I've been asked to explain my approach to examining structure.

 

When looking at a one dimensional map or one dimensional depth finder screen it's hard for some people to convert that image into a 3 dimensional image in their brain. When I select a piece of structure I look at it from 3 directions; form, fit, & function; let me explain a little farther.

Form: what is its overall shape; quite often it differs from the map since most maps do not have the details needed to form a proper image.

Fit: how does it fit into the surrounding area? Is it isolated? Relationship to deep water? Connected to other structure?

Function: is it a feeding area, the bass's home, or a stop over place from the spawn.

A structure fishing situation consists of a structure, breaks, break lines and deep water. "Breaks" are things on the structure's bottom like stumps, rocks, weeds, logs, and bushes. A "break line" is a line or lines along the structure's bottom where there is a defined increase or decrease in depth, either sudden or gradual like the edge of a channel, hole or gully. There are other break lines, too, like a weed line wall, a brush line, where two bodies of water meet which differ in temperature, color or water current.

The angler who learns to read structure and where/how to fish it on its breaks, break lines will consistently catch bass while other fishermen who do not understand such things will struggle. As Buck Perry says "Anglers must recognize from the beginning that not all good-looking structures harbor bass. But, he explains, Never will bass be found that are not related to structure in some manner."

First of all - thank you for sharing your knowledge. 

 

My first question that comes to mind is this:

 

Relating to "Function" - I think I understand how to tell if it was a feeding area by signs of baitfish and such - but how would you distinguish the bass's home from a stop over place from the spawn?  

If it were a place you regularly fished, I understand that - but would you be able to make that determination your first time fishing a piece of structure?  

 

What are some of the details you look to observe?

 

Do Bass relate more to break lines in structure or are these used more as "routes" or "highways"? 

 

I never heard of   stumps, rocks, weeds, logs, and bushes  referred to as breaks  . Its always been cover to me . Makes no difference what its called as long as one does not confuse it with structure , which is often the case . Its understandable , a lot of the old pros used the two terms interchangeably creating the problem . 

Catt that was a excellent post it should help many on this site.

4 hours ago, scaleface said:

I never heard of   stumps, rocks, weeds, logs, and bushes  referred to as breaks  . Its always been cover to me . Makes no difference what its called as long as one does not confuse it with structure , which is often the case . Its understandable , a lot of the old pros used the two terms interchangeably creating the problem . 

 

If you can get a hold of one, Read Buck Perry's SpoonPlugging book - 

The presentation at first appears dated but if you ingest the info, especially with regards to his ideas on structure and how bass use it, with your own waters in mind, you may find it easy to digest and quite tasty.

It's the first writing of it's kind detailing Structure that I know of and easily one of the best, IMO.

A-Jay

@Hez we must understand some structure have multiple "functions" which can only be determined by repeated visits to that location during various seasons of the year.

 

@scaleface

 

Breakline: A breakline can have more than one meaning. It can be another word for a drop-off/ledge, or a point of any quick change in depth. It can also be used to describe the edge of a vegetation line. For example, a "weed break" is the area of the weed bed where the weeds meet up with open water; or, where one type of weed meets up with another. The last example happens when bottom composition changes, as different weeds prefer different types of bottom composition. In rocky impoundments, a breakline can also describe a line where rock meets mud, pea gravel, etc. In other words, the most correct definition for a breakline is "Any distinct line that is made by cover or structure which leads to an abrupt change in bottom depth, composition, or cover transition".

 

It has been said the Buck Perry's teachings are old & antiquated or only applies to spoon plugging, nothing can be farther from the truth!

@Catt thanks for starting this one!

more good stuff

Maybe an over simplification, but to me there are 2 different definition's of a lake's bottom composition..

A "flat", which is understood and anything and everything within or on that "flat" is a "break"

 

 

 

 

Mike

24 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Maybe an over simplification, but to me there are 2 different definition's of a lake's bottom composition..

