Water Depth Tutorial

 

Spoonplugging Concept: Bass, Weeds and Water Depth - 1981

✅ [The first] figure is a side view of a shallow section of a lake (could be a slough, canal, etc.). You will note the deepest water available is only 8 feet. In this case, weeds cover all water under 6-7 feet in depth. This "cover" could provide the fish sanctuary up to a point. If you remove this cover, you are not likely to find any fish here for long. If you are fishing such cover, you would try to find the deepest water under the cover. But when good movement occurs, the fish will move to the open water. This situation doesn't hold out much hope for good fishing or for many big fish over a period of time. It's just too shallow (for most of the country).

✅ The [second] figure… is another side view of a similar situation, but in this case the weeds go down to 14 feet. The "open" water (free of weeds) is only slightly deeper. Here again, the sanctuary is likely to be in the weeds. But if this open water gets beyond 20 feet or better, then you begin to figure the sanctuary is in the open water. 

✅ It's a simple case of the deeper water having a more "stable" condition. A fish can adapt to a changed environment, but the less changing the better. Deep water is the only reliable escape route he has from a changing environment. If he doesn't have it, he might survive in some manner, but it's not likely to be good fishing for you and me. 

✅ Fish in this situation have little escape from extremes of weather (and water conditions). They can become more dormant, and for a longer period of time, than those in the deep water which helps offset the effects of bad weather. We may have to go deeper for them, but at least they become active enough to catch. Whereas, in shallow weed situations we could beat our brains out until there is a great improvement in the weather.

Buck Perry - Home Study Series