How to catch fish all day

I have been studying the Buck Perry System for Structure Fishing. It is
very informative, but I am still having some difficulty with a couple
things. He emphasizes that he believes that bass spend the most of their
time in the deepest water in the area. (Not to be confused with the deepest
water in the whole lake.)

He goes onto say that the fish are often contacted by fishermen when they
are moving up or down the structure from deepwater to shallower water to
feed. Even more so he goes on to say that the bigger fish often do not move
up as much as the smaller fish.

Would that indicate that if your are nailing down 1 to 2 lb fish you should
drop back to deeper water along any structure or break leading back to pick
up bigger fish?

In the area I fish there is almost no really deep water. Ten or twelve feet
would be considered deep, with very few holes anywhere going more than
fifteen feet. I have consistantly caught fish off of weeds with a drop to
6 or 7 feet off the edge of the weeds, but I have caught very few fish in
deeper water, and very few fish up shallow. Almost nobody I talk to around
here spends much time in the deeper water except catfishermen. A lot of
people talk about pitching way back into heavy cover like it is the holy
grail of big fish. I have to be honest. I spent a lot of time pitching and
flipping last year with little success. I caught a few fish, but nothing
spectacular with maybe 3 lbs being the biggest.

The weed edges have produced more fish consistantly, but not all that large.
On the other hand I would rather weigh in five fish from one to two ponds in
a tournament than just one 3 lb fish.

I am trying to figure out when or at what ambient light level to try the
different areas. When I used to fish the canal banks regularly my best time
to fish was from the hottest part of the afternoon until that light and
temperature break that happens in the late afternoon. The fishing usually
picks up about that time and then tapers off until after sunset with an
occassional good bite just around sunset.

Now I look back and analyze that to try and understand what is happening.
During that hot really bright time of day the fish are concentrated on cover
like bridges and pipes. That afternoon temperature drop is usually paired
with a slight reduction of light level. If you aren't tuned to it you don't
really notice it because its still darned bright out there in the desert
sun. The fish get active then. If you follow Buck Perry's advice he would
say it is because of the change in light level. If you follow what I always
believed its because of the temperature drop. The light level makes a
little more sense to me now because the fish can always go deeper, and in
the canals the constant current keeps the water conditions slightly more
stable.

I think that time is more productive because they are becoming more active,
but still close to the cover where you can find them. Then they begin to
spread out. Still active but harder to find any concentrations of fish. I
actually suspect that the sunset burst of activity that sometimes happens is
when you find a larger group of fish in an area as they become the most
active for a short time.

I am trying to figure out how to transfer this knowledge to the river and
lakes along the lower Colorado or even if it does translate. Since I mostly
fish on the river from before sunrise until early afternoon the conditions
are obviously different. In addition my best times in the past are not even
fished. Add on the super abundance of cover along the river and all the
lakes there really isn't anyplace that concentrates fish that I can figure
out.

I have fished other places in the past where I could catch a dozen or more
fish in a very small area or off a single spot in a very short time.
Usually there is something distinctive about the spot that I could use
elsewhere to figure out fish. In the river and back lakes I have found a
few areas that will produce four or five small fish or one or two larger
fish, but the areas are larger and the single spots are almost nonexistant.
One or two spots have produced a fish or two on successive trips, but not
consistantly.

The closest I have come to finding a good spot was areas that seemed to trap
baitfish. I could usually catch fish in those spots for upto a half an
hour, but as soon as the bait fish break out of the area the bass and other
predatory fish are gone. I can't seem to find them and catch a single fish
when that happens. They have to go somewhere. Where?

--
Public Fishing Forums
Fishing Link Index
www.YumaBassMan.com

Bob, if I can offer some creative criticism...

You're WAY overthinking this fishing thing pal.

Bass don't read textbooks & they're usually not where they're supposed to
be.

Learn to run & gun, to eliminate water.

You'll figure it out.

Oh, and once you find them they still might not bite ;-)

Warren
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
I have been studying the Buck Perry System for Structure Fishing. It is
very informative, but I am still having some difficulty with a couple
things. He emphasizes that he believes that bass spend the most of their
time in the deepest water in the area. (Not to be confused with the
deepest
water in the whole lake.)

He goes onto say that the fish are often contacted by fishermen when they
are moving up or down the structure from deepwater to shallower water to
feed. Even more so he goes on to say that the bigger fish often do not
move
up as much as the smaller fish.

