So, what is the secret to ledge fishing? I live near Pickwick Lake and it seems all of the consistent fishing is done on ledges. Just this week there was a MLF tournament at Pickwick and there were many 20-25 lbs bags. Then I see Timmy Horton on a video with some friends and they are holding up two 6 pound smallmouth and a couple of largemouth that were really big. Almost all of those fish were caught on ledges. 

 

The key to my question is how do you fish ledges without spot lock and without FFS. I mean the wind is blowing 10+ mph and in my mind, by the time you find the fish and get positioned you will be blown off the spot by 30 yards. The other factor is I can't afford to get a guide right now. That would be great and would teach me a lot. Are there any secrets to ledge fishing? Every video I find has the words spot lock and/or FFS in them. 

Do you have a GPS and mapping fishfinder?  if so, you can mark out the ledge with waypoints so that you have a target boat spot.  From there it's just fishing.  You could throw an anchor if you need to stay in one spot tightly.  Deep crankbaits, big jigs, and spoons have produced on ledges for as long as there have been ledges.  

Try drifting over the ledges vertical fishing as you go. When your past the spot turn around & go back over it. You can use the trolling motor to stear your path as you drift. 

 

You could go "old school"   Use your graph to find the fish relating to the ledge, toss a buoy off to the side and get lined up properly, then cast away.

People were catching fish on ledges long before spot lock and FFS.  It got much easier with GPS.  The most important thing is finding a spot that's holding fish.  Ledges are easy to find on the Tennessee River.  Ledges that are holding fish is more challenging.  Once you find the fish, boat positioning and control are critical.   Spotlock helps a lot but if you don't have it you just have to use your trolling motor or drop an anchor.  You need to be able to translate in your mind what the structure in front of you is like based on what you see on the mapping screen.  If you struggle with that then drop a few buoy marker.  In the old days I would throw three out to form a triangle and that would help me visualize the orientation and size of the structure below me.

 

Don't expect to just find a ledge and catch fish.  I spend countless hours graphing with my electronics to find just one good ledge.   Many times I'll noticed that something that looks good on the map always seems to have a boat on it.  That's the quickest way to find the good community holes.

23 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

People were catching fish on ledges long before spot lock and FFS.  It got much easier with GPS.  The most important thing is finding a spot that's holding fish.  Ledges are easy to find on the Tennessee River.  Ledges that are holding fish is more challenging.  Once you find the fish, boat positioning and control are critical.   Spotlock helps a lot but if you don't have it you just have to use your trolling motor or drop an anchor.  You need to be able to translate in your mind what the structure in front of you is like based on what you see on the mapping screen.  If you struggle with that then drop a few buoy marker.  In the old days I would throw three out to form a triangle and that would help me visualize the orientation and size of the structure below me.

 

Don't expect to just find a ledge and catch fish.  I spend countless hours graphing with my electronics to find just one good ledge.   Many times I'll noticed that something that looks good on the map always seems to have a boat on it.  That's the quickest way to find the good community holes.

I understand that fishing ledges goes back before spot lock and FFS. I do have two fishfinders with GPS. I have spent hours mapping out spots on the computer but I just have trouble keeping the boat anywhere near the spot. I realize you use the trolling motor but with 10 mph wind and higher, I spend more time fighting the trolling motor than fishing. I guess that is what my question mainly is. What are the mechanics of keeping the boat on the ledge. I see guys out there fishing them and they are dead still able to fish the ledge for as long as they want. 

Most are probably "spot locking," as boat control is becoming a lost art thanks to technology. Line up downstream/down current/down wind of your target so the nose is pointing right into and at your target area is the easiest and best way if everything allows. Sometimes it doesn't. You may have to line up with the nose of the boat pointing one way to hold position, and cast at a completely different, even odd, angle to reach the fish - having to do a couple things all at once. That is the lost art that many don't appreciate these days because newer motors and other gadgets (Power Poles, etc.) have made it almost obsolete.

