The drop shot post reminded me how new I'm to this board and how much needs to be covered. Jim may have already cover how to read maps, both electronic GPS and paper topographic. Those of us you fish deep water lakes like highland, canyon, hillland etc., are familiar, or should be, with outside structure. Buck Perry made his living with Spoon plugs trolling outside breakline over 40 years ago and coined the word "structure fishing". What is structure? Anything that is perminate in the lake or river verses cover that is temporary. Dams, ledges, ridges, points, rocks piles, rip rap, under water islands or humps, abrupt changes in depth and saddles between humps or points are all elements we call structure. Without electronics we can use visual aids like looking at what the terrain around the lake is like. The terrain under water is usually very similar to the surrounding area. Bass relate to changes in water depth that have structural elements. This is key to outside structure because is give the bass a place to ambush prey like baitfish. The waters surface puts a lid on the bait fish, they can't above it. When a school of shad for example in deep open water come to a long under water point or hump, they need to move up in the water column or swim around the structure. Bass hold near these structures knowing the bait fish can only move up toward the surface to escape. This is one reason why working up hill is very effective on outside structure. Look over maps and note small flats located on outside structure near the depth you have metered bait fish, these are bass magnets, when combined with other cover or rock piles for example. Watch birds that are pushing shad schools toward known structure elements and be there ahead of the birds.
Tom
Tom