Bass Fishing: Offshore Structures

Every bass angler has had the phrase “it’s too hot for them today,” or “it’s too cold for them today” slip through their lips at least once. What the angler doesn’t know is while they were beating the banks all day and coming up short there was another angler fishing in the unseen “honey holes.” I’m talking about offshore structures. Rather it be the old road bed in 30+ feet of water or the hump in 12 foot of water, both are excellent spots most anglers overlook.

Types of Structures

When I say offshore structures hold bass I’m not saying go to anywhere in the middle of the lake on a cold or hot day and the bass will be piled on top of one another. There are certain structures to look for, making the use and knowledge of your depth finder a must.

Natural Structures- Channels, humps, saddles, points. All of these are prime spots to find a good accumulation of bass. If the bass are following baitfish then try a channel, they are known to be highways for migrating baitfish. If the fishing pressure is up then try a hump or a submerged island, most of these are overlooked and result in little pressure.

Man-Made Structures- Sunken boats, flooded road beds, old foundations. These structures are most offshore anglers’ bread and butter. These locations bring bass in the masses and will be a spawning ground for most bass. Once again I cannot express the importance of knowing how to read a depth finder and pay close attention if you want to stand any chance of finding these places.

How to Fish It?

Now that I’ve got you to turn around and realize there is a lake on both sides of the boat you may be wondering what to do. How do you go from 5 foot of water, seeing everything you’re throwing at to 20 foot of water and not seeing anything except some lines on your depth finder? The answers to that are endless but I’ll give you a few tried and true methods.

Crank it- Get out a crankbait and go to town. Use the appropriate crankbait based on the amount of water you are in, this could be a Bomber Fat Free Shad in 20 foot of water or a Manns 30+ in deeper water. After you find the fish with a crank, you can usually tie on a jig and pig and fill the boat. This is a good technique during winter.

Rig it- The Carolina rig is another fantastic way to cover a lot of water and find a lot of fish without wasting time. If you get a fish then tie on a jigging spoon and fish it vertically around the area you caught it. In the summer and winter the bass will be bunched up and you may turn a fish into few fish very quickly.

Most importantly always have fun and enjoy your time on the water. Offshore fishing, beating the banks, or sitting on the bank fishing always respect your environment and take a kid with you. Good luck and tight lines!