50 Places To Catch Fish... Part 3

 

In this series, we give you 50 structure possibilities to look for. These are general, and we could probably give you 50 more. And, under any of the generalized headings, we could name numerous sub-categories. What we tried to do was to demonstrate the most apparent, YET GENERALIZED, situations that the average angler would encounter in a day's fishing. BONUS 1 You can read articles like this and look at maps 'till you're blue in the face, yet the only way you'll truly get an understanding of the fish locating "procedure" is to find these structure and cover situations and go fish them yourself. In that way you become intimately acquainted with this important facet of angling.

BONUS 2 If you don't remember anything else, remember this: ALWAYS, ALWAYS seek the deepest water structure in an area, FIRST, then look for a direct connection to shallow water feeding areas exists on that structure. Mature fish won't normally leave their deep water safety to cross broad, wide open, flat areas, exposing themselves to bright sunlight and predation - when they can find and use a shorter, more direct route. FIND THAT ROUTE!

(27) A SADDLE (ST)

(28) ROCK PILE (ST)

(29) CREEK OR RIVER ALONG TIMBER LINE (ST)

(30) BRUSHY BANK IN A COVE OR IN THE MAIN LAKE (c)

(31) OLD ROAD BEDS (ST)

(32) OLD CEMETERIES (ST)

(33) DRAINAGE DITCH (ST)

(34) OLD DAM ON A SMALL LAKE OR POND (ST)

(35) OLD LAKES OR PONDS (ST)

(38) SUNKEN BIG TREES (c)

(39) SUNKEN BRIDGES (ST)

(40) SUNKEN FEEDER ROAD OFF MAIN ROAD (ST) (41) OLD FOUNDATIONS (ST)

(42) OLD FIELDS (ST)

(43) CUT BANKS: SHALLOW (ST)

(44) ISLAND (ST) (c)

(45) PILINGS UNDER BRIDGES (c)

(46) OLD CREEK OR RIVER BANKS (ST)

(47) CHANNEL, GULLY, OR NATURAL WASH ON A FLAT (ST)

(50) MARINAS (c)

50 Places To Catch Fish...Part 2

 Fifty Places to Catch Fish On Impoundments, Part 2

(This is out of order, thanks to the way it was reproduced. Just roll with it and youll be fine)

✅ Our first "typical" reservoir considered will deal almost solely with the patterns of movement of largemouth bass. This is because bass and their movements are generally consistent, and even predictable, once you understand how structure and fish movements work together. 

✅ We are attempting to produce an all-encompassing "typical" impoundment, aka, reservoir, containing a great multitude of structure situations. But you should also remember that all these bottom configurations may, or MAY NOT exist on every reservoir. Also they may, or MAY NOT occur in natural lakes.

✅ We arranged these various conditions so they would be more descriptive and more easily identifiable for you.
We also did not cover all the bases; instead, we attempted to dwell on the highlights.
✅ It should also be remembered that water levels, weather conditions, water conditions (primarily water clarity), season of the year, and several other conditions can have a bearing on the "movements" of the fish on any of these structure situations.
✅ The idea here is not to give you a map that guarantees a fish is waiting for you to show up. Rather, this is meant to acquaint you with situations that you might encounter on the water. We want to help you understand fish behavior and then to think LOGICALLY what your next step-by-step procedure could be.
✅ This map also is used as a springboard to demonstrate the differences that will be found between largemouth bass activity in an impoundment and that of a walleye or smallmouth.

(17) BRUSHY FLATS OFF A CREEK OR RIVER (c)

(18) OLD FENCE ROWS: (submerged, visible or both) (c)

(19) MAN-MADE BRUSH "ATTRACTOR" ON SLICK STRUCTURE (c)
- unless this cover is adjacent to deep water structure like a creek channel, you can ignore it in favor of better structure situations.

(20) CREEK "HUGGING" THE SHORELINE FOR A  CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE (ST

(21) BACK END OF A COVE (ST)
- where a creek enters, and there is a direct, deeper water situation associated with that.

(22) SUNKEN ISLAND DESCRIBED BY A CREEK OR RIVER FORK (ST)

(23) TWO OR MORE CREEKS OR RIVERS MEETING TOGETHER (ST)

(24) SLOUGHS (ST)
- where a drop to deep water structure is present.

