Vertical fishing involves utilizing high power sonar units to locate the bait and in turn, the fish. The boat is positioned directly above the bait and fish and a variety of lures are fished vertically in front of the fish. Once thought of as strictly a summer pattern, vertical fishermen have found ways to catch fish year round.

Deep structure fishing is similar to traditional shallow fishing methods; a lure is cast toward deep lake structure and worked around cover on the structure until the fish are located. Most deep structure fishing involves fishing around humps, drop offs and deep rock or wood cover with a variety of jigs, soft plastic baits, crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

Where
Just about every lake has fish holding off shore. How deep these fish are and the best ways to catch them depend on a few factors:
Type of Lake: Deep clear highland reservoirs like Table Rock and Bull Shoals are known nationally for their off shore productivity. These highland reservoirs are very deep, rocky and have a large population of Spotted Bass. Shallow lowland reservoirs like Truman and Lake of the Ozarks do not offer the tremendous depths and have more stained or even dirty water. While these are not ideal off shore lakes, several fish are caught annually by anglers fishing drops, humps and other structure in or near deep water.

Type of Forage: As a general rule, lakes with threadfin shad as a primary forage base are better vertical fishing lakes while those with gizzard shad as the primary forage tend to be better deep structure lakes. The Missouri / Arkansas border is the northern most point you will find threadfin shad, lakes above that line tend to have colder winters and threadfin are not hardy enough to survive through the winter.

Type of Cover: While cover is important to bass regardless of depth, off shore fish tend to relate to different cover than their shallow counterparts. When deep structure fishing cover is critical to finding groups of fish, a rock or brush pile on a hump or drop off will hold the majority of the fish on that particular piece of structure making them easier to locate and catch. Cover utilized while vertical fishing is just as important; deep tree tops, brush piles, subtle drops and even schools of bait are all important cover to bass holding in deep water.

Type of Pressure: The amount and type of fishing pressure on a lake can determine how deep the fish will be holding. A lake that has several weekly tournaments every month has a substantial amount of fishing pressure; pressure like that can drive the fish off of the bank and out to deeper water. Depending on the type of lake, fish can move out to deep structure or may suspend in a river or creek channel to avoid the pressure.

Locations on a Given Body of Water: The best locations to find fish off shore vary from lake to lake and season to season. Breaking lakes into two types, deep highland reservoirs and shallow lowland reservoirs, it can be determined by season where to start looking.

Highland Reservoirs
Spring: Pre-spawn and post spawn are prime times for deep structure fishing on highland reservoirs. Look for points, drop offs and off shore humps near spawning pockets to be the most productive. Large female bass will congregate in these areas before and after spawning.

Summer: The dog days of summer are one of the most productive times to fish off shore on highland reservoirs. Rising water temperatures drive the fish to off shore structure and into deep cover through out these deep, clear impoundments. Both vertical and deep structure fishing are prolific methods this time of year. Schools of bait and fish will congregate on deep points and humps in the summer feeding on schools of bait traveling over the deep structure. Deep trees are important cover on points and bluff ends to vertical fisherman in the summer. Trees provide shade and security to fish and bait this time of year.

Fall: Fish in highland reservoirs feed actively in the fall, moving out of deep areas into relatively shallow water to feed. Deep structure provides cover and an ambush point to wait on shad and crawfish, anglers fishing deep points, humps and rock piles are usually very successful. Flats and drops near deep water are also very productive this time of year, vertical fisherman locate schools of bait on flats with fish holding on or close to the bottom.

Winter: The most productive time of year for vertical fisherman is winter. Schools of bait move into creek and river channels, off points and bluff ends suspending in open water. Large schools of spotted bass follow the schools of bait using it as cover and a food source. As water temperature drops threadfin shad die off and fall from the school to the waiting bass, as this happens the fish go into a feeding frenzy making them easy to catch.

Lowland Reservoirs
Spring: Similar to highland reservoirs, deep structure fishermen are successful during the pre and post spawn periods. Target points, drops, humps near spawning coves, fish utilize these areas for staging before and after the spawn.

Summer: During the heat of summer, fish move off shore into the comfort of the deep water holding on isolated pieces of cover. Anglers targeting brush and rock piles on drops and deep points will find schools of fish gathered and awaiting bait.

