I have seen pros on tv catching bass on deep shell beds. Why are the bass there? Feeding?

I am curious as well my lake has a couple shallower beds and I have never had much luck fishing them, so what makes a good bed? does depth play a role?

Crayfish, baitfish and other food sources are attracted to shell beds...Shell beds are usually in hard bottom, rocky areas...

The depths of shellbeds vary and obviously different depths will be better at different times of the year...

Crayfish, baitfish and other food sources are attracted to shell beds...Shell beds are usually in hard bottom, rocky areas...

The depths of shellbeds vary and obviously different depths will be better at different times of the year...

Exactly what i was going to say! I normally catch them with a deep crankbait digging across the shells.

I found a shell bed on sunken pond dam Saturday. Caught one dink on a 10" worm.Water drops from 5' to 20' on the side of the dam. Guess I will keep trying it to see if I can catch them feeding there at some point.

In many mussel beds fish spawn on them, algae grows on them drawing crawfish, grass shrimp, and shad. Shellcrackers eat them among other fish, and in many older waterways it is the only hard bottom area.

Crayfish, baitfish and other food sources are attracted to shell beds...Shell beds are usually in hard bottom, rocky areas...

The depths of shellbeds vary and obviously different depths will be better at different times of the year...

Yup, and if any of the surrounding area has a soft muck bottom it makes it all the more attractive to game and prey.

In many mussel beds fish spawn on them, algae grows on them drawing crawfish, grass shrimp, and shad. Shellcrackers eat them among other fish, and in many older waterways it is the only hard bottom area.

that is how it is in a lake i fish alot , the rest of the lake has grass everywhere !! it is the only spot i can work a jig nice and slow . shell beds are excellent for working a jig with a crawdad trailer , i like throwing a 3/8 oz. jig with a crawpapi in brown and orange and green pumpkin and orange .

Not necessarily the shell beds. You will usually find fish when you run across a difference in bottom contour.

It can be a change like that or even a change from one weed type to another, timber change, or even a change in rock formations and size. Gives them an alley or route to travel. Sorta like we do with our highways.