(25) BRUSHY POINT - seen in part one.

Diagram: Wiley Miller, Fishing Facts, 1973

50 Places To Catch Fish...Reservoirs

WAYBACK MACHINE: It’s 1973, and Al Lindner is a busy man. His TV show is airing regionally in the Midwest this year;
He’s about to start fishing full-time on the BASSMaster tournament trail;
He’s been traveling and fishing the highland lakes of TN/KY and the Ozarks, researching what makes these lakes tick - and how the walleye and bass locate and move in impoundments This study that will ultimately lead to some of the early In-Fisherman Study Guide material, as well as their first complete I-F book on bass;
Plus, he’s still a Field Editor for Fishing Facts magazine.

In this article for the magazine, he teamed up with illustrator Wiley Miller to diagram and explain 50 places to catch fish on impoundments based on his research. 

It’s “All Al, All Day” as we highlight these key locations from this in-depth, eighteen page article…plus a little bonus revealed at the end from the creative minds of Fishing Facts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Most of the locations shown in this series will relate to "structure," as opposed to "cover."
Structure fishing was a big deal in 1973 when this was written, but is nearly forgotten today, thanks to the BASS-driven industry.
That multi-billion dollar business wants you to make a thousand casts with the lures they're selling,... and if lucky, you might hook up with a fish.
But structure fishing has another mindset: it primarily aims to understand the places where adult fish live - and how they get to where you sometimes catch them. If you know that, you can better find them.
So, to help clarify the difference between the two terms, and how they apply, I include this brief primer following the guidelines of Buck Perry, The Father of Structure Fishing:

Structure
Structure dictates the "undewater highways" and features of the bottom, itself, that adult fish use to travel to-and-from their deep-water sanctuaries, to their shallow water feeding zones. They tend to use these travel lanes consistently in their movements, so finding these structure "hot spots" should be a priority.

Definition: Structure is anything that is different from, or represents a detectable change in, the structure of the bottom and its contours. 
Key Characteristic: Structure creates defined "breaks" and "breaklines" (features where the depth changes), which fish recognize as "landmarks" and by which they orient themselves in their movements. 
Examples of structure: Drop-offs, river/creek channels, humps, sinks, underwater islands, old road beds, rip-rap, deep end of points, ledges, and distinct substrate transitions (e.g., going from mud to rock).
Why It Matters: Bottom, and deep-water, structure is a must for holding schools of mature fish, and our interest lies in where it connects shallow-water feeding zones directly to the safety of deep water. 
The adult fish live in the deep water and they follow the breaks and breaklines od structure to visit the shallow feeding areas...and occasionally you might catch them there if you "throw" lures enough times... but that is not where they live full time.

Cover
By contrast, "cover" is not structure. Nowadays, the terms have been muddled and many anglers use the word, "structure" when they really mean "cover." They simply don't know the difference.  

Definition: Physical objects or vegetation connected to or associated with the bottom.
Key Characteristic: While fish often hide in or around cover, we wish to emphasize that cover without a direct structure path to deep water won't hold the most productive, migrating schools of adult fish.

Examples of cover: Weed beds, submerged stumps, fallen trees, docks, rock piles, boat ramps, the "shorline"..., all the ususal areas you are told to cast lures to.
And while fish may be there under the right conditions, that is not a sure thing...which is why you cast thousands of times to any cover you can see hoping a fish might be there.
So, would you like to up your odds? If so, focus on cover with a strong connection to the deepest water in an area. THAT is the home of the fish, so adjacent shallow water cover is more likely to hold feeding fish.
For instance, a fertile weed bed or a stump field situated directly on or adjacent to a creek channel, or drop-off, creates an ideal ambush point. However, the structure breaks are the primary road to the cover from deeper water. The cover is where the fish may end up - an incidental bonus adjacent to the path.

