Some classic research still stands that indicates the big bass you probably hope to hook have life-long habitual watery routes leading from their own 'fry days' spawning ground to a deep water spot, maybe a hole in a pond, or a river channel. They are truly lazy fish, not willing to burn calories on journeys like a salmon does. Their whole life is likely spent within up to a mile from where they hatched from an egg.
Backtrack from a known spawn area. Start with the escape route to deeper route in the upper reach of a creek. There had to be such a route else they wouldn't want to spawn there. Follow the drainage to the nearest deeper place, but I wouldn't expect to find the big mamas exploring a river system and all its deepest holes. Stripers do that. White bass do that. Winter is spent in those deeper places, but in all seasons including winter big bass come up to feed shallower, wherever their food lives. From now on through summer lots of the bass will seek cooler water daily, feeding nightly in shallows.
Jim
