Deep Water 101

Jamie & Pete were with me this morning for some deep water smallmouth action. I met them just after 7:30 and we headed out to the abyss in search of big brownies. After an instruction of proper presentation, they dropped down to where I hoped the fish would be. It had been about a week since I had fished here and after a quick exploration, several decent bass had been caught. Would they still be here today? Pete was in the front of the boat and Jamie in the back, but the front scored first. Although not really big, it was what we were looking for and they couldn’t believe that bass actually lived in these depths. No need for a pic, just a quick release insured the survival as it dashed straight back down. Shortly after, Pete was into another around the same size and things were starting to look up. Although it did take a little more finesse to refine their technique, they eventually caught on and were both in the game. On our first drift through the area, there were plenty of chances and about half the fish were hooked up. We even had a double with a couple of good ones coming aboard. I was covering water looking for little irregularities in the bottom to locate the larger fish in the area and it was working. Whenever I came across a depth change, someone had a shot. As the morning got on, it became obvious that we were going to get fried. Air temps had began in the upper 60’s but were heading towards the mid 80’s and fast. There was absolutely no wind and not a cloud in the sky for almost the entire day. Later in the afternoon a few clouds came in and it was a welcomed arrival for all. For a brief period, it was almost bearable, but also short lived. Eventually they disappeared and we were back in the heat wave once more. Although there were long stretches of nothing, they did manage to catch a pile of fish with a never before used technique. This was more important than filling the boat and knowledge that they would take back to their local waters to try. By 5:00, we had all had enough and after Pete landed a couple more bass from deep water, we called it a day. They now had a better understanding of where to look and what to do in the summertime. Instead of just fishing the shallows with plastics, they would be able to explore many other places on waters closer to home. I’m sure their long drive back was filled with plenty of talk about today and plans for their next outing, soon to come. I can’t wait to find out what happens when they use this technique again. I’m sure the information gained from today’s fishing will aid them for many years to come!!