Breaks on Breaks

"Breaks On The Break (1972)"

If you were a structure fisherman back in the day, you no doubt knew about a ‘break on a breakline,’ later known as a ‘spot on a spot.’ Carl Malz offered up this illustration and important points in a 1972 article, “For Real Success - Fish The Breaks.’

📚 Each month we have a page in Fishing Facts called "Fishing Talk - Our Language of Structure Fishing".

➡️ A breakline is defined as "A line on structure where there is a definite increase in depth, either sudden or gradual; weedline, brushline; edge of a channel or holes; where two bodies of water, deeper vs. shallower, meet...etc." 

➡️ A break is defined as "Where structure is no longer uniform due to dips, or a quick drop in depth; rocks, stumps, etc."

📚What is it that helps make these great fishermen so great? One of the major reasons is their ABILITY TO INTERPRET THE "BREAKS ON THE BREAK."

✅ First let's start with some examples of typical underwater objects that could be called breaks. A rock pile, a brush pile, a sunken tree, a sunken boat, a hard spot surrounded by mud, sunken cribs, an under water hump or depression, an old hot water heater, a six pack of beer or pop, a pair of old rubber boots, a pile of broken glass or (as you have probably already surmised) anything else that can be seen by the fish and used to guide them when they move, or any object that could be used to pause or hold the school.

✅ To further illustrate the point, let's take that old hot water tank and drag it away from the rock pile toward deeper water and closer to the "home" area. The large rock pile would be fairly easy to locate. Anyone with a depth finder could accomplish this. But now we have moved the hot water heater closer to the home area and created a deeper break away from the rock pile.

💯 The man who only fishes the rock pile would believe he had found the hot spot. The more knowledgeable fisherman would not quit at that point. He would continue to search for the breaks that the school would use to arrive at the rock pile.

✅ So when we find a structure which produces fish, we must always be thinking in terms of, "How did the fish get there? What breaks did they use to arrive at that point? Where did they come from? Are there deeper breaks than the one I am fishing that might hold the school? If so, can I reach it or is it too deep to present my lures? Have I really taken the time to look for that small detail on the structure or breakline that could be termed a break on the breakline' or 'a break on a break'?"

Carl Malz, Fishing Facts, 1972

 Repeat: always ask, "How did the fish arrive at the point where I caught them?"

Then seek the answer.

Thumping... Fish Come To You

 Fish calls that go "thump" (Secret #6)

This one sounds a bit weird, but I know that many people swear by homemade “thumpers.” They often laud their success with these devices, but I haven't seen many make a true comparison test with them.
I do recall that Buck Perry also wrote of “thumping” the boat, or making noise, so the fish knew something unusual was happening in the area... and supposedly this put them into an active mood. Considering that particular source, I'm inclined to think there's something to it. Then I found this tip from Paul Johnson, who was Berkley’s director of research and development  for nineteen years.
It was featured in his 1984 book, “The Scientific Angler.”

✅ "This secret is one I discovered quite by accident, while my son and I were out recovering lost lures for fishermen on a popular reef. Huge boulders in the reef area made it a perfect holding area for a variety of species, but it was also difficult to fish without getting hung up.

✅ On one particular day the lake was calm. As we swam around a boulder, we spotted a yellow object that revealed itself to be a cut-off mushroom anchor. At first it looked much bigger than it really was, but then everything looks one-third larger underwater. The anchor must have weighed a full ten pounds, and the dive boat seemed a hundred miles away.

✅ We started back with our treasure, which grew heavier as we moved along. Finally, all I could do was pick it up, swim a few kicks, then drop it back to the bottom. After about the fourth thump we noticed that we were being surrounded by fish, whereas up until then we had seen nothing.

✅ Bass, walleyes, and even a muskie came flashing across to see who was making all the commotion. Whenever the fish left I thumped again, and again they returned.

✅ Remembering this tidbit, I tried the same tactic the next time my son and I were out fishing. The action was slow, so I reached over and grabbed the anchor line, then thumped the mushroom anchor on the bottom, fifteen feet below the boat. Within minutes we had our first fish. 

✅ About every fifteen minutes thereafter I repeated the thumping. This trick seems to work best when you give just a few thumps, spaced a half minute apart rather than in a steady tom-tom beat.

