Reading Water, Outside
Continuing with reading water, I'm sometimes asked what is outside structure. Outside structure is the lake bottom physical features that are under the water, away from the bank. The vast majority of bass fisherman are somehow tied to the bank by the length of their cast. It seems if you can see the shore but not cast to it, then you are not bass fishing. When looking at the bank try turning your head and look over your shoulder, all that water out there is covering the lake bottom. You can actually cast out that direction and work your lure back to the boat up hill. I know this seems really strange, but you can also run your boat outside and locate underwater structure by studying topo maps or Navonics GPS maps looking for underwater islands, channels, humps, rock piles, trees, old towns and foundations, all kinds of stuff that hold bass year around, except during the spawning period.
Right now during the cold water and pre-spawn periods the majority of the bass are living outside away from the bank, where you should be fishing.
I spend about 75 percent of my time outside fishing structure that few other bass fisherman bother with, year around. The only problem with being out there away from the bank is other boaters going fast that may not see or expect you there, so use caution and watch for boats coming your way. During the cold water and pre-spawn periods bass hold on outside structure feeding on bait fish. Watch for diving birds to indicate that they are working on bait fish. Birds need to come to the surface to swallow a bait fish and you can see them flipping the fish around, tipping the head back to swallow. The direction the birds are swimming will be the same direction the bait fish are moving. Locate structure that compresses the water column shallower and that is where the bass should be positioned waiting for the school to come into range. This could be over a point, hump or underwater island. The smaller school bass will follow the bait fish school and birds, the largeradult bass tend to wait to ambush the school, picking off the easier prey and using the water surface to trap the bait fish. I usually fish jigs or swim baits while watching for birds or active bass.
Tom
Continuing with reading water, I'm sometimes asked what is outside structure. Outside structure is the lake bottom physical features that are under the water, away from the bank. The vast majority of bass fisherman are somehow tied to the bank by the length of their cast. It seems if you can see the shore but not cast to it, then you are not bass fishing. When looking at the bank try turning your head and look over your shoulder, all that water out there is covering the lake bottom. You can actually cast out that direction and work your lure back to the boat up hill. I know this seems really strange, but you can also run your boat outside and locate underwater structure by studying topo maps or Navonics GPS maps looking for underwater islands, channels, humps, rock piles, trees, old towns and foundations, all kinds of stuff that hold bass year around, except during the spawning period.
Right now during the cold water and pre-spawn periods the majority of the bass are living outside away from the bank, where you should be fishing.
I spend about 75 percent of my time outside fishing structure that few other bass fisherman bother with, year around. The only problem with being out there away from the bank is other boaters going fast that may not see or expect you there, so use caution and watch for boats coming your way. During the cold water and pre-spawn periods bass hold on outside structure feeding on bait fish. Watch for diving birds to indicate that they are working on bait fish. Birds need to come to the surface to swallow a bait fish and you can see them flipping the fish around, tipping the head back to swallow. The direction the birds are swimming will be the same direction the bait fish are moving. Locate structure that compresses the water column shallower and that is where the bass should be positioned waiting for the school to come into range. This could be over a point, hump or underwater island. The smaller school bass will follow the bait fish school and birds, the largeradult bass tend to wait to ambush the school, picking off the easier prey and using the water surface to trap the bait fish. I usually fish jigs or swim baits while watching for birds or active bass.
Tom
Second, the lake levels fluctuate constantly in the lakes I fish, so the point of view on those trees is subject to change. Oh, and third, I haven't really done it enough to figure it out. And I still haven't splurged on the IFinder I want, so even though I have found some spots when the lake was low, I really haven't ever been able to find them again. I thought I was going to ask a question when I started this post, ??? :