Fall: Dropping water temperatures of fall drive fish back into the shallows aggressively feeding before winter arrives. As in the spring, deep structures like humps and points are utilized by bass as staging areas on their way to and from the shallows.

Winter: One of the most productive times of year on lowland reservoirs for deep structure fishermen is winter. Dropping water temperatures drive fish off of the bank and out to deep points, humps and drop offs where water temperatures are stable and bait congregates.

Regardless of time of year or type of lake, the overriding factor in locating fish is locating bait. Whether the fish are holding on deep structure or suspended in trees over 100’ feet a lack of bait tends to limit the number of fish.

Techniques and Tackle
Deep Structure Fishing:
Since most deep structure fishing is done at a distance, rods seven feet long and longer are a necessity as is low stretch fluorocarbon line in 10 to 15 pound test. Most anglers prefer medium heavy to heavy casting equipment, the extra backbone allows for solid hook sets and the ability to pull fish from the cover. Techniques vary by season and angler but the most common techniques include; football and spider jigs, deep crank baits, swim baits, and Carolina or Texas rigged soft plastics.

Multiple casts to isolated cover is a key to success, many times it is important to present the bait at a particular angle on a piece of cover to draw strikes. Boat positioning is critical, maintaining a distance that allows for casts beyond the cover and retrieves through it equal success. Retrieves differ from angler to angler and season to season but it is important to note that regardless the type of lure, contact with the cover is essential to drawing strikes.

Deep Crankbaits: Must be thrown well beyond the cover to insure they make contact with the cover during the retrieve. It is important to understand the maximum depth the crankbait will reach and where in the retrieve it will reach that depth to correctly position the boat.

Football jigs, Spider Jigs and Carolina or Texas Rigged Plastics: Easier to fish on deep cover than crankbaits. While it is still critical to cast beyond the cover, simply allow the bait to fall to the bottom and work the bait through the cover to be effective. Retrieves with these lures vary from a simple drag through the cover, to hopping to swimming, seasonal pattern and the reaction of the fish help to determine the retrieve.

Swim Baits: Swim Baits work throughout the water column. Just like the other presentations it is important to work the bait directly over the cover in whichever depth the fish are actively feeding.

Vertical Fishing:
Rods for vertical fishing are technique specific; drop shot, grub and ice bait fishing is done almost exclusively with medium light and medium action spinning rods spooled with six to eight pound fluorocarbon line. Spoons, blade baits and tubes are usually fished on medium to medium heavy casting rods with ten to twelve pound fluorocarbon. Presentation techniques are relatively simple once the fish are located. Using a high quality sonar unit locate fish, schools of bait and deep cover on bluff ends, points and creek channels. Presenting vertical baits is relatively simple:

Spoons: Follow the spoon as it falls through the water column on the sonar until it is directly above the fish. Work the spoon up and down in short hops allowing the bait to fall on a semi-slack line.

Drop Shot: Just like a spoon follow the drop shot rig through the water column until it is just above the fish. Shake the lure in front of the fish lifting it occasional to judge its reaction. If the fish follows the bait when it is lifted try dropping it quickly past the fish to draw a strike.

Grubs and Tubes: Fish a tube or grub in the same manner as you would a spoon, follow the bait through the water column, and hop it or lift and drop it above the fish to draw strikes.

Ice Baits: Rapala Ice Baits are an excellent lure when fish are schooled on or close to the bottom. Like all of the other vertical baits follow the lure as it falls to bottom then slowly lift the and drop the bait. As the bait moves it will swim in a small circle and draw fish off of the bottom. Note: When rigging an Ice Bait tie a swivel approximately 16” above the lure to eliminate line twist.

Caring for your Catch
It is important to note that fish caught from depths greater than 25’ will need additional care to insure live release. Anglers fishing these depths are responsible for the care of their fish and it is important they understand basic fish biology and how to release the gas in a fish’s air bladder so it can be released alive and unharmed.

Fishing pressure, temperature extremes and other factors drive fish from the bank into deep water and deep cover throughout the year. Anglers unwilling to venture out from the comfort of visible cover on the bank struggle during these changes while versatile anglers continue to perform. Time invested in learning off shore fishing techniques will always pay dividends in an anglers fishing career.

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