Summer time and big water?

[kruck88]

Ok for starters I am new here but not new to LMB fishing. I just recently bought my first bass boat and I am finding out very quickly that fishing big water is a pain during the summer. I have a lake contour map and decent though not great fish finders. The lake consist of a dammed river that flooded low lying areas to creat the lake (Jordan Lake NC). The summers here are hot and the water is currently about 83 degrees. I am having mild success catching bass early in the morning on grass lines next to deep water (8') and up the river channel in the shallows next to rocks. I have caught one fish out of standing timber. I am not a fan of fishing these areas because I don't have the extra money to perform major repairs to my boat should I get shoved into a submerged tree by a wake. The problem is that the fish I am catching are not keeper size. Granted I don't plan on keeping them but I am trying to fish like I would in a tournement.

With all that said I need some tips for picking out areas on a map that should hold bigger fish. I know this time of year that the larger fish will be holding in deeper water. I am not familure enough with the lake to know where underwater stump fields are but can interprit topography map decently. So what kind of features should I be targetting this time of year that can be seen from a map? Should I stick to the river system or move out to the main lake? I know of a few fast dropping ledges, how should I approach fishing them. They don't seem to have any cover on them, just flat steep drops.

Thanks for the help!