Deep Structure/Time Of Day

[BassinHomer]

I'm fairly new to deep structure fishing, I'm one of the bank beaters haha but I need to start utilizing my dad blamed Side Imaging more so I have a question for all you off shore pros out there. I usually don't hit the deeper stuff until mid day when it's starting to get hot and the fishing has already failed me miserably in the shallows, so I guess my question here is, is the bite better in the morning on the offshore stuff like it is in the shallows? It makes since to me, next time I'm out I'm planning on hitting some deeper stuff first thing, some of it might be a confidence thing as well becuase by the time I get prepared to try the deep stuff I'm usually hot and cranky because I havent caught anything shallow all day Anways just wondering what ya'lls is on that

[JIGSTICK]

Yea those structure fish will eat better early. They may be up higher on the structure but will be more active due to low light conditions. I've seen big bags of fish caught in tournaments in the first 15-20 minutes of the day out in 20-40 feet of water.

[softbaitmaker]

Off shore humps from now till mid September will be some of the best fishing you will ever do. Look at a lake map and locate humps on the lake off shore and use GPS to locate them and use side imaging to prevent cruising over the top of the hump. Fish them early and the big fish should be on top of them feeding till about 8AM and then they will move off the side of the hump as the sun gets higher in the sky but they don't leave that hump all summer unless they are in a livewell and then if they are not taken very far to a weigh in they will make the trip back to the hump and you may catch that same fish a week or so later on that same hump. I love fishing off shore humps day or night. Humps that come up to about 10 of 12 feet from the surface and have deep water all around them seem to be the best ones for bigger fish. C-rigs with big worms and deep running crankbaits should work later in the morning but don't pass up the opportuity to chunk a Zara Spook or Buzz Bait over the tops of the humps early. You might be surprised how far up those big fish will come to get a top water bait early.

[lunkerhunter1982]

I am bad to wait until up in the day to fish them because I am a shallow water rat, but they will hold fish daylight to dark, sunset to sunup, basically 24 hours a day, from May to August/September. The problem with them is they tend to get overfished by about late June or early July. Another problem is that the bite on them is often very current dependent, and the TVA doesn't see fit to pull current on the weekends when most of us who have to work get to fish. The good thing about them is if you can find something a little bit isolated on them or just hit it right it can be 20 pounds in the livewell in 10 minutes type of fishing. I have caught a lot of doubles deep cranking these types of places. My best advice is this. Always fish your strengths, but if you notice current starting to run in the summer head to a hump. Also, if you truly want to learn the offshore deal only take baits for offshore fishing with you. If you are like me the shallow temptation will eventually draw you to the bank. Dedicate yourself to it and you will figure something out.

[brwnbass]

One trick i have learned is to throw a big loud crankbait all over the area, then back off for a few min & go back over it with a worm or jig.the cranks will get them stirred up alot of times,even if they wont bite it,they'll hit something else.try to dredge the bottom up if you can.

[softbaitmaker]

Well, it's like I said in my earlier post. I'm a deep water junkie and I have even corrupted my son-in-law. If I get within 25 yards of any bank now he starts talking about throwing up in the trees at squirrels giving me hints I need to move back out some............... I just laugh at him and tell him when he can out distance my casts he can run his mouth, until then he can just sit on the back and be quiet and fish. Since I said that he has been trying it but just can't get it done. He got a few reels that can match my distance but has not learned how to adjust them to throw long with 3/16th weight with out getting a POR. Maybe some day I will show him how to set them. It just won't be any time soon...........

[BassinHomer]

Thanks for the advice guys , all I know is I need to learn this stuff and I figure it'll be easier to stick with it if I can get on some fish quick.

[31Airborne]

I'm w/ Softy on this one. You can't come close to counting the number of anglers who'll idle over offshore stuff just so they can beat banks. In many cases, their boats are parked over the prime structure and cover while they pound their precious banks.

Take a little time to get to know your SI. You have a huge advantange w/ that gizmo. Learn the diff between rocks, wood, channels, and breaks (changes in the terrain). Find these and you'll find fish all the time, not just in the heat of summer. In many cases the fish hanging out in these deeper water haunts haven't been pressured to the same degree as shallow running fish. Use that to your advantage.

The tips on baits - deep divers, c-rigs, t-rigs, jigs, shakyheads, etc - are all solid. Once you mark fish holding on deeper stuff, work'em for a while and let them tell you what they want and how they want it.

Tip for this coming winter: store your fav off shore stuff as waypoints, then go visit them when the water is down. Study the rock formations carefully - get to know every seam, nook, and cranny of that pile/ledge/whatever. Take a camera and make photos. These should become the central pieces of your fishing journal. When the water level comes back up, you still have a visual of what you're fishing.

peace,

B

[Rattler]

Good stuff 31, Softy!! Had a buddy blow by me one day about noonish. I was sitting in about 40-60'

of water throwing to a ridgetop that was only 16-20' deep which looked to him like I was sitting

in the middle of the lake fishing 80' of water. He asked later what I thought I was doing? When

Jeff and I weighed in a better than 17lb mixed bag of smallies and largemouths he said he went

investigating that area. I didn't tell him but he found the big rocks and foundations and channel

we had fished later that day. I later told him how we scored by fishing shallow cover in the morning and moving

to the lower ends of points as the sun came up. Then eventually fishing humps and the ridge with a steep drop side.

This off shore structure will also produce good quality fish on topwater when the surface temps get high

and you fish it early am or late pm. I had a 5lb smallie blow three feet outa the water on a spook. Looked

like someone threw a football outa the water..

I also like fishing flats with drop offs from 12-20' with a sharp drop to deeper water. Just one thing that

no one else mentioned. Get you some marker bouys laid out within reach if you're fishing a deepwater pattern.

I'll always have 2 or 3 laying out within reach when fishing this pattern and have been known to have to or

three scattered out over a small A.O. Don't take but a second to drop out a marker and just a minute to pick'em

back up. They're handy as heck for marking deepwater structure, especially if fish are holding on it. Drop it and

back out and I'll throw a C-rig, deep diver, jig, spoon, or my favorite a dropshot...If I pick a fish or two up and

they seem to be some still holding but not biteing I'll move on for a while, find another spot, mark it, fish it and

either return to the first spot or move to another. You'll get the hang of knowing when to move. The marker bouys

helped me tremendously and I highly reccommend carrying these as a standard......

Rat

[Mountainman]

Good to see ya Rat!! Ive been wonderin what happened to ya!

[Rattler]

Been oscar mike Mountaiman.....

The boats been sittin' in the driveway covered

since the 3rd week in April..

Busier than a long tailed cat in a room

full of rockin' chairs...Ain't been on the puter

much lately either....

Thx fer wonderin'.....

Rat

[BassinHomer]

I've got some marker bouys but they suck and are half full of water and don't unravel, only marks a spot for about 10 mins before they float off I think I'm gonna rig up some fun noodle buoys on pvc pipe