Going Out On A Ledge…
June is the time for ledges, both here on the Tennessee River, and similarly around the country. A ledge is simply either the old river bank (which forms the main lake channel) or creek channels, which were formed by the creeks running into the lake—-before your lake was dammed up. Bass will be dispersed through many depths at this time, but many of the larger fish will have begun making their way out to main lake structures containing current, hard bottom and food. You can beat the bank and pick off a few small-to-medium sized bass, but you’ll have to explore deeper if you want the real treasure. You’ll need to know where to look, what conditions to look for and the specific baits to use—-if you want to catch that trophy. Keep reading and we’ll break it down together.
Depending on your particular latitude and water temperature, be prepared to find bass in some unique locations. The spring spawn, which takes place at around 60-70 degrees for most bass, will have most likely concluded and you’ll probably see your water temperatures in the low 80s (If it’s still in the 70s, bass will still be migrating—-look deeper creek arm structures). If your body of water is in the 80s, a good number of the larger bass will have made their way out to deeper structures—-whether that still be in the creek arms or out on the main lake. Main lake ledges—or ditches, points and humps—-leading out to the main lake ledges, will be the key to finding bass. Bass use ditches and channels as “highways” to move to different locations throughout the year and you’ll want to look for points, humps, channel swings along these ditches and channels, where bass will stop off, rest and eat. Remember: you’re looking for what you’d be looking for if you were beating the bank—-but these structures are underwater. Bass move from the bank to these locations because of more stable conditions: better oxygenation (current/moving water), more food brought by that current and more stable/comfortable water temperatures. If you can find a break in the current (piece of structure/cover that bass can use to ambush prey), a hard bottom (shell/rock), with current, nearby deeper water and shallow vegetation nearby—-this is one of the types of spots you want to look for. Keep in mind, the exact depth you’re looking for can vary day-to-day, depending on a variety of factors, so it’s best to search out potential “hot spots” using your digital maps and sonar. Your body of knowledge will lead you to look in the right areas, but your sonar will be the ultimate factor in deciding where to fish.
We’ll dive into conditions next time…
