Greetings,

 

Ok, I need some pro advice here. I am learning how to bass fish from an boat. I started last year, and have really been learning what to throw, in a given water temp, and water color. However, I do not understand how to locate the bass in a lake. Let me explain.

I went fishing in Lake Adger NC this weekend. I have been studying bass seasonal patterns. When I arrived at the lake, the water temp was 77 deg, and water was stained. According to everything I have been reading, the bass should be in the last stage of post spawn, or in the summer pattern. So according to the info iv been reading, I should be fishing main points in the body of the lake, and main lake humps, drop-offs, etc...

 

I tried to fish two points, and didn't catch any bass. I did find one point that had some bass, but they were only 3-4 inchs long, yet they were hitting my crankbait I was throwing.

 

So what should I have done different? Should I been looking for bait balls, on my depth finder? I have the 598 si, side image. I just don't understand exactly what I should be looking for.

 

Could someone explain how this should been done? walk me though it, in laymans terms? I know Im missing something simple to do. What do you pros do before throwing the first cast. How do you guys find what bait fish is in a lake, if you never fished it before. How do you find the fish? Iv read about search baits, is it for searching for cover, or the fish itself?

 

Thanks in advanced.

Daryl

I'm not a pro by any means but me personally with the info you've given i would be fishing secondary points, docks, vegetation, or any kind wood cover. With the water temp being 77 degrees you should have bass still guarding fry which will be around docks or any kind of cover. Bream should be on bed or almost done spawning and bait fish as well which make great hangout places for bass because of an easy meal. This time off the year I do really good with a weightless magnum finesse trick worm and fish it slow and it's a really good bait for skipping docks. And me personally I don't hit the main points and drop offs till the water hits 85 degrees. I hope this info helps and good luck.

Bgraham91,

 

Thanks for the info, by secondary points, i am assuming you are saying the points, in coves, not the main lake? Your response is great, yet typical, as how do i know they are on the secondary points? I might be reading into this to much. But I want to find bass. lol I always just go to the lake and sling to the banks and usually catch a lone bass swimming. I want to know, how to find the school, and catch 4-5 of those suckers. lol

 

I was using a chart/black back kvd 1.5, those little fish was hitting that thing. I am guessing the point where the little fish were, was a bed of hatchlings from early spawners?

 

Your information of the brim spawing makes great sense. However, I seen no sign of this on the lake. As I was hung a few times in the trees. I did not see any form of spawning of any kind on the banks. I did see some very small minnows or bass fry at one locations, but my deph finder showed nothing around.

You might want to get copy of a book entitled, "Spoonplugging" by Elwood "Buck" Perry. He is/was the "father of structure fishing" as we know it and is world renowned for his contributions to our sport. You will learn about what structure really is and how bass relate to it and react under various conditions. This is bass fishing 101 and should be read by many more anglers, in my opinion.

That's, ill give this book a reading. Does it show you how to locate the bass in a lake? Iv read several books the latest was kvd bass secrets. Awesome book, tell where the fish should be and what and how to use certian lures. But I have not found anything on how to locate, except a few blogs about seasonal patterns.

if your lake has gills aka "bream" i dont care what else is in that lake that is your main forage. Maybe, just maybe if you have a lake thats LOADED with shad, that will be your main forage. On a lake like erie your main forage will be the goby but 8 out of 10 lakes it will be a gill of some form.

 

Go ahead and wait for 85 degree water to go deep. Im catching them in 30fw already and my water temp just hit 70.

Jhoffman, can you explain your process of finding them? Are you locating main points than then using your depth finder? How do you know its bass, ?

I feel like you took a very good approach to the lake from what I've read. Secondary points are just like primary points only underwater and extend out further from the primary point, which is typically above water.. The video of Gene is a great tutorial. Don't give up the approach you took IMO, try again. The fish don't bite every time!

Just a weekend warrior here, but here is my 2 cents. I've read the Buck Perry book and it's a great read. I fish a lake here in KY that is loaded with shad. I've been catching them 15 -20 feet on mainlake points for a few weeks even as low as 75 degrees. Ive seen others recently still hitting secondary points and catching fish. I wish I was better at off shore (humps,saddles, ledges) but for me points are just easier and it works. I try to stick to main lake points close to deep water (old channels, ditches). If I see a blue Heron near a point, ill usually fish it because they are feeding on baitfish and well...so do Bass. Some points seem to seem to "reload" so I try to have a few points close by that ill rotate through in the summer. Tight lines....

Jhoffman, can you explain your process of finding them? Are you locating main points than then using your depth finder? How do you know its bass, ?

 

 

Well ive been fishing since March so I have seen the progression of pre spawn to spawn. They are moving out or have moved out so I am looking for them in areas where they can come up shallow but have access to deep water.

My fish finder doesnt tell me anything except there is fish or structure where I am. When I see big schools on the fish finder I look over the side, i see the perch and gills, I assume they are being followed by the bass and I throw bass baits that immitate them.

 

Bass move all day long too...

 

Shallow morning and roaming, im looking up on the docks, the points, the rip rap

Cover or structure stacked up mid day, up under docks, in the wood, under bridges somewhere there is shade

Evening could have them anywhere again

 

I focus on things like channel bends, points, stump fields, lilly pads, under water humps... just like you read. I dont expect to find them on a bank where fifteen boats just pounded the bank all morning long either.

Let me tell you what my routine is when fishing a lake that I am unfamiliar with or haven't fished this year, the fact is I always go thorough this marina routine.