In the drawings here and in the next two installments, I will identify, "structure" by (ST) and, "cover" by (c):

(1) WASHED OUT AREA UNDER THE DAM (ST)

(2) RIP RAP BANK (ST)

(3) UNDERWATER SPRINGS or OLD ACTIVE WELLS (ST)

(4) CLAY POINTS (ST)

(5) SMALL CUTS IMMEDIATELY OFF A MAIN RIVER CHANNEL (ST)

(6) POINT DIRECT TO MAIN RIVER CHANNEL (ST)

(7) CREEK WINDING THROUGH SUBMERGED TIMBER OR BOAT LANES (ST)

(8) "U" BEND (EITHER IN CREEK OR RIVER BED) (ST)

(9) HUMP BETWEEN TWO CONVERGING CREEKS (ST)

(10) STUMP ROW ADJACENT TO RIVER OR CREEK BED (ST) (c)

(11) POINT AT MOUTH OF COVE (ST)

(12) LILY PADS, WEEDS, OR MOSS BEDS (c)

(13) "S" BEND IN CREEK (ST)

(14) HIGHLINE AREAS where cable supports are in the water (c)

(15) JUNCTION OF WHERE THE CREEK MEETS THE OLD RIVER BED (ST)

(16) RIVER BED "HUGGING" HIGH BLUFF SHORELINES (ST)

(25) BRUSHY POINT ADJACENT TO RIVER CHANNEL (ST)(c)

(26) SUBMERGED RISES, KNOLLS or SUNKEN ISLANDS (ST)

(48) SMALL WASH OUT (c)

(49) STEEP, DEEP ROCKY POINTS (ST)

Seasons of Bass

 Buck Perry On Bass Seasonal Reservoir Location (1973)

✅ An important notation that should be made is that when working coves and bays in the cooler season, a good rule of thumb would be:

(1) - pick coves and bays that are close to the deepest water in the area (usually the channel.)
(2) - DO NOT SPEND TIME IN BAYS AND COVES WHICH DO NOT CONTAIN SOME SORT OF CHANNEL OR FEEDER STREAM. In other words, if a cove or bay is a wide, flat area, with no sign of a channel - stay out.

✅ A good rule of thumb, to apply to SEASONAL movements of bass and fishing in a reservoir, is this: start with the first part of the year.
In the colder weather the first consideration would be to the steeper shorelines with steep, short structures. 

✅ As the season moves toward the pre-spawning season, check the steeper shores less and increase attention toward coves, bays and short bars adjacent to these areas. These coves or bays, with their shorter structures, would be worked heavy during the spawning season.

✅ After the spawning season leave the steep shoreline, most of the coves and bays, and direct your attention to the longer, flatter structures in the main body of the reservoir.
In other words, the spawning season would be the dividing line between the steeper, shorter (cold weather) structures and the flatter, longer (warm weather) structures. 

✅ In the late fall, head back toward the cold weather side.

PS at all times, when seeking these structures, give priority to those whaich are adjacent to the deepest water in an area. Idealy you want a direct connection from the deeper water to the structure

Structure Galore... A Case Study

Structure Thoughts - Submerged Island/Hump (year: 1973)

Don Woodruff first introduced this natural lake, topo-map example in a previous magazine article, but this little "hump" structure wasn’t on the original map. It was later added for the 1973 article rferenced here, and his comments about it (as well as mine) follow:

✅ Fish structure #4 is the classic submerged-island, a high knob or raised portion of the lake bottom.... often referred to simply as a, "hump."
Sometimes these structures are small, measuring in feet rather than in yards. For this very reason, you should check them out carefully. Many, if not most fishermen, may not even be aware of their existence.

🗯️ My thoughts: This is actually a pretty complex area, as you can see on the map.
There is a long point or bar just south of this island or hump, and this island/hump is almost an extension of it, in essence, creating a saddle between the two structures.
You also have a moderate flat to the east that ends at a deep hole (marked as 50'), and a steep drop to the west (point of arrow).
Depending on bottom composition in the area, as well as lake stage (Meso, Eutrophic, etc.), the 10 ft flat around the island could be weeded, or just sand/rubble with isolated patches of greenery. Regardless, you could make the case that the area could easily house many different species of fish, at many different times of the year - pre-spawn through cold water, and everything from largemouth, smallmouth, pike/muskie to walleye…even panfish. Well worth checking out and fishing in detail, IMHO.

Source: Fishing Facts, 1973

Get the Heck Out Of The Trees!