Would that indicate that if your are nailing down 1 to 2 lb fish you
should
drop back to deeper water along any structure or break leading back to
pick
up bigger fish?

In the area I fish there is almost no really deep water. Ten or twelve
feet
would be considered deep, with very few holes anywhere going more than
fifteen feet. I have consistantly caught fish off of weeds with a drop
to
6 or 7 feet off the edge of the weeds, but I have caught very few fish in
deeper water, and very few fish up shallow. Almost nobody I talk to
around
here spends much time in the deeper water except catfishermen. A lot of
people talk about pitching way back into heavy cover like it is the holy
grail of big fish. I have to be honest. I spent a lot of time pitching
and
flipping last year with little success. I caught a few fish, but nothing
spectacular with maybe 3 lbs being the biggest.

The weed edges have produced more fish consistantly, but not all that
large.
On the other hand I would rather weigh in five fish from one to two ponds
in
a tournament than just one 3 lb fish.

I am trying to figure out when or at what ambient light level to try the
different areas. When I used to fish the canal banks regularly my best
time
to fish was from the hottest part of the afternoon until that light and
temperature break that happens in the late afternoon. The fishing usually
picks up about that time and then tapers off until after sunset with an
occassional good bite just around sunset.

Now I look back and analyze that to try and understand what is happening.
During that hot really bright time of day the fish are concentrated on
cover
like bridges and pipes. That afternoon temperature drop is usually paired
with a slight reduction of light level. If you aren't tuned to it you
don't
really notice it because its still darned bright out there in the desert
sun. The fish get active then. If you follow Buck Perry's advice he
would
say it is because of the change in light level. If you follow what I
always
believed its because of the temperature drop. The light level makes a
little more sense to me now because the fish can always go deeper, and in
the canals the constant current keeps the water conditions slightly more
stable.

I think that time is more productive because they are becoming more
active,
but still close to the cover where you can find them. Then they begin to
spread out. Still active but harder to find any concentrations of fish.
I
actually suspect that the sunset burst of activity that sometimes happens
is
when you find a larger group of fish in an area as they become the most
active for a short time.

I am trying to figure out how to transfer this knowledge to the river and
lakes along the lower Colorado or even if it does translate. Since I
mostly
fish on the river from before sunrise until early afternoon the conditions
are obviously different. In addition my best times in the past are not
even
fished. Add on the super abundance of cover along the river and all the
lakes there really isn't anyplace that concentrates fish that I can figure
out.

I have fished other places in the past where I could catch a dozen or more
fish in a very small area or off a single spot in a very short time.
Usually there is something distinctive about the spot that I could use
elsewhere to figure out fish. In the river and back lakes I have found a
few areas that will produce four or five small fish or one or two larger
fish, but the areas are larger and the single spots are almost
nonexistant.
One or two spots have produced a fish or two on successive trips, but not
consistantly.

The closest I have come to finding a good spot was areas that seemed to
trap
baitfish. I could usually catch fish in those spots for upto a half an
hour, but as soon as the bait fish break out of the area the bass and
other
predatory fish are gone. I can't seem to find them and catch a single
fish
when that happens. They have to go somewhere. Where?

--
Public Fishing Forums
Fishing Link Index
www.YumaBassMan.com

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Bob, if I can offer some creative criticism...

You're WAY overthinking this fishing thing pal.

Bass don't read textbooks & they're usually not where they're supposed to
be.

Learn to run & gun, to eliminate water.

You'll figure it out.

Oh, and once you find them they still might not bite ;-)

That last sentence says a mouthful. Wednesday, my son and I went fishing on
a large, clear lake. With a severe cold front hitting the area, we could
find fish but nothing we did could make them bite.

We then went to a different lake and caught 4 largemouth in a row on Flukes.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
Bob, if I can offer some creative criticism...

You're WAY overthinking this fishing thing pal.

Not disagreeing, but I am one of those guys who solves things by cogitating
on them. There are some locals who just instinctively know what to do, but
I gotta figure it out.

Bass don't read textbooks & they're usually not where they're supposed to
be.

Maybe on the average day, but on the days when I have done really well they
were exactly where they should be. What I'm trying to figure out is where
they shoulld be on average days. Obviously its not just luck because there
are guys who do well every time out.

Learn to run & gun, to eliminate water.


I don't have enough good locations figured out to run and gun all day long
yet. It does work, because lots of guys who have been fishing the area for
many years do exactly that. They basically have a milk run for the
different seasons figured out that they fish every time out.