A "flat", which is understood and anything and everything within or on that "flat" is a "break"

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

Yes but we can have breaks/break lines on humps, ridges, points, ledges, ect

I always laugh when people who are new to my home lake, leave after struggling and claim..............."I don't know how anyone can catch fish in this structure-less weed filled fish bowl"

 

There's no such thing as a structure-less fish bowl.............every lake has a bank/shoreline, the surface of the water, and a bottom, it's not my fault they don't understand this.

Great post, Catt! 

 

Mods: Can this become a sticky?

 

Tom

BREAK:

Abrupt Change  (that's all she wrote).

Might be an abrupt change in bottom depth, plant species, bottom content, water current ~ ~

 

BREAKLINE

Abrupt change that is linear

Might be a submerged creek channel, edge of a weedbed, riptide, mudline, pipeline ~ ~

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the tiny brain of a fish, the common denominator in every case is "transition"

When we get too intricate or precise in our definition, we tend to depart from the fish’s world.

Roger

 

26 minutes ago, tholmes said:

Great post, Catt! 

 

Mods: Can this become a sticky?

 

Tom

 

It is sort of! It's what I teach in my "So y'all want to learn Toledo Bend" & Demystifying Structure thread!

 

Hello RoLo! Great add! Some anglers are to busy majoring on minors!

4 hours ago, scaleface said:

I never heard of   stumps, rocks, weeds, logs, and bushes  referred to as breaks

 

To me, it depends on how it's being used by the bass, or how the bass are relating to it.  Weeds are almost always thought of as "cover," yet, that seam where two species are adjacent would be another type of break.  Muddy discharge from a brook or stream into clear water creates a break.  On Lake Ontario, flat chunks of bedrock the size of a house can create a break, especially if it's split, and there's a wide crack - think road bed with a drainage ditch on the side in a flooded reservoir.

This thread is called structure by Catt who has defined structure using difinations based on Buck Perry and applying those terms over a life time of bass fishing.

Without common ground and accepted terminology we can't communicate our collective experiences. Instead of looking up a word in the Websters dictionary, accept Catt's difinations if you want to see the underwater world through his minds eye.

 

Tom

3 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Yes but we can have breaks/break lines on humps, ridges, points, ledges, ect

 

Absolutely, and breaks/break lines within a spesific break or break line. Which can hold the mother load if you find the right one at the right time.

Those are the areas best explained like finding a pattern within a pattern.. Try explaining this to a high school fishing club class, they will look at you like you had 3 heads. Then the light comes on.

 

Excellent thread!!

 

 

 

Mike

"Find the edge, and gain an edge...."

7 hours ago, Catt said:

not all good-looking structures harbor bass

Yes, if this were true than you could catch bass on Toledo Bend with a blindfold on!

There are more "fishy" looking coves on that lake than there are anywhere else in the world combined I swear

10 minutes ago, j bab said:

There are more "fishy" looking coves on that lake than there are anywhere else in the world combined I swear

 

HAHAHA - Have you been to Florida?  The Harris Chain of Lakes (for example) can be explained in the same manner.  EVERY PART of the lake looks "fishy"....EVERYWHERE! lol 

1 minute ago, Hez said:

 

HAHAHA - Have you been to Florida?  The Harris Chain of Lakes (for example) can be explained in the same manner.  EVERY PART of the lake looks "fishy"....EVERYWHERE! lol 

Now we just need to figure out which fishy parts to fish, seems like Catt is trying his hardest to get it into my dumb head

33 minutes ago, j bab said:

Yes, if this were true than you could catch bass on Toledo Bend with a blindfold on!

There are more "fishy" looking coves on that lake than there are anywhere else in the world combined I swear

Are you confusing cover for structure ? 

1 minute ago, scaleface said:

Are you confusing cover for structure ? 

Can't cover act as structure?  

Just now, j bab said:

Can't cover act as structure?  

My definition , no . Thats where a lot of confusion comes to play . Even some of the pros use to make that claim . Now days its widely considered that the bottom contours are structure and  weeds , wood , brush ... is cover.

 

1 minute ago, scaleface said:

My definition , no . Thats where a lot of confusion comes to play . Even some of the pros use to make that claim . Now days its widely considered that the bottom contours are structure and  weeds , wood , brush ... is cover.

 

I see, cover is a "break" in the structure. Understood