With all the technology available to us as fisherman today, the question arises; what is really on the bottom and how should I fish it? This answer for me has changed tremendously; when you’re scanning the bottom and adjust your eyes to see clearly on your Lowrance Structure Scan what you see is very different than what I assumed was down there.
The scanning process is not without total amazement; I have found old bridges where horse buggies crossed over an original creek bed. There are areas on the lake that have buried and sunken barges, old house foundations; I have even found old wells that have mounds of rock build around them. The obvious things we were aware of like stumps have even taken on a new look for me; the amazing thing is the size of some of the stumps, and how thick some of the deep stumps fields are in the deepest parts of the lake. The total awareness of these bottom structures has been nothing short of amazing; what you see is eye opening.
The question for me has been how do you fish these bottom object effectively? I believe there are some common threads to fishing this structure with the first being current! If there is a current the key is boat position, you must be positioned to fish the jetty movement around the structure. Bass will position themselves to face into the current and around the jetty side of the structure so they can see the bait being moved into their feeding path. The next important issue is making sure you are getting your bait to the structure. Many folks just do not understand the importance of getting to the bottom; therefore they struggle catching fish when they do find the structure.
One of the best presentations to getting your bait to the bottom is a football jig; the football head drops quickly and heads to the bottom like a heavy rock! If I am more than 10 ft. deep I generally fish a ¾ oz. football jig it is a bottom hugger and works well around deep structure and emulates crawfish very well. Anytime you combine boat position and properly weighted baits you are going to catch fish around structure!
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
www.fascebook.com/FishGuntersvile
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Phone: 256 759 2270
Captain Mike Gerry