Recently I read an article in a Bass magazine where the author was talking about fishing points, and he said:

Quote

When I use my sonar to evaluate points, I'd better see hard returns, which means hard bottom and some sign of life.

So, what is it about hard bottoms that is so much better than muddy bottoms?  Thanks.

Well, personally I like to look at it this way, would you rather eat your dinner off a plate with no hands, or try to eat it out of the mud with no hands?

I like my bottoms with a little cushion, not too firm, not too soft, but juuuust right.

A hard bottom usually means you can drag a football jig or a Carolina rig. You can in slightly soft bottoms as well but it’s not effective if there is too much muck.

 

Smallies also like hard bottoms, usually near rocks.

Hard bottoms are usually better than soft muddy bottoms because that's where the fish are! ??

46 minutes ago, FrnkNsteen said:

Hard bottoms are usually better than soft muddy bottoms because that's where the fish are! ??

Because hard bottomed bass make the fishin' world go 'round.

3 hours ago, schplurg said:

I like my bottoms with a little cushion, not too firm, not too soft, but juuuust right.

I believe we have our thread answer right here lol

Can’t see your bait if it’s under the silt.

I take it some of you have never fished ponds lol. Ain’t any hard bottom to find! 

37 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I take it some of you have never fished ponds lol. Ain’t any hard bottom to find! 

X2...

45 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I take it some of you have never fished ponds lol. Ain’t any hard bottom to find! 

 

Given no choice bass will adapt.

 

"Hard" bottom doesn't necessarily mean a concrete roadbed, it could be sandy clay.

hard bottom underwater is relative I imagine.  I find great joy in that tactile feel of contact between my bait and lake floor.  I love imagining what my bait looks like and when you have the perfect feel, it is so obvious when a bass picks up the offering. 

20 hours ago, JimB77 said:

Recently I read an article in a Bass magazine where the author was talking about fishing points, and he said:

So, what is it about hard bottoms that is so much better than muddy bottoms?  Thanks.

Didn’t read this article so don’t know the context of the commit. 

Lets take the statement “some sign of life” , no debate.

“Hard returns means hard bottom” , no debate.

You are reading “soft bottom” into the statement, it wasn’t mentioned.

Soft or mud bottom doesn’t mean the same thing interpreting sonar returns. Muck for example is soft and different from mud. Muck is made of decaying debris, very low DO levels. Mud is soft soil where aquatic plants can grow providing cover and DO. Hard could mean rock, gravel, sand, clay, shell beds where aquatic plants can’t root successfully without some soil. 

Hard bottom indicates strong bright sonar returns and seeing signs of life indicates prey or predators could be located there. 

Also put into context is metering a point from a boat looking for activity, exactly what I am looking for. 

No debate,

Tom

8 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

I take it some of you have never fished ponds lol. Ain’t any hard bottom to find! 

But if there was, It would be more desirable. 

On 6/30/2022 at 3:39 PM, JimB77 said:

When I use my sonar to evaluate points, I'd better see hard returns, which means hard bottom and some sign of life.

I have never looked for that when scoping out points  . Not saying its wrong . I just look for the cotours , cover and fish . Most of the muck I encounter is silted in low areas , not high on  points .