You'll figure it out.


I have alot of confidence that I will, but hopefully while I am still young
enough to enjoy it. LOL. I'm not complaining. I've had lots of good days
on the water. I just want to fighure out how to turn marginal days into
good days and bad days into just slow days.

Oh, and once you find them they still might not bite ;-)


No kidding, although THAT is happening less often. I've got two or three
good things I try to provoke fish when I find them, but can't catch them.
The biggest is trying to figure why they are there and then finesse spots
like that from further off. Try throwing realy light stuff into the wind
for distance on a windy day. It works soemtimes when nothing else will.
--
Public Fishing Forums
Fishing Link Index
www.YumaBassMan.com

Warren


"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
I have been studying the Buck Perry System for Structure Fishing. It is
very informative, but I am still having some difficulty with a couple
things. He emphasizes that he believes that bass spend the most of
their
time in the deepest water in the area. (Not to be confused with the
deepest
water in the whole lake.)

He goes onto say that the fish are often contacted by fishermen when
they
are moving up or down the structure from deepwater to shallower water to
feed. Even more so he goes on to say that the bigger fish often do not
move
up as much as the smaller fish.

Would that indicate that if your are nailing down 1 to 2 lb fish you
should
drop back to deeper water along any structure or break leading back to
pick
up bigger fish?

In the area I fish there is almost no really deep water. Ten or twelve
feet
would be considered deep, with very few holes anywhere going more than
fifteen feet. I have consistantly caught fish off of weeds with a drop
to
6 or 7 feet off the edge of the weeds, but I have caught very few fish
in
deeper water, and very few fish up shallow. Almost nobody I talk to
around
here spends much time in the deeper water except catfishermen. A lot of
people talk about pitching way back into heavy cover like it is the holy
grail of big fish. I have to be honest. I spent a lot of time pitching
and
flipping last year with little success. I caught a few fish, but
nothing
spectacular with maybe 3 lbs being the biggest.

The weed edges have produced more fish consistantly, but not all that
large.
On the other hand I would rather weigh in five fish from one to two
ponds
in
a tournament than just one 3 lb fish.

I am trying to figure out when or at what ambient light level to try the
different areas. When I used to fish the canal banks regularly my best
time
to fish was from the hottest part of the afternoon until that light and
temperature break that happens in the late afternoon. The fishing
usually
picks up about that time and then tapers off until after sunset with an
occassional good bite just around sunset.

Now I look back and analyze that to try and understand what is
happening.
During that hot really bright time of day the fish are concentrated on
cover
like bridges and pipes. That afternoon temperature drop is usually
paired
with a slight reduction of light level. If you aren't tuned to it you
don't
really notice it because its still darned bright out there in the desert
sun. The fish get active then. If you follow Buck Perry's advice he
would
say it is because of the change in light level. If you follow what I
always
believed its because of the temperature drop. The light level makes a
little more sense to me now because the fish can always go deeper, and
in
the canals the constant current keeps the water conditions slightly more
stable.

I think that time is more productive because they are becoming more
active,
but still close to the cover where you can find them. Then they begin
to
spread out. Still active but harder to find any concentrations of fish.
I
actually suspect that the sunset burst of activity that sometimes
happens
is
when you find a larger group of fish in an area as they become the most
active for a short time.

I am trying to figure out how to transfer this knowledge to the river
and
lakes along the lower Colorado or even if it does translate. Since I
mostly
fish on the river from before sunrise until early afternoon the
conditions
are obviously different. In addition my best times in the past are not
even
fished. Add on the super abundance of cover along the river and all the
lakes there really isn't anyplace that concentrates fish that I can
figure
out.

I have fished other places in the past where I could catch a dozen or
more
fish in a very small area or off a single spot in a very short time.
Usually there is something distinctive about the spot that I could use
elsewhere to figure out fish. In the river and back lakes I have found
a
few areas that will produce four or five small fish or one or two larger
fish, but the areas are larger and the single spots are almost
nonexistant.
One or two spots have produced a fish or two on successive trips, but
not
consistantly.

The closest I have come to finding a good spot was areas that seemed to
trap
baitfish. I could usually catch fish in those spots for upto a half an
hour, but as soon as the bait fish break out of the area the bass and
other
predatory fish are gone. I can't seem to find them and catch a single
fish
when that happens. They have to go somewhere. Where?

