Put on the Thinking Cap

[Macsimus]

1 hour ago, Champ188 said:

Look forward to seeing you again.

Ditto, James.

[Bill Babler]

They don't always bite.

Greg Wood fished deep structure transition yesterday and had a very nice bag in the dam area.  His day went quite a bit like mine in the fact that his fish came off of a single location.  His were A-Rig fish, but regardless.  I will swim a grub or throw a jerkbait in this type of location.  They do like that Rig.

Between us fishing totally different ends of the lake on similar type structure we probably fished 30 locations and only caught them off a couple.

It can get really discouraging fishing off shore if you don't have confidence in it.   You always feel like you can run up and fish a point or a piece of bank and get a bite or two.  You are back in your comfort zone.  It is really hard to get out of that comfort zone.

You take a day like yesterday when I hit that many locations and caught every fish on one spot and it makes you think.

[mjk86]

Good write up...for folks who are not used to fishing table rock this is something to tuck away somewhere.  Deep fish on the rock are super easy to catch IMO once you figure out how.  Easier than shallow fish IMO...ive never had any luck in less than 15fow at table rock, but deep fish stack up in ridiculous numbers, and when you get em fired up, its too easy!  Although..im sure that you could catch bigger fish up shallow most times, but those football spots really gang up like crazy.  A topo map and a little homework the night before can help you tremendously IMO.  Spots to look for....1.) old creek channel meets old main river channel....2.) 2 smaller creek channels meet each other....3.) any creek channel with a sudden drop/hump/depression/rock pile ect.  4.) creek/river channel with wood. 5.) creek/river channel where the bottom composition changes abruptly.  6.) shad.  I find places that i think will have as many of these variables covered (fish like the structure within the structure).  Mark a bunch on a map...hit them in the morning spending about 30 min working an area.  I like jigging spoons cuz you can work them slowly while moving quickly if that makes sense.  You can even pick a bank, and work your way down it, just pick an old creek bank thats flooded under 20 fow.  Just gotta remember that the bank is down there, and the fish are usually on the bank, you just cant see it.  I cant tell you how many times ive had folks pull in between me and the bank and start casting towards it while making their way down the bank....they are sitting on top of the fish most times as they pull up right on the first ledge and start flinging stuff in 2 fow.   YOu can often come in right behind them...cast to where they were and sho nuff...bass.

[Dewayne French]

35 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

They don't always bite.

Greg Wood fished deep structure transition yesterday and had a very nice bag in the dam area.  His day went quite a bit like mine in the fact that his fish came off of a single location.  His were A-Rig fish, but regardless.  I will swim a grub or throw a jerkbait in this type of location.  They do like that Rig.

Between us fishing totally different ends of the lake on similar type structure we probably fished 30 locations and only caught them off a couple.

It can get really discouraging fishing off shore if you don't have confidence in it.   You always feel like you can run up and fish a point or a piece of bank and get a bite or two.  You are back in your comfort zone.  It is really hard to get out of that comfort zone.

You take a day like yesterday when I hit that many locations and caught every fish on one spot and it makes you think.

Mr Bills first 4 words and the smiley face are golden (as are his other million) words he speaks. Even in the prime time fishing so to speak fish don't feed all day.  The bite really is dictated by a bazillion or so variables.  Understanding the spp of fish you are after is a huge piece of the puzzle and I never was good at puzzles when I was a kid. This info really is priceless I for one am very gracious to rat hole it away...  Thks 

[Champ188]

Fishing deep, fishing shallow, fishing in between ... the key to any of it is what Bill just said --- you gotta get good enough at it to be comfortable doing it. There cannot be an inkling of a doubt in your mind that what you are doing is exactly what YOU need to be doing to catch bass.

Anyone who has fished 50 years or more --- myself, Bill and Bo, to name a few --- develops strengths. Among those strengths is one "zone" where we thrive. Provided fish can be caught on a particular day by that method, we are probably going to hammer them. For me, that's shallow on a spinnerbait or in the cedars on a Redfin. If either of those bites are on, you might beat me but you'll need to pack a lunch. Same goes for Bill out on the rolloff points with a football jig or wobblehead. Bo's gonna hurt you on a spoon or a heavy jig waaaaay down deep.

Donna and I stayed shallow all day Sunday, ending up with five largemouth keepers for a conservative 14 pounds. Our two biggest fish were closer to the backs of creeks than the front and neither was in more than 3 feet of water. None of those five keepers were deeper than 8 feet.

A good friend from Arkansas likes to say, "There are always fish shallow." Since he has three world titles (two Bassmaster Classics and a Forrest Wood Cup), I think it's safe to say he knows the territory.

Likewise, there are always fish deep. Furthermore, there are always fish in between.

Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, AR, is as much a highland reservoir as you'll ever find. Its water was once rated by the EPA as the cleanest in the nation. She's bigger than Table Rock and often more clear. Nevertheless, of the several Forrest Wood Cup championships that have been held there, at least two have been won in the shallows on topwaters in AUGUST --- the dog days of summer. Same thing happened just downstream at Lake Hamilton one year.

Bottom line here is Bill isn't wrong, Bo isn't wrong and I'm not wrong. We just have different strengths and specialties and all of them work at times.

Biologists who specialize in largemouth bass have agreed in the past that some fish seem genetically predisposed to live deep, while others are prone to spend their lives shallow.

Seems the same is true for fishermen. So my advice is to get in your comfort zone and become as good as you can possibly be at what you do best. That's NOT to say don't stretch yourself. I'm very capable of fishing out to 35 or 40 feet when I have to, while Bill and Bo no doubt can fish shallow.

But no one is wrong to fish anywhere within reason.

[dtrs5kprs]

Amen Champ. These lakes force you to be as versatile as any others I have been around. Pretty much have to able to fish a little of everything at times, even if it isn't necessarily your strength.

Why do I think you are going to shed a tear or two when the puddle clears up...

[Champ188]

10 minutes ago, dtrs5kprs said:

Why do I think you are going to shed a tear or two when the puddle clears up...

We'll always have Grand. (Or Paris).

[Bill Babler]

Those are nice fish. What area did you all fish Sunday?  Did not know you were out or would have yelled at ya.  Did you guys have any stick  bait fish and were you eating oranges?  I pulled on 3 different spots yesterday that had fresh orange peels floating in the water.

Either someone was trying to make orange juice or they were leaving a crumb trail to follow back to the ramp.

[Sore Thumbs]

Nice fish guys. 

[Sore Thumbs]

I have one question about deep fish. Do these same rules apply when the water is muddy? Do fish stack up on the bottom when the is no water clarity. I'm asking because Grand is really dirty right now and they are not shallow. I just can't figure them out right now. I tried deep,shallow and in between. I didn't try out in the middle on those drops.