but with my limited knowlege of that area could they have been lake trout or something else? __________________ It's happened to the best of them: John 21:3

10-08-07, 12:22 AM	#4
InEccess BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: East of Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 227	I heard through BassinBob that a friend of his was doing repair work on the dam and saw bass 50' down. My boater DID hook a bass from the school, so I know SOME of them were bass. The fish did break off when it shot up on the opposite side of the boat, but not before he jumped and I saw him. I don't have the heart to tell him that the fish he broke off would've won the lunker pool. __________________ Bass Club '07 season Rookie of the Year runner up. '08 seasons Runner Up. Second overall.

10-08-07, 06:25 PM	#6
Rebbasser BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 10,141	Shows you what I know. __________________ It's happened to the best of them: John 21:3

10-08-07, 05:48 AM	#5
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	Actually for this time of the year in the northeast I would believe most fish would be coming up shallow adjacent to any creek channel, at least they are in ohio. You could try a silver buddy blade bait it you fish deep like that, a jigging spoon, a C rig, or a big grub, or a big rattle trap...all of the above will sink to any desired depth. I would have ignored that depth for fall fishing, bass tend to seek the shallows and creeks this time of year chasing bait fish, regardless of what you saw on the graph. I've been in plenty of tourney's in mid summer where guys caught deep fish off points with a rattletrap.

10-19-07, 06:55 PM	#8
pig n jig BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Avoca, NY Posts: 3,508	JB put you on the right track. The reason the fish were so deep was because of the thermocline.They hold in, or just below the thermocline.Chances are they were alot of non bass species in the group, luckily your boat was able to connect with a bass.I troll with downriggers alot looking for the very same thing you found.I do catch alot of smallmouths, but the majority of those fish , are salmon, or Mackinaw trout.Next time you find yourself in this situation, tie on a jigging spoon. I prefer Manns brand, or swedish pimple brand and you want to be just above the ball of baitfish.In all of my experience, nearly all strikes came when the lure was just above the baitfish cloud, not in it, or below it.Most importantly, hang on your rod when jigging, the strike will be very violent, practically taking the rod out of your hands before you can react quick enough. Your chances would have been better fishing shallower water for a limit of bass.

10-26-07, 05:39 PM	#9
3dkicker BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Spotsylvania, VA Posts: 4,483	Sliver buddy (or some similar baits since they aren't made any more) on braided line with a leader. Once the fish is hooked wind very quickly and swing the fish into the boat. A 6.3 or new 7.1 reel is needed. The faster you can pick up line the better. Smith Mt. lake in SW VA is a great example for fishing this technique. You can be in over 100' of water just one cast away from the shoreline. __________________ Smitty www.smittystubes.com

10-27-07, 05:58 AM	#10
zooker BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: denton nc Posts: 13,441	in my honest opinion both of you need to learn to read your graphs better.. always key in on bait fish balls NOT schools of big fish. suspended schoolin fish are nearly imposable to catch-i would have used a rattle trap by the way- as jb said the more activly feeding fish would be shallow. deep is good if your in the extreme water temp ends-very cold or very hot- but not very good in between them two.. finding a bait fish ball in 10 feet of water near struture will ALWAYS result in fish caught... zooker __________________ the godfather.. aml in remission since 7-20-09

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