--
Public Fishing Forums
Fishing Link Index
www.YumaBassMan.com

From one Bob to another :-)

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
I have been studying the Buck Perry System for Structure Fishing. It is
very informative, but I am still having some difficulty with a couple
things. He emphasizes that he believes that bass spend the most of their
time in the deepest water in the area. (Not to be confused with the
deepest
water in the whole lake.)

He goes onto say that the fish are often contacted by fishermen when they
are moving up or down the structure from deepwater to shallower water to
feed. Even more so he goes on to say that the bigger fish often do not
move
up as much as the smaller fish.

Would that indicate that if your are nailing down 1 to 2 lb fish you
should
drop back to deeper water along any structure or break leading back to
pick
up bigger fish?

In the area I fish there is almost no really deep water. Ten or twelve
feet
would be considered deep, with very few holes anywhere going more than
fifteen feet. I have consistantly caught fish off of weeds with a drop
to
6 or 7 feet off the edge of the weeds, but I have caught very few fish in
deeper water, and very few fish up shallow. Almost nobody I talk to
around

I am not going to try to guess at the knowledge needed for your river
fishing, but will try adding in a few things that I do know. The rough
answer is that yes, you do back up to deeper water. But this comes with a
huge 'caveat emptor (sic)', what Buck is talking about is just some deeper
water that will be nearby, preferably with it's own structure points. This
water may be as little as 6"-12" deeper and may be anywhere in size from a
small living room and on up. Some of the best Bass fishing that I have ever
had was on lakes that had nothing deeper than 12'. If you can find small
fish in 3'-4', try backing up just a bit to around 5', and then maybe 6',
work's for me (sometimes). Your Mileage May Vary.

If you have Bucks' book on structure fishing from his 9 part study series,
the other 8 books will supply you with a brain full of connecting
information. Wonderful series of books.

You might want to consider one more book that is dedicated to teaching
structure fishing, and that is Lunkers Love Nightcrawlers. This book
condenses down a lot of the info that Buck first put in print and adds even
more info, which is real easy to do when you are picking the brains of
people like Spence Petros, Jim Wrolstad, Al and Ron Lindner, etc. I highly
suggest trying to find a 1st edition from 1972, as this was written in the
days before every boat had one or more fish locators on board. The editors
went more into the how's and where's and whatfor's of structure than the
newer editions do, although the newer ones do provide more than ample
instruction on really reading your locator. (OK, maybe you need a 1st AND
5th edition :-).

The guys that do the 'run & gun' method can cover a lot of water and do
well, but I always preferred to do my run & gun's to locations that have
proved to me to be that they may produce good results, although nothing is
guaranteed. Obviously this only works on water that I am familiar with, but
I do like to know why they are in a particular spot at a certain time.

Bob

I believe it is important for you to learn all that you can, especially the
studies on structure, bass migration, their feeding habits, weather, etc.,
and how they all relate in your spare time. For all this information is
valuable so that you can see how it all plays out on the waters you fish.

Tournament fishing is all about playing percentages and probabilities.
There is running and gunning like Warren suggested, but even he uses all the
information he has learned over the years to run and gun on the highest
probability areas, depth zones, etc., for the water and conditions he is
facing.

Warren forgets that all this is second nature to him now. He analyzes the
situation in a fraction of a second where newbies and intermediate anglers
may have to study the situation for a much longer period of time. But that
is when you realize you are good. When you fish and it is all second
nature. You stop trying to remember what you need to do when you are faced
with a certain condition, and you just automatically read the situation and
react with what appears to be no thought. When in reality, decades of data,
ten of thousands of on-the-water practice and experience are instantly
recalled, the situation recognized, and the action need is determined and
employed.

Trust me, someday all this will become as natural to you as flipping a lure.



--
Craig Baugher
Be Confident, Focused, but most of all Have FUN!

My personal Kudos to anyone who can read & think Buck Perry without promptly
falling asleep or getting headaches. Buck Perry was a great angler and
fishing theorist, I understand, but I am not sure that he ever really
enjoyed one single minute of any of it. I know that those same old dead bass
that he kept posing for his catch photos sure didn't.

--
Bob Rickard
(AKA Dr. Spinnerbait)
www.secretweaponlures.com
--------------------------=x O')))


"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
I have been studying the Buck Perry System for Structure Fishing. It is
very informative, but I am still having some difficulty with a couple
things. He emphasizes that he believes that bass spend the most of their
time in the deepest water in the area. (Not to be confused with the
deepest
water in the whole lake.)

