The reason I ask this is because I've become reasonably ok at catching smallmouth locally, for one reason: rocks. Whether they're rip-rap, large rocks, or cliffs, I seem to have decent success at catching a few smallies. However, I really don't have a go-to cover to target largemouth. What's yours?

I catch most LMB fishing around wood lay downs or stumps. It is usually better if there is rock around.

16 minutes ago, KSanford33 said:

The reason I ask this is because I've become reasonably ok at catching smallmouth locally, for one reason: rocks. Whether they're rip-rap, large rocks, or cliffs, I seem to have decent success at catching a few smallies. However, I really don't have a go-to cover to target largemouth. What's yours?

Not to start off in the wrong foot but rocks are structure.?

Tom

Lily pads. If I see em I'm fishing them. Nothing I can do about it

Downed timber. Downer timber with weeds around, even better. Downed timber with weeds around and a steep drop off or deep water nearby, best. 

5 minutes ago, WRB said:

Not to start off in the wrong foot but rocks are structure.?

Tom

Oh no!!! I couldn’t remember if they were considered structure or cover. Terms mean specific things. 

7 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Lily pads. If I see em I'm fishing them. Nothing I can do about it

I’m usually the same way, but the lily pad season here in northeastern NY doesn’t last very long. 

Lay downs and stumps.  

Grass 

30 minutes ago, Woody B said:

Lay downs and stumps.  

This with the addition of manmade structure using various things.

 

If you consider a dam a structure, then no questions asked....I'll fish a dam all day long 

Defined weed lines or docks. Both are better with nearby proximity to deep water.

Cover like aquatic plants vary greatly regionally, hundreds of plants called grass or weeds depending where you live.

I look for different types in the same area that form distinct edges or pockets. 

Cover that is man made like docks, walk ways, boats are better if the have aquatic plants nearby or structure elements like rock retaining walls or stationary cribs.

Anything wood hanging over the water or in the water is good isolated cover.

Buoys are  both floating cover and anchored with man made structure, also good isolated cover/ structure elements.

My favorite structure is anywhere a mix of rocks, gravel, sand, clay and soil come together with some wood in the soil. 

Tom

Coontail or water willows.  Better if they are next to each other.

1 minute ago, Bankbeater said:

water willows

You shoulda seen where I was fishing on Badin this summer. You could go down the bank and it would be like this: water willows, dock, ramp, seawall, water willows, dock, dock, waterwillows, etc. Ridiculous. 

I do like lily pads, I’ve was doing good around standing cypress. Toss it close, let it sink…wait and twitch. 

Either mixed grasses on a flat in front of or along reed lines, or matted hydrilla or hyacinth 

 

 

 

Mike
 

 

1 hour ago, Jar11591 said:

Downed timber. Downer timber with weeds around, even better. Downed timber with weeds around and a steep drop off or deep water nearby, best. 

this for me. Not brush piles, not standing timber- gotta be lay downs. The bigger the tree the better. The deeper it ends at the better. Some grass that stops a foot away from the wood?  Ideal. We don’t have a ton of downed wood here so when you find it, fish it thoroughly. 

Hydrilla or pads. If I see it, I'm beelining for it.

Tules or Primrose/hyacinth mats

Just now, J._Bricker said:

Tules or Primrose/hyacinth mats

Perfect!!

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

49 minutes ago, Bankbeater said:

Coontail or water willows.  Better if they are next to each other.

This

35 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

this for me. Not brush piles, not standing timber- gotta be lay downs. The bigger the tree the better. The deeper it ends at the better. Some grass that stops a foot away from the wood?  Ideal. We don’t have a ton of downed wood here so when you find it, fish it thoroughly. 

Just out of curiosity, why no standing timber?

 

The reason I ask is the place I’m fishing this weekend is one of the few local reservoirs around here which has a lot of standing timber. I’m sure @Jar11591 knows exactly which one I’m talking about. 

wood in spring . grass after that. we have rock piles, brush piles old foundations etc in our lakes. i fish them all but when things are tough in the summer and i need a couple bites i head for the milfoil beds.

2 minutes ago, KSanford33 said:

Just out of curiosity, why no standing timber?

 

The reason I ask is the place I’m fishing this weekend is one of the few local reservoirs around here which has a lot of standing timber. I’m sure @Jar11591 knows exactly which one I’m talking about. 

because I dont like to fish it. Probably because I haven’t truly figured it how to fish it, hence I don’t like to fish it, hence I don’t fish it, hence I don’t learn to fish it. Vicious cycle. Lay downs have clear and obvious ambush points. Standing timber is a 10” post by 20’ deep unless you can see branches. Nothing else to sight cast to so you have to target every one. Maybe one day I’ll put in the work and practice on it (thought only 3 places around have it-two are over an hour away and the other doesn’t open the gate until sunrise so no early days. 

9 hours ago, KSanford33 said:

Just out of curiosity, why no standing timber?

 

The reason I ask is the place I’m fishing this weekend is one of the few local reservoirs around here which has a lot of standing timber. I’m sure @Jar11591 knows exactly which one I’m talking about. 

Should be a good time of year to throw to wood. If I’m thinking of the same place, I had a lot of luck with smallmouth in standing timber there some years ago. 

I do a lot of junk fishing , just putting the elec. motor on go and fishing everything visible .Culverts are great . Beaver houses are fantastic . Laydowns, isolated weed clumps.. . I like them all equally .