Deep Water Bass Fishing | Fishing Tips and Guides

Today we discuss Deep Water Bass Fishing. Ask any angler, and he will say how intimidating deep fishing can be. And when it links with bass fishing, there’s no respite for anglers. You need to be on your toe with excellent technique, the right fishing gear, lures and baits, and patience for deep water bass fishing.

During summertime, the oxygen level in the water surface becomes lower. So, bass dives deep into the water to get more oxygen, making fishing them difficult on summer days. Particularly, beginner and inexperienced anglers will find it extremely difficult to locate the schools of bass fish in the vast water bodies and arrange their fishing plan accordingly.

We know how frustrating it is. That’s why we have dig deep into the matter and prepared a guideline on deep bass fishing tips for you.

Tips For Deep Water Bass Fishing

Bass anglers are adept at finding their target bass around 5ft to 7ft deep in the water. But, during summer and winter, the bass often goes into more depth, well over 10ft underwater. At this time, all bass anglers, irrespective of their skill and experience level, will find fishing deep water bass incredibly tough. Thus, the following tips may aid you in this regard.

Use a Fish Finder

When bass trolls around 3ft or 5ft underwater close to the rocks or shores, you can find them with naked eyes. But the same isn’t true when the fish dives deep into the water.

The fish finder helps you locate the school of bass accurately and informs you about the water depth. This is a huge bonus as you can pick the right lure and bait along with the proper fishing line knowing how deep you have to reach.

Also, with a fish finder, you will have great knowledge of the underwater landscape. For instance, you will know the location of the rocks, plants, deeper channels, and favorite places for bass to hide.

Ledges Are Good Shelter

Although bass dives in deep water during summer and winter, they don’t leave their instincts. It includes an attractive place for both hiding and food. And who doesn’t know a ledge is the most favorite place for bass to hide and eat?

So, even if you fish in deep water, looking for underwater ledges will be useful. Ledges allow bass easy up and down according to the stream and help in a safe shelter. Many basses will therefore position themselves against the ledges.

We suggest you cast the fishing line in a parallel position with the ledges. It would help you catch big bass better.

Football Jig

Football jigs are designed to work in deeper water with good drugs. The jig mimics the bottom fish incredibly well, including sculpins and crawfish. Since crawfish is the natural food for bass, it will allure them better.

You can pick ½ ounce football jigs at 10ft to 15ft depth of the water, for starters. If you, however, plan to go deeper water, choosing a ¾ ounce football jig will be helpful. Also, the cast should be long enough to reach the bottom of the lake or river.

As you cast the fishing line, allow it a free spool. Then, drag the line towards the boat slowly. The trick can be highly useful when the bass is feeding aggressively. Plus, it helps you catch bigger bass.

Carolina Jig

Many bass anglers put Carolina jig over football jig. However, we think it isn’t a good fit for bigger bass, so we keep it in the second position after the football jig.

Carolina jig easily reaches the bottom of your fishing locations and can go incredibly close to the bass with the lures. Take account of the water depth and distance of the bass from the surface to choose your appropriate leader and Carolina jig weight.

The fish finder will help you to locate the bass and find the water depth in this regard. Use the fishing line with 12-35 inches and also an egg sinker. For live baits, you can choose from worms, crawfish, or other insects.

Also, as you drag the Carolina jig towards the offshore work slowly, when you feel fish bites, drag your hook hard and sturdily.

Proper Boat Positioning

Boat positioning for deep water fishing is as important as it is for shallow water fishing. Sadly, many bass anglers forget it and don’t focus on boat position for deep water.  You must remember that without the right presentation, you won’t catch a single fish even if there’re hundreds around you.

Make sure your baits are visible to the bass and follow the right angle as you drag it. This way, you can increase your bass fishing chances quite significantly.

Use Crankbait Properly

Crankbaits will change your fishing ideas forever if you know how to use them appropriately. You can allure the bass using the crankbait when they are feeding aggressively. These baits mimic the baitfish profile, and some high-end models can go as deep as 20ft underwater.

You will get superior results when you use the bait with a quality fishing line. The crankbait will keep the bait in the bottom and cause deflections forcing the bass to believe it is an original insect. So, the chances of striking the bait increase effectively.

Patience And Confidence Are Essential

No matter how good-quality baits and jigs you use, it ultimately goes down to your patience and confidence for bass fishing in deep water. It would be best to accept that the first few attempts will fail, but the key is to remain patient. Also, you must be confident and trust your fishing skills.

When you are confident and ready to wait for the bass to strike the baits, you can certainly get rewarded with some big bass catches.

Conclusion

Bass fishing is a challenging sport. But it gets tougher when we talk about deep water bass fishing. Nonetheless, these seven top tips on bass fishing in deep water should drag you out of the hole and help catch your targeted bass.

Plus, you can consider finding the right sensitivity of the fishing rod, using the current to your benefit, and bucktail jigs for better results. The key is to practice and remain calm for success in bass fishing in deeper water.