REFER TO THE MAP ABOVE THROUGHOUT THIS ARTICLE

(with footnotes)

    If you're like many anglers, you often fish man-made reservoirs - either by choice, or of neccesity. And within these formerly dry, flooded bodies of water, are many useful, man-made structures on the bottom.

    Here's the good news: these constructs make up some of the better structure found in reservoirs.
    Also, thanks to modern marine electronics and well developed hydro-mapping, these structures are not too hard to locate and observe. Moreover, they are usually cleaner of brush and debris than other areas one might fish.
    Finally, presenting bait or lures on such man-made structures, by both casting and trolling, normally requires less skill and presents fewer problems than on natural cover and structure, especially in the shallows where most anglers congregate.

    So what are we talking about? Well, "structure" refers to distinct features on the bottom of a lake or river that differ from the surrounding area.
    We are not referring to, "cover," aka, boat docks, ramps, trees, weed beds, etc....all the usual places anglers fish.
Rather, we mean 'structure.'
    It is crucial you understand that difference.
    Some common man-made structures of interest for this article, within a body of water (reservoir), might be things like:

1️⃣ Old submerged roadbeds

2️⃣ Causeways, or roads, that were constructed across certain portions of the reservoir during construction

3️⃣ The dam area

4️⃣ Power lines or old boat trails (1)...

        BONUS STRUCTURE: A lot of submerged "human structure" also exists on reservoirs bottoms as a bonus. These are things like old bridges, remains of houses or churches, old farms, quarries, river ferry crossings, sunken boats, walls, foundations, fences, etc.
    In short, wherever humans once lived BENEATH the waters you see today, there is a good chance that man-made structure could be there to attract fish. 

💯 However, two structure types should be first on the list for your attention:

- Causeways that cross the lake
- The dam and the areas adjacent to the dam

    Not every reservoir will have modern causeways crossing it, but if you are on a reservoir that has one, you're in luck. However, every reservoir will have a dam, by default.
    Regardless, both of these areas have clean workable structure, they can be worked in much the same way, and they are easy to locate.

    The dam area, especially, requires a lot of attention for several reasons.
1. It has to be there, by default, and it is easy to find
2. The deepest water in the lake occurs there
3. The structure is normally better and more varied
4. This particular area may have clumps of submerged, standing trees. (In many cases, these clumps of trees also represent a hump or some break in the structure, the meandering of channels, and so on. Such variations in bottom structure often hold fish)

    Something I noted on my nearby reservoir (Lake Murray, SC), was there were very few people making a concerted effort to really work the dam structure, itself. They buzz all around it, hoping to catch a striper or two...but it was rare to see someone actually working the dam methodically, as a structure feature all its own. 

✅ There is also a natural structure on every reservoir that intersects with man-made structure:
    The old stream or river channel.
    These channels wind and turn as they cross the reservoir bottom, and the overall depth of the channel doesn't vary a great deal from one section to that of another.
    A lot of human activity in the past will have occurred along the banks of the old river channel, too, so the odds of finding that kind of structure are increased there. And from a strictly natural structure viewpoint, the best structure on the channel will exist in two places:

- At the "turns," or bends, in the old channel
- Where the old feeder stream channels enter the main channel.

    You should check these areas thoroughly.

👉 My closing advice is this: take the suggestions from those around the boat dock (or Facebook) who tell you to head back to the trees (docks, shore, and so on) if you want to catch fish....well, take them with a grain of salt. 

    Yes, sometimes fish can be found there, under conditions that are largely a mystery to the average angler...and the entire industry is based on one singular idea:

    "Cast enough times into shallow, visible cover areas, with the latest 'hot lure' we are selling...
and you might eventually hook a fish."

    But the fish you DO catch very likely came from somewhere else to be there... a "somewhere else" you rarely, if ever, think to look.
    Flatly put, the places you are taught to cast to are not where the bigger adult fish live full time.(2)
    What happens is one gets lucky to cross paths with them when they are visiting the shallows, from time to time. But a few hours, or even minutes, either way ... and you might be fishless.
    Sound familiar?

