short fish

[rme hunter]

Here is the question. I fish several tourneys a year and catch my fair share of fish. The problem is it seems like everything that I catch is between 14 and 16 inches long. I see some of you guys at the tourneys weighing these huge fish. I do not want to know where just how. I fish mostly soft plastic. Maybe I am not fishing deep enough. Any advice on how to catch those 16 to 19 inch fish. Are they deeper or bigger baits.

[buzzking]

remove your boat from the bank. Big fish go shallow for 1-2 weeks a year.

[rme hunter]

How far from the bank? I am now sitting in about 12 feet fishing towards the bank.

[fish24/7]

How far from the bank? I am now sitting in about 12 feet fishing towards the bank.

I don't know where you are fishing at, but the fish we have been catching are in 15-25ft of water. This time of year the fish will stay out from the bank until late at night and then they will come up with the shad. I position the boat in 30-35 feet of water and cast to the bank and fish SLOW back to the boat. Most of the strikes come half way back to the boat. I like bigger baits at night. You may be to shallow until later at night.

[buzzking]

depends on where you are, if your fishing kincaid lake in NKY where the thermocline sets up in the summer at around 13 feet then you are fishing plenty deep enough, if you are at cumberland, dale, barren, KY, etc. Alot of the fish are around 20 feet or more in some places, so 12' is not going to get it done. Pick up an old copy of E.L. "buck" Perry's spoonpluggin. He was a forerunner in structure and deep water fishing and a book that was written over 30 years ago is still one of the best reads for learning to fish deep. The main thing is to get off the bank and start looking for major contour changes, whether they are 5' to 20' or 15'to 40'. drastic contour changes are what hold a majority of the summer and winter fish so they can move vertically enough to feed without having to move horizontally that much. It also gives them the security of deep water close.

[rme hunter]

I fish Rough River primarily. Like I said I have no trouble catching fish I just don't catch anything over about 16 inches. But I think that you have answered most of my questions. I am usually about 12 feet deep throwing into shallow with about an 1/8 ounce weight. Next time I go I will be throwing something with a 1/4 ounce in 15 to 20 foot of water. Thanks for the help.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

if you are on rough now you need to be settin in 25 or more and your bait hitting in 8 or ten.look for the bites in the 14 to 20ft range.at my last tourn. i was setting in 45ft gettin bit at 17-20.

[dpage70]

The thermocline on Rough starts from 20-25 ft deep depending on how far upriver you go. I was holding the boat in 35-40ft and WAY off of the bank and graphing fish everywhere from 15-30ft with the biggest numbers being around 20ft. unless you're fishing really light line 1/4oz weight will pretty hard to feel at that depth. I was using a 3/4oz on c-rig and 3/4oz football head and that seemed about right for me anyway. I'm really still learning the deep fishing so I'm not an expert by any means but Kyle is giving you some good advice with the spoonplugging book. I got it last week and it's some great reading.

[rme hunter]

Thanks I have never fished in water that deep and that is why I keep catching short fish. Next time out I will definitly be in deeper water. Will this pattern continue through the summer.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

it will usually hold til september or so depending on how warm it stays or if you get a good rain to cause the water to raise.other than spawning there will always be deeper big fish.last fall in october when i was crappie fishin ledges and had a good bag of bass that were in the 14lb range while guys in a tourn.were beating the flats and it only took 6lb and change to win.they should have been shallow but weren't so always keep an open mind and if the shallows aren't getting it go deeper.

[redneckshadrap]

depends on where you are, if your fishing kincaid lake in NKY where the thermocline sets up in the summer at around 13 feet then you are fishing plenty deep enough, if you are at cumberland, dale, barren, KY, etc. Alot of the fish are around 20 feet or more in some places, so 12' is not going to get it done. Pick up an old copy of E.L. "buck" Perry's spoonpluggin. He was a forerunner in structure and deep water fishing and a book that was written over 30 years ago is still one of the best reads for learning to fish deep. The main thing is to get off the bank and start looking for major contour changes, whether they are 5' to 20' or 15'to 40'. drastic contour changes are what hold a majority of the summer and winter fish so they can move vertically enough to feed without having to move horizontally that much. It also gives them the security of deep water close.

OR....

You could just email Flippin Drew.....

[buzzking]

yea that would help too