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Deep water bass fishing

Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:18 am
Posted by stevengtiger
Member since Jul 2013
2778 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:18 am
My family has a new camp on the north side of Lake Bistineau. We are right along the channel and the deepest part of the lake (around 25 feet). Even fishing on off the dock, you can cast into about 20 feet of water. With the water temp up, I would assume the larger bass will be moving deeper.

What are your go-to deeper water lurers? I was thinking a 7 or 8 inch weighted worm but haven't fished in water this deep regularly. Thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.
Posted by PolyPusher86
St. George
Member since Jun 2010
3357 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:20 am to
Texas rigged worm or carolina rigged if there's grass on the bottom
Posted by oleyeller
Vols, Bitch
Member since Oct 2012
32015 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:20 am to
i like cranks for deep
water also
Posted by TexasTiger
Katy TX
Member since Sep 2003
5324 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:29 am to
Strike King 6XD's and Carolina Rigged Speed craws can be pretty effective in deep water.
Posted by Nascar Fan
Columbia La.
Member since Jul 2011
18574 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:33 am to
DD22, you can catch some fish & work out at the same time
Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6838 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:36 am to
You should still be able to catch them shallow, especially in the mornings, all throughout the summer. I think the idea that all the big fish move deep is more myth than fact. Punching grass, fishing frogs early, and finding shallow feeding areas near deep water are all sure-fire shallow water tactics even in the dead of summer.

That said, sometimes you want to head deep so load up on 6xds, C-rigs, football jigs (if the grass isn't too thick), and jigging spoons. Also, you can punch submerged grass in 20' of water - you just need super heavy weights and a LOT of patience but you can fill the boat when you find them.
Posted by Boudreaux35
BR
Member since Sep 2007
21382 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:40 am to
quote:

I think the idea that all the big fish move deep is more myth than fact.


I agree. They will move a little deeper during the heat of the day, but you don't have to get very deep at all to get to the cooler water temps. See for yourself. get out in the open water and jump off your boat. You won't sink more than 6-8' max and you can feel the temp difference.
Posted by weagle99
Member since Nov 2011
35893 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:41 am to
How about a wacky senko for deep fish?
Posted by offshoretrash
Farmerville, La
Member since Aug 2008
10166 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:53 am to
It's not that all fish move deep during the summer, it's that they will gang up and be in deep cuts, humps or drop offs. This makes them easier to find and catch.

My deep water baits are 11" worm, jig, crankbait and a 4" finesse worm. Drop shots work very good as well.
Posted by stevengtiger
Member since Jul 2013
2778 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:55 am to
quote:

Punching grass, fishing frogs early, and finding shallow feeding areas near deep water are all sure-fire shallow water tactics even in the dead of summer


I will be fishing shallow early and late but during the day, I wanted to try and fish a little deeper. Will probably tie up a c-rig to try at first. Do you have to tie on a swivel or would just adding a knot behind the weight work the same?
Posted by offshoretrash
Farmerville, La
Member since Aug 2008
10166 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 9:00 am to
quote:

Do you have to tie on a swivel


Yes
Posted by rballa19
Lake Charles, LA
Member since Oct 2009
4379 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 9:13 am to
My favorite bait for deep bass is a Strike King 6XD. I also usually have a C-rig, football jig, shaky head, and Texas rig tied on also.
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
14713 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 9:53 am to
Do you have good electronics? Find the thermocline and fish that depth. Like most have already said, deep cranks, C-rig worms and speed craws, Tx rig with a heavier bullet weight.
Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6838 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 10:06 am to
If you can find them in singles or stacked on your electronics, then drop-shots, jigging spoons and jigs can be VERY effective. But if you're just searching, I would stick with c-rigs (yes you absolutely need a swivel) or cranks.
Posted by stevengtiger
Member since Jul 2013
2778 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 10:22 am to
quote:

If you can find them in singles or stacked on your electronics, then drop-shots, jigging spoons and jigs can be VERY effective. But if you're just searching, I would stick with c-rigs (yes you absolutely need a swivel) or cranks.


That sounds like a plan. May have permanant access to a decent boat with good electronics but otherwise will be searching on a pirogue.
Posted by TheBoo
South to Louisiana
Member since Aug 2012
4470 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 10:24 am to
quote:

I would assume the larger bass will be moving deeper


Not always the case.
Posted by CadesCove
Mounting the Woman
Member since Oct 2006
40828 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 10:38 am to
I fish the TN River system almost exclusively, and you can get into some deep water on those lakes. We C-rig humps that are surrounded by deeper water and try to find areas with a good amount of current in the Summer. If you can find a channel with shallow water or structure close to deep water, you are onto something. We also switch to night fishing Jun-Aug. Fish move up shallow and feed at night. Usually go with big baits in deep water. I rig worms and use the old pig & jig combo a lot. Dark colors, like black and blue work best on anything but a bluebird day. If Sunny, I go with more natural colors like watermelon seed and other greens. Coolest thing about it is you don't know what you will hook, spots, smallmouth and largemouth all in similar areas.
Posted by TigerTreyjpg
Monroe, LA
Member since Jun 2008
5815 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 11:47 am to
Not trying to hijack your thread, but what's the salvania situation around y'alls camp, or Bistineau in general?

Been years since I've been to/on Bistineau. Back in the day, I considered it the most beautiful, tranquil, peaceful, scenic, good for nothing, God forsaken, can't catch a decent bass or kill a decent mess of ducks body of water in the Continental US of A.

Actually though, I think it's just a hard lake to fish/one has to know what one is doing, and since we could make ourselves believe we could out fish Bill Dance Parker on our "little" (was 7 miles long) "private" (others had access but we rarely saw folks) Red River Oxbow, we never "had" to learn.

Anyway, I'd heard the salvania has made it almost impenetrable these days. That the case?
Posted by 007mag
Death Valley, Sec. 408
Member since Dec 2011
3873 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 11:56 am to
C-rigs and Cranks work good. I also like dropshots cast and worked the same way you would a texas rig especially from your dock. If you can get electronics look for humps, points and sharp bends or sand bars in the main channel where bass can move vertically and still find structure to ambush baitfish from. If your lake has grass find the depth where it stops growing and fish the edges. Seems most creatures like edges where habit changes for some reason. Also fish both ways, sit shallow cast deep and sit deep and cast shallow. Sometimes it makes a difference, I usually use the depth of the grass line as my target depth unless theres a lot of fish holding structure like tops and stumps showing up on the electronics then I try to work both depths at same time. Congrats on the new camp.
Posted by stevengtiger
Member since Jul 2013
2778 posts
Posted on 6/25/15 at 11:57 am to
quote:

Anyway, I'd heard the salvania has made it almost impenetrable these days. That the case?


The salvinia is not horrible right now. You can actually get around most of the lake for most of the year until it gets real hot. The salvinia blows up with the heat. By the end of July, it will probably be everywhere but we were on the water Sat and Sun last weekend. There were patches on the lake but we skied, fished and swam with no issues. With all the rain and the lake being so high and going over the damn, I think the current has helped keep it at bay to some degree.

We used to catch fish pretty well on the south side of the lake where our old camp was. Having to drain the lake every winter has definitely taken its toll on the fish situation though.
This post was edited on 6/25/15 at 12:00 pm
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