“The Scientific Angler.” Paul Johnson, 1984

Illustrator, SCOTT ZOELLICK

Make A Map

By request, I tracked down the marked map for Lake Koshkonong. It was marked by Tom Rawski and appeared in a 1965 issue of Fishing News. The writeup stated, “This guy catches fish. And he is one of the very few who will take the time to write up his secrets.”

Here is an edited version of some of his comments on fishing the lake:

✅ Lake Koshkonong offers exceptionally good fishing for northerns, crappies, walleyes, perch, and catfish. But Koshkonong is generally accepted as one of the finest lakes for white bass in the state of Wisconsin.

✅ White bass fishing is at its best in the late afternoon and through the night. We have had great success trolling Spoonplugs right next to the shore. The best way to locate stripers (white bass) is to troll. This is especially true in the river. Work one side of the shore, then the other until you hit the main channel.

✅ We have had good success using a 3 way swivel and the No. 500 (tiny) Spoonplug trolled right off bottom. (River rig)

✅ Another hint that may come in handy here or elsewhere: Sometimes you may have anchored in deep water in the river. Boats around you may be getting fish and you are not. Usually the trouble is that you are in water that is too swift. If this happens, then move so you can fish the EDGE of the sluice.

✅ The lake itself is very shallow, maximum depth 6-8 feet. There are a few deeper areas where the Rock River flows in and out. Because of the river it is an excellent lake.

✅ Koshkonong is an ideal lake for Spoonplugging (casting the Spoonplug) because much of the bottom is sand or gravel. We find Brass, Red and White, and Silver Spoonplugs best. Jigs, French Spinners, and Streamer Flies (Silver Minnows, Mylars) are excellent, too.

✅ This lake is big, nine miles; it gets rough so watch out. Most anglers fish the lee shore or, if too windy, they go into the river.

Could you do the same for your lake?

To Catch More Fish

 Facts To Get You Started

Just a couple of fishermen trusting to dumb luck, hoping to blunder upon a fish? No, not exactly.

✅ These men are fishing the edge of a floating bog in the huge, man-made Chippewa Flowage in northern Wisconsin. These floating bogs are loaded with worms and insect life, and represent real "cafeterias" for the fish.

✅ These bogs are bottom areas which floated to the surface years after the flowage was created. All kinds of plants will grow on them, including trees! Yes, those trees in the background are part of this old and very large floating bog.

So how does this seemingly unique situation relate you?

✅ On any lake, any day, you will see boatloads of men fishing in ten feet of water casting to the shoreline. Their eyes will be glued to their electronic screens all the while.... and now and then, these people will even catch a fish. Their notion is that its a numbers game, meaing, the more you cast - well, that is how you catch something. Sounds about right, yes?

Meanwhile..., under the right conditions of water and weather, schools of game fish may have moved in from their deeper water home in the area. Its even possible that they have scattered into the ten to fifteen foot depth area, around the shoreline. But they only rarely come shallower. Which means that they are mostly under and behind the fishermen's boats, where their lures are never presented to the fish.
Occasionally, one or two of these fish has come closer to the shore, and when caught, the angler applauds himself for having the hottest lure, the latest and greatest reel, the most expensive boat, and so on.

However, if these fishermen would only turn around, switch to lures that bump the bottom, and cast those lures into the deeper water - working it up onto the structure* - they stand a good chance of limiting out on the fish that are there to be caught!

✅ Ask yourself this: "Do I really believe that limits of big fish are lying in two or three feet of water under a log, waiting for me?"

If you were under a bombing attack, would you be upstairs watching from a window, or would you be in the basement trying to get all the protection you can? Think about it.

✅ On a lot of structure*, you will seldom be able to take fish.
You're watching your electronic screen and its pre-programmed contour map, and it shows a good break, and maybe you grasp what that indicates...BUT...this break does not fall off into deep water.
Do you still spend time there? Not if you're knowledgeable.
Instead you look for structure* that has immediate access to deep water, that leads right to deeper water in the area.

Don Woodruff, Fishing Facts, 1972

* Structure is not cover. 
When we say "structure," we mean features of the lake BOTTOM that extend from shallow water (10' or less) all the way to deep water. This will include some sort of unusual feature that distinguishes it from the surrounding bottom in an area.
This means things like a point or an old creek channel. Maybe its an old road bed, or a submerged hump in the middle of the lake. It can be anything of this sort. But - it will be adjacent to, and lead directly from, the deeper water in an area to the shallow water.
It is not the same as docks, rocks or weeds around the shore....things you can typically see and which invite your casts.
That's, "cover," and it where the fish might end up after leaving their deeper water home.

