Finding and catching bass deep in ‘The Last Frontier’

I believe the last frontier in bass fishing is found in locating and catching bass below the 20-foot depth. Most fishermen target bass from the bank out to about 20 feet deep. Before this winter I very seldom fished deeper than 20 feet. Except for springtime there are plenty of fish that can be caught from 10 to 20 feet deep.

Why fish water deeper than 20 feet? Simple. Once you learn to locate fish in the deeper depths, your catch ratio and average size will greatly increase.

Another good reason is fishing pressure. Bass below 20 feet don’t get much fishing pressure. I’ve read several articles written about bass fishing pros. They say that fishing pressure will cause some bass to change locations and go deeper. Bass aren’t that smart, but I believe they have a God-given instinct to move from their primary feeding grounds to secondary areas.

In winter big bass often move deeper simply because the shad do. I’ve found big bass in deep water (32 to 34 feet) that aren’t relating to the usual structure like humpy ledges, creeks, etc. Instead, they are simply hanging out near the shad. I’ve caught bass as deep as 42 feet this winter that were not around any structure or cover. They were relating to shad and shad alone. I’d be the first to admit that fishing for bass deep is anything but easy. For starters you have to have a fine tuned graph and be able to read it. Deep bass usually are holding in a very small, confined area. When you find the bass, you must mark the spot with a buoy – especially if it is windy.

As soon as I see them on my graph I drop a Nichols 1⁄2 oz. Mojo spoon in gold or shattered glass straight down to vertical jig. When they are very active the spoon will never reach the bottom. Some days I’ll catch bass averaging about 21⁄2 to 3 pounds. On days when they are really bunched up and feeding heavy I catch big bass in the 4 to 5 pound range with an occasional 6 or 7 pounder.

Timing is critical. Often when I locate these schools of deep water bass the action is fast and furious. Sometimes I catch them for 30 to 45 minutes. At other times about an hour and a half. Then it’s over. The bass disappear off of the graph and it’s time to move on.

Often the best bite is anytime from noon to about 3:30 p.m. The last hour before dark can also be good.

Two weeks ago on Lake Tyler, Jerry Abercrombie and I found a mixture of big sand bass and blacks ranging from 2 to 5 pounds. We found these fish near the dam in 32-33 feet of water and caught bass for over an hour on the Nichols 1⁄2 oz. Shattered Glass spoon.

A man in a boat 30 feet from us landed a 7-pound black bass. It was a sunny afternoon about 1:30 to 2:30 in the afternoon. There was a light southerly breeze, and the surface temperature was about 49 degrees F. Abercrombie had never caught bass this deep on a spoon, and he has been fishing for many years. On Lake Tyler he caught two 5-pound bass back to back.

I spend a lot of time on my graph looking for bass. Some days are very slow, and other days are exceptionally good. That’s fishing.

The big bass were laden with eggs. They are finally starting to feed heavy in lieu of the spawning season. After catching these big bass I began to look around nearby for an area these bass might migrate to. I spotted a point about 100 feet away. I believe these bass will move up and stage on this point for maybe a week or so before they move into a nearby cove. A few more days of warm weather should draw them towards the shallow spawning grounds.

Many fishermen simply will not take the time to locate deep water bass because it’s so time consuming. I used to be the same way, but not any more. Once I’ve gotten a taste of catching big bass in deep water I’m hungry for more.

Deep water fishing is truly the last frontier for bass fishermen. Like gold mining, it takes persistence. You never know when you’re going to hit the mother lode. Success may only be five minutes away.

• • •

Ten members of the Jacksonville Bass Club fished Martin Creek this week. Tony Goodman won First Place with 5 bass totaling 12.07 pounds. Tony fished a combination of lipless crank baits including the Sexy Shad and the Red Eye Shad, along with a Carolina watermelon/red Fluke rig.

Tommy Goodman caught the largest bass weighing 5.85 pounds on a chrome back Red Eye Shad.

The Jacksonville Bass Club is hosting an Open Spring Tournament on March 21 on Lake Jacksonville. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Lake Jacksonville. Cost is $40 per team with an optional $10 per team for Big Bass.

Jerry Miller can be contacted at: gonefishing@suddenlink.net.

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