    So in most cases, with little more to go on than..., "I caught a fish on a purple, Whack-A-Doo worm by a rock," well.... 
    Listen to such comments, but they are often a bum steer as far as locating the most consistently productive structure in the reservoir. And that should be your goal - finding consistently productive structure.
    To that end, I suggest you study this article and the included map, and put together a plan using what we've offered here. Then, keep in mind that you can usually do better by, "getting the heck out of the trees'!

- Buck Perry, 1973

Footnotes

(1) I had to look up, "boat trail,"... that term is unfamiliar to me...

"An underwater boat trail on a flooded reservoir is a submerged path historically cleared of hazards (like stumps or trees) to allow safe navigation through dense, flooded timber, or the original riverbed submerged by the lake.
Boaters use these established trails, usually marked with buoys or PVC pipes, to avoid major structural damage."

(2) Bob The Diver Dude, a local diver in Lexibngton, SC, has made a name for himself in the area recovering items lost in the waters of the local reservoir waters.

But Bob is a diver, and he is quick to recount all the large fish he sees - schools of them - swimming freely, with not an angler in sight. He is also certain they have never seen an anglers lure, because they simply live where anglers don't go looking for them.

Another instance along these lines that comes to mind is told by local guide, Chip Bragg. He says that, while trolling for striper, he is not surprised to catch hefty bass in deep water channels. 25 feet, or more... and I'd bet Ol' Chip hangs a few big catfish from time to time, as well.

The point is this: these fish don't live in the shallow shore waters we whip to foam with propeller lures and buzzbaits. Rather, they visit there on occasion, under the right conditions. After all, if big fish stayed under docks and other visible cover 24/7, we'd all be catching our limits and complaining a lot less.

It's just that most of us are unaccustomed to going after them in their true, deeper water sanctuaries.  

This was expanded from an article in the long out of print 'Fishing Facts' magazine. Hopefully it will help my fellow anglers.

Depth Finder Advice - From 1973

Stop Fishing Blindly! …Get a depth sounder

Back in 1973, your typical angler couldn’t afford a depth finder. 

According to the government’s inflation calculator, $175 for an average flasher unit back then is the equivalent of nearly $1,400 today. Tackle shops had to offer payment plans to help anglers swing the purchase. 

But George Pazik was steadfast in his thoughts that it was a tool you could not do without if you were halfway serious about your fishing.

“Broad daylight, clear sunny day... and these men are fishing blindly."

Look at the guys in the first pic. They are not novice fishermen nor are they fools, they simply don't KNOW that they're fishing blindly. It makes for a beautiful color photograph, but that's all. No fish caught. 

The next photograph in black and white shows the depth sounder reading that indicates the drop-off is from 10 to 17 feet, which is where they OUGHT TO BE FISHING.

In the last pic, you’ll see a contour map and you will note how far out from shore that drop-off comes. The section of the contour map shown on this page has an arrow pointing to the spot along the shore where those men were fishing. 

Now, it IS on a break structure that drops to the deepest water in the area. This is a decent bar, and fish do migrate up onto this bar at times where they are sometimes caught.
And thats the problem: a few fish are caught there under the right conditons. But nobody could you why...or where the fish came from to be there.

As you can see, however, these men were not where they should have been fishing. The preferred spot would be further back where the depth break seen in the second foto connects to the deeper water at 25'.

The men were close, but no cigar. They were unaware that IF fish were going to come up into the shallows where they were casting, they would be coming from the deepest water in the area.
And they would be working up the depth breaks like a staircase to get there. But they come that shallow under the right conditions...and super-bright, sunshiny daylight isnt all that inviting to them.
So the fish may have staged at the 25' mark (their sanctuary area)....but unless conditions were right and to their liking - it is unlikely they would come further...as the men found out. 

I also see the tip of the smaller island IF the depth break there contacts the 25' depth. But because it is a shallow slope, it would have to have some intermediate break for the fish to follow it all the way in, so it falls to 2nd place in priority.

So you can see, with a depth sounder, a good map, and a working knowledge of fish behavior, you can change your "luck." 

Trolling Is Key

 

The Importance Of “Trolling”

Back in the early days, Buck promoted trolling as being your “teacher.” But trolling quickly developed a negative connotation, at least in many bass fishing circles. 

