winter bass fishing, how can I catch them at 45 foot deep?????

[kgbassin]

I fished a small lake, called simpsons lake in bardstown ky!!!! The air temp was bout 45 for the high and in the moring it was 39!!!! I ve got a really got fish finder, 898 side image!!! and all the fish that I could locate was anywere from 35 to 45 foot deep and allmost dead on the bottom, is this large mouths or cat fish or stripers????? How do I catch these fish???? I am not a really big winter fisherman, but I would like to learn how to catch these fish!!!!

[Fishin is life]

live bait works well when fishing that deep if theyre bass....or maybe a spoon

[rickhise]

A test.....
try taking a 3/4 ounce egg sinker, start with a hook baited with a live night crawler. Your first task is to position this rig to where u can actually watch this on your electronics....(by yo yowing the rig off the bottom, bottom as a reference point) your not looking at the fish or bottom structure your learning to follow this rig...

Its important you learn to recognize this rig on your unit. You should see it rise an fall and easily follow it on your screen

Once you Can do this. Id then locate my target an bring this bait in contact with it....
Tip: keep the drifting speed to a bare minimum till u are comfortable watching your rig.

Now go after the deep water targets u suspect are fish, livebait such as minows may work better

[Fishin is life]

Rick I'd love to see how you fish sometime....I've never done the drifting thing

[kgbassin]

A test.....
try taking a 3/4 ounce egg sinker, start with a hook baited with a live night crawler. Your first task is to position this rig to where u can actually watch this on your electronics....(by yo yowing the rig off the bottom, bottom as a reference point) your not looking at the fish or bottom structure your learning to follow this rig...

Its important you learn to recognize this rig on your unit. You should see it rise an fall and easily follow it on your screen

Once you Can do this. Id then locate my target an bring this bait in contact with it....
Tip: keep the drifting speed to a bare minimum till u are comfortable watching your rig.

Now go after the deep water targets u suspect are fish, livebait such as minows may work better

Only on problem, my unit is n the back of my boat will it still work, and do I need to do this on switch fire mode, or down scan!!! I have seen and heard of wat u r talking about on you tube and have tried it but no sucess on seeing it on my unit!!!

[Olgrey]

Have you given any thought to the fact that if you catch a fish that deep and bring it to the surface it may very well die? Catching them that deep often kills them unless you know how to treat them.

[rickhise]

Rick I'd love to see how you fish sometime....I've never done the drifting thing

Drifting combines several factors, speed, location, rig. All these factors need to be tempered with a little knowledge of where the bait is an what your covering. Very simple to explain the set up.
I'd suggest you look up Randy Gibson with Ky Trophy Hunter's at one of the up coming boat & sport shows. He will have a booth promoting his guide service.
Randy can explain it much better. Remember this tech. will increase your chances.

[rickhise]

Only on problem, my unit is n the back of my boat will it still work, and do I need to do this on switch fire mode, or down scan!!! I have seen and heard of wat u r talking about on you tube and have tried it but no sucess on seeing it on my unit!!!

I understand the complications of what u are saying. Is your unit is visible from the drivers seat, is the transducer on the back, if so you can find an watch this rig. On my boat if i keep the rod about in line with my console some 18 - 20 inches out from the side of the boat i can follow it.

experiment perhaps with an anchor letting it down an being able to follow it to the bottom.
this will let u know at what position in your boat this is doable.....

this is a target process, perhaps u understand the math of the process the angle,
with degrees an depth.

Part of using live bait is setting all this up (boat) so it comes together but u should have a doable
oppertunity

[Ky Trophy Fish]

Rick is right on about locator and seeing your sinker/bait. Everyone has a budget for their fishing toys,BUT buy the best locator you can on your budget and learn how to interpet what info you have on screen.When fishing deep water smallies,I have found if you mark fish ,you can catch some.No fish on locator ,bite will be tough to nonexistient!



The biggest mistake that I see when anglers fish for deepwater fish is moving way to fast.Slow down-keep your bait at the target depth and work the area throughly.When you mark fish on your locator ,remember it can be anywhere in the transducer cone. With my "H-bird in downscan/highdef mode,if boat is in 40 ft of water,it has a 40 ft footprint .There is no way to determine exactly where the fish you have marked is in relation to transducer except for depth.When I mark deep fish,will work a grid pattern in that area,hopefully getting bait within range of fish to induce a strike.

[Ky Trophy Fish]

Here is snapshot from Dale.Fish in snapshot are the lighter bars/blips in pic.Caught a good bunch of smallies and a few spots from this area on that day. A good thing with snapshots,you can download to computer and enlarge them for better look at the structure and any fish there.


http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/a...ish/S00044.png

[Mean Morone]

I've never caught bass that deep, but I have caught stripers in 45 ft of water using 2 inch Flitterbaits. You have to use braid for feel and for a good hook set. I would say work it slow in the winter. Slow lifts and drops.

[drjochum73]

Try drop shorting or a spoon. When you get them up make sure you deflate the air bladder, fizz, if you are putting in the live well. Good luck.

Dan

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