A Reservoir Secret

If you were to be given one secret tip for fishing in lowland reservoirs (as opposed to those in the mountians) ... this could be one to open the potential “Hot Spots.”
If you just used this one secret, you could probably stay in the fish all the time.

💯 “When looking at a map of such reservoirs, we should always circle all the places where the inundated river and creek channels bend in close to a shoreline. 

Two main things occur: 

(1) The big flats to either side of the bend are eliminated.
Why? Because the bulk of schooling, adult fish simply won't cross such a wide expanse to get to shallow feeding areas...when they have a direct route (the bend) that leads them there.

(2) The shoreline structure features of the reservoir, in most cases, go all the way to meet the bend. 

What this means is, the shoreline slope is generally shallow (as opposed to steep), and it will keep this shallow grade "all the way" to where it meets the bend in the old river or creek channel.
The old river or creek bend, then, becomes a focus, or "funnel" area for intercepting fish in their movements.

All the areas that fit this situation should be marked on your lake map and checked out thoroughly - with trolling and casting.
Trolling first with bottom bumping baits, because trolling is your teacher. It is how you first contact the fish, and that tells you where, when, and what to use on the cast.”

- Buck Perry

Anchoring Tips

“Old School” still works. Yes, you can just hit ‘anchor’ on your  Spot-Lock trolling motor, you lazy bum…until it breaks. Or youre in someone else boat, etc.

✅ For most cases, your 15 lb. Navy anchor is your best all around anchor, and for nature's sake please get 100 feet of rope. You can always double roll it in two sections if you fish a shallow lake.

✅ If you don't own your own boat, get a regular anchor pulley clamp. That way you can clamp it on a rental. 

✅ Always take two anchors with you, especially in spring and fall. This is when the wind whips around, always changing directions.

✅ Another trick…anchor at a likely spot. Fish about 20 minutes. If no action, move by letting rope out, or if you had a lot of rope out, pull some in. (Enough so you can cast virgin water.) This works well parallel to shore and when the wind is blowing from one direction.

✅ In the early morning, if the wind is blowing from shore, put the anchor into the wind nearer to shore than Where you want to fish. Then let out rope. You can work it exceptionally well this way.

✅ Once you're out in deep water, drop your rear anchor to stop yourself from any side movement. While fishing, if the wind changes directions a little from off shore, to either your left or right, just motor backwards into the wind. (Lift rear anchor first.) Keeping the front anchor down, just let out rope as you go.

Source, Fishing Facts, Vito Licari, 1972

Where The Fish Are

 STRUCTURE!  (1972)

✅ This Wiley Miller painting which follows is an underwater view of a composite lake which shows many kinds of STRUCTURE. 

No one lake has all these structures ... but every lake has many of them. Every lake is different from every other lake, but fish are the same all over. If you would find fish on the lake you fish, look for these structures and fish them:

(1) SUBMERGED ROCK REEF. Productive for walleyes and small mouths throughout most of the fishing season.

(2) SECONDARY DROP-OFF. This is the deep "break" where fish will usually pause in their daily migrations toward the shallows.

(3) DEEP HOLE OR CAVERN. In shallow lakes, an area like this will hold the whole concentration of game fish. Note: in very deep lakes this can be barren water. (No oxygen.)

(4) REEDS, RUSHES, LILY PADS. Productive for largemouth and smallmouth bass especially in spring of year.

(5) SHALLOW WEEDY BAYS. Good for largemouths, northerns and muskies early in the year and again for a short period in the fall.

(6) WEED LINE. This is where the weeds end as the penetration of light is so limited that plants can no longer grow. This is good for all game fish, particularly largemouth bass, northern pike and musky.

(7) ROCK DROP OFF. This generally holds crawfish and is good for smallmouth bass and walleyes in particular.

(8.) GRAVEL OR ROCKY FLATS. These are most productive in spring of the year for walleyes and smallmouth bass.

(9) SUBMERGED STUMPS. Especially good for walleyes and largemouth bass, but in some lakes may hold almost every species in that lake.

(10) OLD CREEK BED OR RIVER BED CHANNELS. Home area for

largemouth bass and walleyes in most reservoirs.

(11) MOUTH OF CREEK OR RIVER. Productive for all fish during early spring.