I've never fished offshore - ever. I've been a bank beater for 40+ years. So all of this is foreign to me. It's time to learn it, though. I appreciate the replies.

32 minutes ago, Don Harris said:

What are the mechanics of keeping the boat on the ledge.

I agree with @Team9nine.  It's a lost art.  I've had spot lock for a while so I've probably "lost the art" myself.   Some days can be harder than others.  Gusty winds can make it very difficult.  Often the spot you need to cast to can be very small so you have to know exactly where you are before you can make exactly the right cast.  I used marker buoys until I got a heading sensor that keeps the on screen map oriented with the boat heading.   It's very challenging to develop the spatial awareness you need to fish a spot when you're a half mile from the bank.

You could try trolling crankbaits.  To some trolling is a dirty word, to others it is a great way to present a lure to a bass.  Give it a try and see what you think.

19 minutes ago, king fisher said:

You could try trolling crankbaits.  To some trolling is a dirty word, to others it is a great way to present a lure to a bass.  Give it a try and see what you think.

I used to troll during kayak tournaments to find fish on bodies of water I wasn't familiar with. Once I got a bite I would stop and dissect the area then move on, until they found I was trolling and said I couldn't. Still don't understand why. I'm literally pedaling down a bank at a controlled depth. Not sure where the unethical aspect of that is. Needless to say I don't fish with those guys anymore.

If it's calm I will try to get as close as possible and then cast out parallel.  I just let the bait sink and let out line so it falls straight down as possible.  Then I work it back slow along the ledge, and try not to get snagged.

If you struggle with your trolling motor in a 10mph wind, I hate to say this, but you need a stronger TM. My Tracker came with a 12V 42lb. thrust TM that didn't last one season before I switched it out for a 24V with almost 30lb. more thrust. The following spring, I had no problems with the strong, gusty winds that previously drove me crazy.

I have a 70 lbs thrust TM. The problem is it is a hand control bow mount. So you have to use your hands to steer while trying to fish. It was on the boat when I bought it. A new TM is on my wish list.

Also, that's with someone in the back of the boat trying to keep them where they can fish.

48 minutes ago, Don Harris said:

I have a 70 lbs thrust TM. The problem is it is a hand control bow mount. So you have to use your hands to steer while trying to fish. It was on the boat when I bought it. A new TM is on my wish list.

 

have a look at the autoboat system.  It's an add on GPS head for trolling motors.  A couple hundred bucks or so.  It would add spot lock functionality to your current motor for a lot less than a new spotlock motor.

Thought I would post this article I found that is a wealth of knowledge on ledge fishing. Hopefully, it helps someone who is learning, like me. 

 

https://www.fishin.com/forums2/content.php/751-Out-On-a-Ledge-Kentucky-Lake-Ledge-Fishing

 

I have a hand control and love it.  No cables to break, and reverse.  Would not trade for a foot control.  I had foot control  for 20 years and broke cables 5 times, and back pain standing on one leg and working the control.

4 hours ago, geo g said:

I have a hand control and love it.  No cables to break, and reverse.  Would not trade for a foot control.  I had foot control  for 20 years and broke cables 5 times, and back pain standing on one leg and working the control.

It is a pain to me in the wind. I thought I would love it but I'm not sure I do. I agree with your reasons, I'm just not sure they outweigh freeing up my hands. 

3 hours ago, Don Harris said:

It is a pain to me in the wind. I thought I would love it but I'm not sure I do. I agree with your reasons, I'm just not sure they outweigh freeing up my hands. 

Two back surgeries over the years and having both feet firmly on the deck reduced lower back strain considerably!  It worked for me, maybe not everyone!  Would never go back and will not spend 4 grand for some high priced unit without cables!  Sorry I think I’m a little off topic!

Not off topic at all. A big part of my question about ledge fishing is boat positioning. I have had a terrible time with wind this year. Keep in mind I always have my 81 yo Dad in the boat with me and I try to always keep him where he can fish. I guess if I was by myself, it wouldn't be a big problem.