Favourite Structure for A Species

[Musky or Specks]

Another thread led me to this because of some of the answers in that thread. I wanna know what structure that when you find it gets your mojo going for a certain species. Something thats pretty specific. Spot on a spot kind of thing that makes your confidence soar that you will catch fish on it.

 

Im going to start with my all time favourite. It would be a sandy point that extends out into the lake with real deep water on one side and more of a medium to shallow flat on the other. Somewhere about the 10-12 ft mark there two or three boulders about the size of torso. Around those boulders would be a very sparse patch of cabbage. Not thick but there.

 

Thats my dream muskie structure and wherever Ive found it when I approach those spots my confidance soars.

Edited May 28, 2008 by Musky or Specks

[gone_fishin]

overhanging tree into about 4 to 6 feet of water (Kawarthas especially) for large and smallmouth bass! pitching jigs or texas rigs... can't wait!

[Sinker]

I like points that extend way out to deep water. Throw a mix of weeds and rocks in the mix and your set for anything that swims.

 

Sinker

[ehg]

A large mid lake reef 5-12 ft deep with some weeds, surrounded by much deeper water.

These always have musky or bass during the summer in the Kawarthas. Casting bass topwaters

or musky bucktails around these areas can produce.

[OhioFisherman]

Points, especially off shore points, harder to locate for the average fisherman and they get less fishing pressure. Weedy flats with much deeper water nearby, if the flat is 5 feet I like to see 10 to 15 feet of water real close by.

 

Structure, wood, rocks, tree stumps, submerged culverts, old road beds, anything that can be used for an ambush spot or current break, wind can cause a current in lakes and the fish will use them.

 

Sudden depth changes(drop offs) doesn`t take much at times, just gives fish another type of ambush point or edge to trap bait fish.

 

The shoreline can get hit pretty hard on a lot of lakes, finding off shore breaks and structure can help a trip.

[lew]

I spend ALOT of time fish'n for muskies after dark and I like to be in shallow water, less than 4 feet deep and within casting distance of shore. The bottom will be sand with some sparce weeds scattered around, but the area will be surrounded by cabbage and a drop-off to deeper water will be clsoe-by. There'll also be some rocks jutting out into the water from some small points and the big girls will be cruising the area in seach of a late night snack.

 

It'll be 10:30 at night with no wind, the moon & stars will be shining and I'll be the only boat on the water cause everybody called it a day when the sun went down and are now at home watching TV.

 

The only sound will be my 10" jointed Believer slowly click, click, clicking across the surface.

 

It'll be too dark to see it happen, but the water will explode, my fish'n pole will double over and I'll be in my glory for the next few minutes and wondering why the heck everybody else is in their cottages watching the idiot box while I'm on the lake having soooooooooo much fun all by myself

 

The fish in my avatar is just one of countless muskies taken at night over the years while everybody else has wimped out and are sitting at home wondering what to do next.

 

And THAT, Musky or Specks, is the structure that get's my mojo goin

 

C'mon June 7th

Edited May 28, 2008 by lew

[MCTFisher9120]

Submerged branches....and or weed pockets

[bushart]

Outside corners---big fish all day long--just kiddin-usually good though

[Reef Runner]

Sunken islands and saddles that are littered with sparse cabbage growth and adjacent to deeper water.

 

...but reading Lew's comments, I've gotsto try me some night fishing in the shallows.

 

reefrunner

[Bitsmith2k]

overhanging tree into about 4 to 6 feet of water (Kawarthas especially) for large and smallmouth bass! pitching jigs or texas rigs... can't wait!

 

i'll second this.. specially on the kawarthas.. and i'll add that i follow the shade too..

[addy79]

Sunken Islands and Reefs always produce for me...

 

I've become a fan of Shallow Sandy Beaches adjacent to deeper water for just about any species swimming in the lake

 

Beaver Dams and fallen trees are usually Bass condos!

[bucktail]

Ill second the saddle, then a nice sharp inside corner on a weedbed that drops away into deeper water. Cant miss!!!!

[BillM]

I'll let you know once I get back from the June 7th muskie opener on the French

 

 

Lew, where about's do you plan on hitting it?

[Moosebunk]

A south facing, well defined river eddy with a mix of rock and clay and maybe a little pencil weed or cabbage growing shoreline. Either or both pike or eyes will be waiting.