What he was really talking about though was covering water to eliminate unproductive areas, and to locate higher percentage structural features to fish more thoroughly. 

Nowadays, you might refer to the same process as “idling“ or “graphing.” It’s not unusual to hear professional bass anglers mention spending nearly all their time in practice before an event doing nothing but. Today’s pros lean heavily on their electronics to accomplish this - Buck relied on his Spoonplugs. It’s the same concept in action,  before today’s modern technology existed.

Buck Sez: “The trolling, if done correctly, is your ‘teacher’ when on the water. It is the thing that will tie all the loose ends together such as structure, movements of fish, weather and water conditions, depth and speed control, mapping, and interpretation. The trolling will tell you when, where, what, why and how to cast. If you pass up the trolling process, it is doubtful you will ever become a great fisherman. 

But, after a couple years, you may be able to talk for an hour on ‘how to fish a plastic lizard.’”

How to: Analyze A Lake

 

Breaking Down A Lake

"This diagram shows the channels and the structure situations (marked with an "X") that must be checked out. 

You notice we have placed the "X" in relation to the deepest water in the area (channels). 

Please be aware of the fact our interpretation STARTS at the deepest water, not at the shallows. 

During our presentation of lures we may start at the shallows and work toward the deepest water (channels), but our "interpretation" of a PRODUCTIVE structure situation must start at the channel (deepest water in the area). 

Study this figure very carefully."

- Buck Perry, 1983

Source: Fishing Facts

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

Spoonpluggers Glossary

 Buck Sez - Spoonplugger’s Glossary (1972)

7

— This list of terms appearing in one of Buck Perry’s earliest articles for Fishing Facts magazine (1972) ran for years. 

It was added on to a short while later when Ron Lindner created/defined  a bunch more terms. Of interest, Buck defined this original set of terms in his early booklets (Spoonplugging for fresh water bass, Spoonplugging Lesson) which predated this article by nearly a decade. The terms pointed out with the emoji are newer terms that were not listed in those original booklets. —

“ We must be sure, also, that the words or terms used in talking about the different subjects are fully under-stood. For only in this way can the basic information be expanded. The Spoonplugger's Glossary which follows will explain the terms used. Study these terms so that we can be on common ground and speak the same language. At first, some of the terms may not be fully understood, but before the subject is finished you will know what they mean.”

BOW — Excess line, in the form of a curve, which occurs between the rod tip and lure.

BREAK IN STRUCTURE - Where structure is no longer uniform due to dips, or a quick drop in depth; rocks, stumps, etc.

👉 BREAKLINE - A line on structure where there is a definite increase in depth, either sudden or gradual; weedline, brushline; edge of channels or holes; where two bodies of water meet which differ in temperature and/or color.

👉 BRUSHLINE - The deep-water edge of a line of brush.

CHECKED - When an area has been thoroughly fished correctly.

👉 CLEAN BOTTOM - Bottoms free of debris, muck, moss, etc.

COLD FRONT - A weather condition. (Description and position obtainable from daily weather maps and reports.)

👉 CONTACT POINT - The position on structure where contact is first made by FISH on their movements/migrations from deep water.

CONTROLS - Factors to be considered and used for successful fishing.

CONTROL - To present lures in an orderly and correct manner.

DEEP WATER - Water that has a depth greater than eight to ten feet. 

👉 DIRTY BOTTOM - Bottoms covered with debris, muck, moss, etc.

DROP-OFF - The place on structure where there is a sudden or rapid drop into the deepest water, such as a hole or channel.

ELIMINATED WATER - Water that has been fished correctly and has produced no action.

FAN CAST - A series of casts that covers the water in an arc.

FREE SWIMMING LURE - A lure moving or swimming through open water.

GAME FISH - Any fish considered worthy of pursuit, either for its pugnacious disposition or for its flesh.

👉 HARD BOTTOM - Bottoms with a firm condition, usually associated with sand, clay, rocks, gravel, etc.

HOME - The deep water areas where fish spend most of their time.

HOT-SPOT - An area where fish are caught consistently when fish are said to be 'biting'.

👉 JUMP LURE - Normally, weighted lures used for bottom work, whose speed and action is obtained by rod or reel movement in the form of a jump or jerk.

