Catching deeper Bass

[itsahog]

After seeing the thread about beating the bank for fish, I would like to know what people do/use to catch Bass in deeper water? Say 15’ and deeper. I mostly beat the bank and really struggle to fish deeper. I normally spot lock my boat in 6-12’ and cast to shore/weeds, most of my fish come off bank or very close to it. I have casted rattle traps into deeper water and yo-yo them back off bottom but normally catch sand bass, no LMB. Tried jigs as well. I’d like to gain the confidence, but don’t know how to fish for largemouth in deeper water.

[Dogfish_Jones]

I suck at deep water bass. I’ve tried but it seems I never catch many. I’m interested in hearing about those that do catch them.
Now deep bass to me is 15’ or deeper.

[okiebass]

Carolina Rig----football jig----5XD

[dwiebenga]

I fish Table Rock, and deep is 25-50 feet. I throw a swim bait a lot to catch suspended bass off points or in the tops of trees. I will also throw a FB jig off the deep side of points. Throw up on the point and then drag or hop it down the deep side. In the summer, it is a drop shot.

I would recommend watching Fish the Moment films on YouTube. Jonny is an exceptional fisherman, and does a great job of teaching.

[GOTTA BIG SACK]

Football jig, 6XD, swimbait, a-rig, scrounger, 3/8 or 1/2 shakey head depending on the current.

[DrewFlu33]

I think deep is all relative. Only mentioning this because I see that you're in OK and know that a lot of lakes in Oklahoma have dirty water which, all else equal, tends to keep fish shallower. I regularly fish lakes with clear water where you're out in 25+ feet and many others where "deep" is less than 10 feet and some where it's as shallow as 5 feet. Outside weed edges usually sort of start me thinking that I'm deep on most lakes.

Once you're feeling comfortable with what deep is in the places you're fishing, I think it's all about putting in the time. It ain't much fun at first when you don't know what you're doing, but getting my ass kicked was motivation enough for me to figure it out. Past that, I think spending time idling and looking is really beneficial. You look for the same types of things you'd be looking for in shallow, except out deep. The biggest challenge is trusting what you're seeing. Having sonar with sidescan that networks to a bow unit with a direction indicator to allow you to know which way you're facing in relation to a waypoint while on the trolling motor makes a big difference in going from finding those spots to being able to fish those spots.

As far as baits, I just tend to go with what I've got confidence in. Texas rigs, drop shots, swimbaits, Neko rigs, cranks, chatterbaits, football jigs, swing heads, etc. all work at different times!

One thing that helped me to start getting off the bank was being able to fish visible cover "off shore." For me it was "flipping 'foil" that got me off the bank, and catching some good ones and starting to get comfortable being away from the bank gave me confidence to do more. You mention weeds in your post, if you've got weed flats that are out off the bank, that's a good place to start. Check out YouTube videos where Seth Feider talks about flipping milfoil!

[Chautauquanuy]

For me, drop shots, blade baits and jigging Spoons are my go to deep water baits.

[brushsjigs]

For me, drop shots, blade baits and jigging Spoons are my go to deep water baits.

Usually its footballs and spinnerbaits T-rigs for me in warmer water. Colder water its blade baits or Dropshot. Not happy unless the boat is sitting in 30 or deeper and fishing 12 to 25. I have caught fish in 45' here in indiana drop shotting. About the deepest that I have fished.
Fish the river channels and look for flats or points coming off the channel and also look for bait fish. Do that all summer and you will have many places to fish that most wont take the time looking for. Its sweet to catch a 3.5 to 4#er on every cast for 35 minutes. You wont do that on the bank

[itsahog]

Where I live there’s not a lot of river fishing, I’m mostly in smaller lakes, water is normally pretty stained. Typically you can see down maybe a foot. As I mentioned earlier I catch a lot of fish shallow and in the weeds, but I seem to graph quite a few on the drop off and in deeper water. Say 12-20 feet. I just never been able to figure out how to catch them. So given the situation I’m in, all this advice is very helpful, thank you please keep it coming.

[brushsjigs]

You still have barrs and flats. Look for small ditches on the flats. Also pay attention of what kind of weeds are growing. A change of weeds is telling you something different with the bottom. Spelling will be off but one weed "purple loo-strife" is another weed to look for. Grows around springs. Spinnerbaits 1/4 or 3/8 with 2.5 or #3 blade (single blade) and raise and drop the bait just keep it ticking the top of the weeds should be sweet with the dirty water. If its clear I like 7/8oz with a #5 white blade fished the same way. They will come up out of the weeds for it just as you start to pull it up.

[1fejj]

This kid will teach you how to catch bass off shore and I think he mostly fishes in your neck of the woods.

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCWMWMX9SrlN-Jfw6o-hGTuw

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Routinely fish 20-25 feet deep. Use Senko, Ika, Dark Sleeper, spinnerbait, 3.8" paddle tails on the bottom with great success.

[Hollada]

Lake St Clair summer pattern is typically 15-21 ft. Minimal structure, lots of big sand flats. The smallmouth are where you find baitfish. The baitfish are typically around grass and weeds though you can also find them in the middle of no where. Find the bait and then throw (in no particular order) tubes, Ned’s, swimbaits, deep cranks that touch the top of the weeds/grass, spybaits, and dropshots.

It’s rare on st Clair - outside of a few weeks in spring - to cast at shore - at least for anything of size.

[Quillback]

I have to fish deep on the local highland lakes here (Table Rock and Beaver) to catch fish. Graph use is important, find the fish is the first step. Ned rig is a great cold water deep bait, A-rigs are also working well, but personally I don't enjoy fishing the A-rig, but if you want to compete in winter tourneys around here, it is the thing to throw. All that being said, I am a firm believer in finding the fish with your electronics as the first step. Many of the successful deep water anglers I know that fish locally won't even fish until they find them.