Hello all. Brand new to the site as the newbie name suggests. I fish a reservoir in northern VA. My buddy and I do ok. We usually catch 3-7 an outing. We currently fish shoreline structure. I am in desperate need of any advice for moving off the shoreline to more secluded structure. We have electronics onboard. Should we be concentrating on specific depths and marking structure that way??? If so, at what depth does the boat not spook fish as you go over them marking spots? A little more info on the fishery: 1700 acres/max depth 36 feet. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

First welcome to the site.  I there is a lot of boat traffic it takes more to spook the fish.  At this time of year try points and humps.  Try to find the fish using the electronics if you can.  Fish are going to go to the structure that they like so with your lake depth there aren't going to be concerns with sturcture that is to deep.  When you find a hump or are woring a point try dragging a Carolina rigged soft plastic all over it.  It gives you a good chance to feel everything that is down there.  Good luck.

Welcome! This is a hard transition to make when you're comfortable with shallows and shorelines. Try finding a good contour map to put you on potential spots before hitting the water with the electronics, will save some headaches. There are some really nice maps like this out for most likes, 'fishing hot spots' maps or something like that. http://www.utmaps.com/main.cfm has them, but I've never tried their maps just a suggestion.

Welcome to the forum Soccrplayer07,

In summer months, I try to find the thermal layer, the column of water that holds the most oxygen and baitfish.   The temp is usually cooler.       Find the baitfish with electronics, if bait are holding at 18 feet, look on the topo map and find all contours breaks and structure that intersect 18ft.     If the bait is there, the bass won't be far.     A wind blown point that intersect 18 ft would be good starting point for example.

Currently in Texas, we have had lots of rain that has kept temps down, but this won't last all summer, so our normal summer patterns should be setting in for the rest of summer.   Sooner or later, the deep bite will be dependable.

Matt

Underwater islands, mounds, or humps are a deep water angler's delight; these spots are especially productive when power is being generated at the dam, causing a current in the reservoir. Bait fish will gather on the upper end of these mounds and the bass will bunch up to feed on them. When located near a creek or river these areas can be your big bass hole. A tail spinner or Rat-L-Trap fished across these areas or a 7 to 8 worm can fill your stringer quickly. Position your boat shallow and fish deep with Texas Rigs or Jig to find the bigger bass.

Submerged bridges are excellent holding areas for big

bass, many times these bridges have been blown when the lake was built, creating structure in the form of pilings, concrete rubble (rock piles). This form of deep structure can be a summer and winter glory hole.

Outside bends of a river or creek are common hangouts for deep water bass. Because of the water flow in the river or creek a ridge has been formed on the outside of the bend. Find the point of these ridges; anchor the boat in 12' to 18, cast deep with Texas Rigs or Jig to find the bigger bass.

Spots where two creeks intersect or where a feeder creek intersects with the main river are areas experienced deep water anglers seeks. Inside the Y created by the intersection is where you want to anchor the boat in 12' to 18, cast deep with Texas Rigs or Jig to find the bigger bass. In winter months fish these areas with jigging baits in 20 to 30' of water.

Submerged roadbeds should never be overlooked, locate these on a topographic map, then pinpoint with your depth finder. These are common migration routes to and from spawning areas in the spring, they also hold feeding bass in the summer. Seek out 12 to 18' depths where a sharp drop off occurs on each side of the roadbed. Fish plastics or deep running crank baits across these roadways. Ideal spots are where two roads junction or where the road makes a noticeable turn.