When I luanch my boat;

1. Look at the water for any sights of life around the ramp visually.

2. Start the big engine, back off the trailer and let warm up,

3. Put the trolling down, switch on my sonar unit and check the water temp.

4. Move the boat out into deeper water looking for a thermocline, baitfish and larger marks to determine at what depth looks most active, the life zone.

5 I fish alone most of the time, so I tie up the boat and park my tow vehicle.

6. Pick out a few rod combos that I feel will work from what the lake is telling so far. So lets ay it's early summer transition from post spawn by seeing the baby bass around the boat dock, 77 degrees surface temps, greenish water color with about 5' visibility.

7. Still tied up to the dock while I tie on a jig, a swimbait and a big soft plastic worm rig, these are my standard starting rigs. Because it's early summer I get out a top water Splash-it in baby bass and a LC Pointer in ghost shad and a crank rod with a clip tied on. Put a purple pork trailer on the black-brown-purple hair jig (like purple in greenish water), wet a pig blanket wrap the pig n jig leave this rod out. Lubricate th swimbait with hot sauce, wrap it with a lure blanket and leave this rod in the passenger seat rod holder. Rig a 9" purple thunder straight tail worm, add a little hot suace and leave the rod out on the deck holder with the jig rod. Put the top water rod with the other deck rods and put everything else away.

8. Stow the electric motor, idle out of the marina watching the sonar closely and check the ramp end drop off for bass and look for signs of baitfish in the marina area. Before leaving the marina area, take the boat of gear and make a few casts with the swimbait, usually the log boom wind break, any anchored buoys and dock ends. Some days the bite is so good I never leave the marina area!

9. Run to the closest major point and meter it, make a few casts with the swimbait and jig while pondering where to go next, if the major point doesn't have any life. More than likely during a early summer, I would head to a primary secondary point about 1/2 way back in a arm. This type of secondary point forms a Y intersection between to smaller forks.

10. Fish the second stop starting with the top water very tight to shore while studing my sonar unit. If I find bait or larger marks, I will stay and fish this area. If not, I will work a little further back, then further out.

By now I would have a good idea what is going on and go fishing.

Tom

wow, thanks Tom, you mentinoned Thermocline, Would one look at that during the post spawn, and early summer? Is the water at 77 degs hot enough to worry about Thermocline? Iv got to do some reading on these Secondary points, and watch the above video on it.

 

So here is my new question, With the given lake situation, late post spawn/ early summer, and 77 deg water, and stained water. I would be lookng for points that run deep into the lake, but I should find the thermocline, and lets say its at 20 feet of water. I would look for bass on these points in 20 feet of water or less?

 

So if i picked up some fish on my finder in 13 feet of water, 30 feet from the points bank, it most likey would be bass, and I would start my fishing at that point?

 

As you can see, Im new  and trying to get a graps on this. Sometime I need an explaination that is very laymans to understand. lol

Well ive been fishing since March so I have seen the progression of pre spawn to spawn. They are moving out or have moved out so I am looking for them in areas where they can come up shallow but have access to deep water.

My fish finder doesnt tell me anything except there is fish or structure where I am. When I see big schools on the fish finder I look over the side, i see the perch and gills, I assume they are being followed by the bass and I throw bass baits that immitate them.

 

Bass move all day long too...

 

Shallow morning and roaming, im looking up on the docks, the points, the rip rap

Cover or structure stacked up mid day, up under docks, in the wood, under bridges somewhere there is shade

Evening could have them anywhere again

 

I focus on things like channel bends, points, stump fields, lilly pads, under water humps... just like you read. I dont expect to find them on a bank where fifteen boats just pounded the bank all morning long either.

Thanks for the explanation

wow, thanks Tom, you mentinoned Thermocline, Would one look at that during the post spawn, and early summer? Is the water at 77 degs hot enough to worry about Thermocline? Iv got to do some reading on these Secondary points, and watch the above video on it.

So here is my new question, With the given lake situation, late post spawn/ early summer, and 77 deg water, and stained water. I would be lookng for points that run deep into the lake, but I should find the thermocline, and lets say its at 20 feet of water. I would look for bass on these points in 20 feet of water or less?

So if i picked up some fish on my finder in 13 feet of water, 30 feet from the points bank, it most likey would be bass, and I would start my fishing at that point?

As you can see, Im new and trying to get a graps on this. Sometime I need an explaination that is very laymans to understand. lol

Where I live and fish thermoclines can occur year around, so it's part of my routine to find one if it exist, tells me how deep I can fish. No thermocline the bass can be anywhere.

Suspended fish in the water column located away from structure are almost always not feeding unless you also meter bait at that depth. Early in the day or morning the bass should be tighter to the structure if the marks are active bass. Best way to know this is try to catch them. No takers, still file the info away, those marks could be bass and may move onto the structure in a few hours.

I approach points usually from one side and cast to the shallow areas first by casting past the base area and work the lure from deeper water to the shallower water and back into deeper water with lures like top water and swimbaits. Then without moving the boat, I fish the point ridge down hill on a angled slope with a jig or worm and move out towards deeper water to cover the entire point out to deep water, around to the opposite side back to the base area. By doing this I can survey the entire area from shallow water to deep and back without driving over the bass before they see a lure first.

I fish very high pressured lakes with highly skilled bass anglers, this gives the bass a different presentation and lure angle then they are used to seeing.

My advice to you is first things first; try to locate bass before trying to catch them. If you can't find them, then just go fishing and enjoy your day on the water, it will come together in time.

Tom

Hey thanks Tom thats some good information about fishing points,Im going to the lake again on Sat, hoping to use some of this information and land some fish.

When in doubt JIG IT!

That is the only lure I have not been able to catch a fish with is a jig. Don't know why......