Deep Water Part 2

Last Friday it was 75 degrees air temp. Judy and I went to Cal River/ Lake Mich. looking for smallies. My graph in the river above the locks looked like the dead sea no matter where we went in the river Water temps there were 53 degrees. So.... I decided to go out and try the big pond. Water temps there were same give or take a degree... my sonar just laughed at me.

Later in the day to avoid the dreaded skunk, I locked through, went back down river into some marina's and caught six nice buck keepers. But..... If I hadn't done that I'd have gone home skunked. I can't find fish in deep water and even when I do I can't catch em. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I don't understand this whole fall/pre winter pattern thing. What temps make them move and how deep ? And even in summer months I've rarely been able to make deep fish bite. and how do I know the deep fish on my sonar aren't just garbage fish like carp etc? Very frustrating.. I know this is an old subject, but I just can't seem to master deep water fishing. grrrrr. help.

In a river, the first thing you're trying to do is find areas big enough to hold a sizable aggregation of bass that are protected from the current. You did that when you went into the marina. They don't have to be deep. They just seek out the area most insulated from the conditions that cause them stress. The two things they try to avoid most in the winter are frequent water temperature fluctuations and current. Find the best protection from those two items and you'll likely find bass. The worse an environment is, the more the bass will bunch into the areas that protect them from stress.

And for what it's worth, in 50 to 55 degree water in fall, especially in a river, I'm more likely to be throwing a jerkbait, crankbait or spinnerbait than a jig or drop shot. My life doesn't start to get really good in the rivers until the water's under about 47 degrees.

Think about all the years of fishing & thousands of hours most bass fishermen have devoted to fishing the 1-15' zones. There are tons of guys that have done this & never once spent even a full single day on the water plying the 20'+ zones. Those few that do, however, and gain confidence in deep water patterns, become very appreciative of the fact that thier competition doesn't fish deep. My belief is that if there is deep water available, and that if the needs of the bass can be satisfied in that deep water, that the biggest bass in the lake can usually be found there. I also find these fish much more eager to bite, as they are generally unmolested when compared to the shallow fish. I'd much more prefer to compete against 5% of the other guys than 95% of them.

As for "what temps" make the fish move deep/shallow in the fall/early winter, that is the wrong way to look at it; All movements this time of year are based on the movement of bait & baitfish, not so much water temp. Bass want to feast this time of year.

I hope you put the deepwater thing together next year Josh.

Warren

Warren's boat length example is usually what I try to gauge my depth zone with, and keeps me confident that I can fish 20-30' of water comfortably. Surely you've fished the bluffs on Percy Priest. Most of them range from 10' to 30' and I find bass on nearly all of them.

I'm comfortable up to about 30'.... beyond that, you'd have to catch something to convince me.

http://ctfisherman.com/data/589fishski_dropshot.jpg

And I kinda stuck with the 3/4 oz jig looking for the bigger bites. This one came from 42 feet or so.

http://ctfisherman.com/data/589zoar_11_06_04.jpg