MIGRATION - Movement of fish from one section of water to another. Normally used when speaking of a depth change.

MIGRATION ROUTE - The path fish take as they move from deep water to shallow water, or vice versa.

MOVEMENT - Closely associated with migration, but also meaning when fish become active (opposite of dormant.)

OPEN WATER — Water free from vegetation growth, and away from shoreline.

POINT - An extrusion in the shoreline that extends into and under the water.

SANCTUARY - The section of water, in the home area, where fish spend most of their time.

SCATTERPOINT - The depth, on the bottom, where fish start to separate and scatter during ther migrations, and are no longer grouped together.

SCHOOL OF FISH - A number of fish that are grouped close together.

SCHOOLING - A school of fish feeding on the surface, visibly tearing up the water.

SHALLOW WATER - Water less than eight to ten feet in depth.

SIZE OF LURE - Normally, the length in inches rather than by weight.

👉 SOFT BOTTOM - Bottoms covered with soft silt, mud, muck, marl, etc.

SPOOKED - Fish which have become alerted or have become scared. Their reaction is to drop into deeper water or to become very inactive.

STRAGGLERS - An occasional fish, which is usually found apart from the others. These are the fish most shallow, bank-and-dock casting anglers will catch (Yearlings are often in this category.)

STRUCTURE - The bottom of the lake extending from shallow water to deep water, with some unusual features that distinguish it from the surrounding bottom area.

TRAFFIC - The amount of fishing pressure, or water skiers, large boats and motors, and fast boats in a given area.

WALKING OR BUMPING - A lure moving along the bottom and actually coming into contact with it in this manner.

👉 WATER COLOR - The degree of clarity.

👉 WEEDLINE - The deep-water edge of a line of weeds.

YEARLINGS - One to three year old fish.

Channel Cats On Dip Bait

    It doesn’t get more Midwest than this…at least in the southern portion of the area. Remember opening up one of those tubs of cheese or blood bait for the first time? It practically made your eyes water..., or worse.     Sporting goods stores and tackle shops probably hated when a customer did that - but those baits did work.                  Longtime guide, outdoor writer and Fishing Hall of Famer, Ted Peck, is here with a 1990 piece on channel cats and dip baits, from back when magazines started recognizing and writing more detailed articles on catfish in general....

Highlights:

Dip baits and dip worms (short plastic worms with ridges that are anointed with a catfish-attracting mixture) have been catfish killers in some parts of the country for years. Doc's Catfish Bait, a product of Iowa, has been around since the 1920s. Other dip baits with local favor like Sonny's, G&S, Ol' Whiskers and Dunkers of a more modern genre work magic on catfish, too. Even Walmart sells these baits, nowadays. That ought to tell you that people at least buy a lot of it....if it didn't work, it would soon disppear from store shelves.

The basic spincast tackle back then is the same gear we still have today. You don't need anything fancy for catfish. But the gear had better have guts. A Zebco 404 mounted on a seven-foot, medium rod is ideal. Ten-to-twelve pound test mono will get the job done. If a worm gets hung up, a steady pull will usually retrieve it without spooking the fish.

Terminal tackle is just as simple. An assortment of egg-shaped slip-sinkers from 1/16 to 3/8-ounce, some snap-swivels and a roll of paper towels is about all you need, other than a good assortment of treble-tailed dip worms in different colors. (The paper towels are to make sure the soft plastic worms are completely dry before dunking then in the bait.)

An eighth-ounce sinker is usually the most effective weight to use when fishing from a boat. This sinker is heavy enough to maintain contact with the bottom, but isnt so heavy that it digs into every snag that it meets.

Channel catish generally prefer a bit of a current and fairly clean bottom, preferably with sand or rock & rubble substrata. In lakes, this is achieved by fishing on windward shores where the wind-pushed waters create movement and stack food. In rivers look for slack areas along the edge of the main flow. In either case, the fish tend to spend their time relating to deeper areas, and come into shallower shores to feed.     

In cold weather, try mixing the dip bait with cooking oil to get the desired consistency. In warmer climes, the bait may become too runny and not adhere to the hook. In this case, just put the bait in the shade or an ice-filled cooler next to your lunch to remedy the problem. Mixing in a little corn meal also works.