 

Or, a runoff or creek into either the main river or a calm back bay.. in the spring.

[rob v]

Rocky points extending into deeper water, mid lake humps, drop offs, well defined mid lake weed lines and like Lew described, casting top waters into the shallows at night - all great opportunity for mr walled eye -

[Musky or Specks]

A south facing, well defined river eddy with a mix of rock and clay and maybe a little pencil weed or cabbage growing shoreline. Either or both pike or eyes will be waiting.

 

Or, a runoff or creek into either the main river or a calm back bay.. in the spring.

Do you figure south facing because of the sun exposure.Puts some extra heat into the water up there? I find down here when its really cold in the fall even a degree of difference in water temps can really turn fish on.

 

And Lew that does it IM starting night fishing.Your waxing poetic on its virtues have won me over.

[Musky or Specks]

For specks in lakes I like a shoreline thats steep and tree covered with deep water right off of it. Ideally the section of steep shore line will be sandwhiched between two swales that have shallow weedy flats out front. On the steep shoreline trees will have been blown down willy nilly and super thick with their tops down in the deepest water. Somewhere along that shore will be a 20 foot wide gap in the blow downs leaving a casting channel right up into the shore. SCHWING!!!!!!!

[solopaddler]

Brook Trout in lakes: Beaver lodge adjacent to deep water.

Brook Trout in large northern rivers: The smooth, deep, swift flowing slick found right at the brink of heavy rapids or falls.

Musky and large Pike: Saddle between 2 small islands adjacent to deep water.

Walleye in lakes (summer): Large mid-lake shoal surrounded by deep water topping out at 17-20' (seems to be the magic depth in tannin stained lakes).

Steelhead: Tailout of long classic pool with moderate (3-4') depth.

Largemouth Bass: Large fallen trees extending out into deep water.

Smallmouth Bass: Windswept shorelines with moderate depth and baseball to basketball sized rocks.

Lake Trout: Well defined, deep (30-60') main lake narrows.

 

Great topic!

Edited May 28, 2008 by solopaddler

[Musky or Specks]

For river smallmouth give me that big long 4-6 ft deep flat. No current visible on the surface. Lots of boulders through the flat but not to many .Very spread out boulder cover. Almost none of the boulders should be visible on the surface. They should be at least a foot underwater. Mix of rubble,pebble and sand bottom. No real weed to speak of. Like the flat to at least be the length of a football field. I can spend a long time fishing something like that with casts to every side of every boulder.

[fishdawg]

Thermocline & temp breaks

[mattyk]

mid lake hump or a wind swept point.

[jwl]

I see some great choices...tough one to answer really..I guess it depends on alot of factors for me..species targeted,time of year, water temps, available structure, forage base.

 

I like fishing any big transition point in an area, but again the above factors come into play as well.

 

For example if I am fishing winter steelies on the Niagara, in the boat I am fishing current breaks and looking to find the fish in about 15 fow for the most part in areas adjacent to about 25 fow..if I am fishing the banks I look for back eddy areas that the fish will rest and feed in with a decent drop off to deeper water.

[Garry2Rs]

Bring on the Docks and Rocks...Grin.

[Musky or Specks]

I know for me just writing down the description of the spots brings back excellent memeroies of successes and gets me pumped to go fishing.

 

For stream fishing brown trout give me a pinch down where the stream goes to a third of its width in a riffle and then take a hard turn scouring out the bank and creating a pool thats deepest next to the bank. Add in a big logjam that sits on the bank as well and I KNOW that holds a brown. I'll stand above the riffle in the push and cast a wooley bugger or Bow River Bugger down into the turn and hold it and pump it in the current until senior brown gets ticked off enough to hit it.

Edited May 29, 2008 by Musky or Specks

[setomonkey]

Great thread guys, I'm learning a lot just reading previous posts, esp. from guys with way more experience than me fishing for muskie or trout.

 

My fave spot on spot has to be a rocky point with deep water on one side and sandy, weedy shallower water on the other. Hold off it with the trolling motor, cover it with a fast lure like a spinnerbait or crankbait, then fish it more slowly and carefully with a jig.

 

Had some great times on these kinds of spots...

 

Mike