how to find bass offshore, or by reading a lake map?

Answer 1

Start by buying a marine topo map of the lake you are gonna fish. Peruse it and notice quick changes in depth & structure.

For example: Keep your eye's out for "sunken island's", "steep drop's", "long point's & short point's", & rip rap or structure (this would include sunken boat's, tree's, old roadbed's, dock piling's, Etc.).

Also, look for bridges & feeder creek's that flow into and out of your lake.

Mark these on your map in dry erase or pencil. When you are about to leave from the public ramp check your bearing's and go investigate your "finding's".

OR, just start "scouting" the lake slowly with your depth recorder. When you see a "fishy" spot, mark it's area by taking a "sight bearing" and then mark it's general area on your map. It's a good idea to have a pad & pencil handy for "notes".

Log 6-8 spot's and then go back and fish them with unobtrusive, natural, looking lures or bait. Deep crank-bait's and Jig's work best (IMHO) for this type of fishing.

Also, many lake-home owner's will sink their own structure with-in casting distance of their dock's. Cruise the shoreline about 25-45 Yrd's out looking for brushpiles & strange depth changes.

Generally, Bass will NOT be in water's over 40 FT, (unless your fishing in Cali or the Great Lakes). Look for baitfish popping on top. Always have a Rattle Trap ready to throw at offshore "schoolie Bass". Never spend more than 25 minutes "scouting" a new offshore hump or bump. If it produces GREAT! IF NOT, leave.

Hope this help's ya? Good luck!

(Thanks for the vote of confidence Golden Feather! I know you "know" your stuff when it comes to "throwing a line". Thanks again!)

Answer 2

for fishing offshore i would say get a lake map with contour lines and fish deep water dropoffs, ledges, stumps, rocks any kind of structure and fish attractors for deep water i really like to use a jig from 1/4 of an oz to a 1 oz jig my favorite colors would be #1 green pumpkin #2 watermelon #3 orange / brown #4 black red/ red flash #5 black blue. Heres how i like to fish them with hopping action and dragging it across structure. A key to catching the big ones is to fish the lure right on the structure. My second favorite deep water lure would have to be a deep running crank bait I like to use a DT 10 or DT 16 or Bombers fatfree 3 inch crank. I tend to use lure colors the are natural fish colors the hoggs in western pa tend to hit more on the colors like perch, white ghost, chrome black, and bleeding shad colors. Best of luck.

Answer 3

DAaam Stop not a thing I can add to that answer...GOOD JOB

Answer 4

try by weedlines and under trees and stuff like that