He goes onto say that the fish are often contacted by fishermen when they
are moving up or down the structure from deepwater to shallower water to
feed. Even more so he goes on to say that the bigger fish often do not
move
up as much as the smaller fish.

Would that indicate that if your are nailing down 1 to 2 lb fish you
should
drop back to deeper water along any structure or break leading back to
pick
up bigger fish?

In the area I fish there is almost no really deep water. Ten or twelve
feet
would be considered deep, with very few holes anywhere going more than
fifteen feet. I have consistantly caught fish off of weeds with a drop
to
6 or 7 feet off the edge of the weeds, but I have caught very few fish in
deeper water, and very few fish up shallow. Almost nobody I talk to
around
here spends much time in the deeper water except catfishermen. A lot of
people talk about pitching way back into heavy cover like it is the holy
grail of big fish. I have to be honest. I spent a lot of time pitching
and
flipping last year with little success. I caught a few fish, but nothing
spectacular with maybe 3 lbs being the biggest.

The weed edges have produced more fish consistantly, but not all that
large.
On the other hand I would rather weigh in five fish from one to two ponds
in
a tournament than just one 3 lb fish.

I am trying to figure out when or at what ambient light level to try the
different areas. When I used to fish the canal banks regularly my best
time
to fish was from the hottest part of the afternoon until that light and
temperature break that happens in the late afternoon. The fishing usually
picks up about that time and then tapers off until after sunset with an
occassional good bite just around sunset.

Now I look back and analyze that to try and understand what is happening.
During that hot really bright time of day the fish are concentrated on
cover
like bridges and pipes. That afternoon temperature drop is usually paired
with a slight reduction of light level. If you aren't tuned to it you
don't
really notice it because its still darned bright out there in the desert
sun. The fish get active then. If you follow Buck Perry's advice he
would
say it is because of the change in light level. If you follow what I
always
believed its because of the temperature drop. The light level makes a
little more sense to me now because the fish can always go deeper, and in
the canals the constant current keeps the water conditions slightly more
stable.

I think that time is more productive because they are becoming more
active,
but still close to the cover where you can find them. Then they begin to
spread out. Still active but harder to find any concentrations of fish.
I
actually suspect that the sunset burst of activity that sometimes happens
is
when you find a larger group of fish in an area as they become the most
active for a short time.

I am trying to figure out how to transfer this knowledge to the river and
lakes along the lower Colorado or even if it does translate. Since I
mostly
fish on the river from before sunrise until early afternoon the conditions
are obviously different. In addition my best times in the past are not
even
fished. Add on the super abundance of cover along the river and all the
lakes there really isn't anyplace that concentrates fish that I can figure
out.

I have fished other places in the past where I could catch a dozen or more
fish in a very small area or off a single spot in a very short time.
Usually there is something distinctive about the spot that I could use
elsewhere to figure out fish. In the river and back lakes I have found a
few areas that will produce four or five small fish or one or two larger
fish, but the areas are larger and the single spots are almost
nonexistant.
One or two spots have produced a fish or two on successive trips, but not
consistantly.

The closest I have come to finding a good spot was areas that seemed to
trap
baitfish. I could usually catch fish in those spots for upto a half an
hour, but as soon as the bait fish break out of the area the bass and
other
predatory fish are gone. I can't seem to find them and catch a single
fish
when that happens. They have to go somewhere. Where?

--
Public Fishing Forums
Fishing Link Index
www.YumaBassMan.com

go-bassn wrote:



Bass don't read textbooks & they're usually not where they're supposed to
be.
Is that because they don't hang around in schools?

pat

"pat gustafson" wrote in message
...
go-bassn wrote:



Bass don't read textbooks & they're usually not where they're supposed
to
be.
Is that because they don't hang around in schools?

Pat, did you ever get your glasses? And could you send me any copies of
those gator shots? Michael, if you've got any gator shots too, I'd like to
have them as well.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

Yes, thank you I did get them, you even sent my rolaids back. I'll send
the pics when I get home tonight. I would still like the video from
Charles when I had the gator hooked.

pat
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers wrote:

"pat gustafson" wrote in message
...

go-bassn wrote:



Bass don't read textbooks & they're usually not where they're supposed

to

be.

Is that because they don't hang around in schools?


Pat, did you ever get your glasses? And could you send me any copies of
those gator shots? Michael, if you've got any gator shots too, I'd like to
have them as well.