(12) SUBMERGED BRUSH AND TREES. Especially good for largemouth bass, walleyes in some waters, and for crappies in spring.

(13) STANDING TIMBER IN RESERVOIRS AND FLOWAGES. Outside edge of the timber is productive at times, and at other times you may have to move all the way into the timber itself.

(14) SUBMERGED WEEDY ISLAND. Productive for all types of fish in all areas.

(15) STEEP BANKS OR CLIFFS. In the south these are generally Kentucky (spotted) Bass waters. In the north, smallmouths, walleyes, northerns and lake trout in early spring (if other conditions are present).

(16) HARD BOTTOM SURROUNDED BY SOFT BOTTOM. By hard bottom we mean sand, clay gravel, rock, etc., surrounded by large areas of muck or silt, etc.

(17) DOUBLE DROP-OFFS OR STAIR-STEP LEDGE. (Below the weed line). Good for walleyes, smallmouths, and big northerns.

(18) SLOPING UNDERWATER POINTS SURROUNDED BY DEEP WATER. Productive for all fish, especially during the summer season.

✅ The underwater spots shown here can be found near shore or away from it... often on bars way out in the middle of the lake. In any of these areas, always look for a "break" in the underwater terrain. 

These "breaks" can be any of the following: (a) Points; (b) Rock and gravel piles; (c) Coves; (d) Dips; (e) Clam beds; (f) Sand rises; (g) Dips or rises in flats; (h) Inside and outside corners of off-shore bars; (i) Long thin fingers of shallow water surrounded by deep water; (i) Long flats on solid bottom accessible to deep water; (k) Sunken logs, submerged stumps or trees and isolated deep weed beds, old river beds, and in impoundments fish can suspend in limbs of submerged trees.

📸 Wiley Miller, Fishing Facts, 1972

No Dog Days

 There Are No ‘Dog Days’ For Good Fishermen

Then Associate Editor Don Woodruff with a 3-step approach to fishing the summer period. Of particular interest was the prevalent thought back then that ‘fish hate light.’ 

This was frequently mentioned in combination with fish not having any eyelids to shield them from the light, and light even ‘hurting’ their eyes. Everyone pretty much understood that cloudy days, windy days, murky water, or early and/or late could produce better fishing. We now know they just had the wrong reason - but you can still be ’right’ for the wrong reason, so the general advice and recommendations often held true.

Step 1️⃣ - Understand that fish hate light. Their security is in deep, dark waters where the light of day hardly penetrates. This depth will vary from species to species, of course, and from lake to lake. In a given lake, largemouth bass will probably be found only about half as deep as walleyes.

👉 If there is a choice of waters available to you, choose the dark, dingy waters over the spark-ling, gin-clear lakes or streams. This will help to put the odds more in your favor.

Step 2️⃣ - There is a way for you to get an approximate idea of what the light penetration is at any given time. That is to lower a white china cup into the water until it just disappears from sight. You'll be surprised at how deep that will be! Then, measure the distance of that amount of line it took to lower it to that depth and double it.

👉 …when you have measured that depth at which the white china cup just disappears from sight, you will have a reference point on which to base your fishing. Start your fishing just below that depth. Below this point is where you will find the schools of big fish.

Step 3️⃣ - Step three is how to fish those depths. Whenever it becomes necessary to fish below 25 feet, use one of three basic methods. 

1. Cast a bottom bumping jig, plain or dressed with a minnow, crawler or pork rind. 

2. Fish live bait (minnows, or best of all in summer, a conditioned nightcrawler) 

3. Trolling bottom bumping lures

👉 When casting a jig, minnow or crawler during this period, more strikes will occur if the lure or bait is cast on structure in about 15 feet of water, then gently pulled DOWN the breaks to deepest water.

👉 Six pound test line will be the maximum test to use at any time, and some waters may dictate four pound or even two pound test.

👉 NO HARDWARE. Leave leaders, spinners, swivels and snaps at home.

Tie your line directly to your hook with a Figure Eight Knot or an improved clinch knot or when using an artificial lure, use a loop knot to provide complete freedom of action.

👉 Back motor trolling, which is simply trolling in reverse, with the motor running as slowly as possible, providing the additional drag of the stern pushing against water, allows fishermen to "jig" live baits or lures, almost straight up and down as they traverse back and forth over deepest structures.

📸 Fishing Facts, 1972