Locating
vertical
structure can be
as easy as using
the shoreline
as a guide and
visualizing how it
continues below
the waterline.
Look for areas
where the composition of the bank changes. For example, a transition from red clay to rock can be a key area.
Much of the best
shallow flats and backs of coves will move toward deeper water, stopping on the first break line that affords them the comfort, security and food source they require. On a shallow body of water, this may be a subtle transition on a gently sloping bank where the bottom drops just a few feet. Here in Northern California where we have a great number of deep water reservoirs, this can be where a flat points falls off into a creek channel.
Deep water with a vertical structural components are ideal locations for bass during the cold water period. Bluff walls, steep points, and creek channel ledges are all magnets for winter bass.
Vertical structure affords bass the ability to move up and down in the water column in their search for food and suitable conditions without having to travel great horizontal distance or expending much energy.
During extended periods of harsh weather, a large proportion of the bass population can be found either hunkered down near the bottom of the vertical structure or suspended and loosely relating to it. When conditions are more favorable such as following several days of sunshine or mild weather, even a small rise in water temperature can induce the same group of fish to reposition themselves in the upper levels of the water column.
vertical structure often lies hidden below the surface and can only be located with the use of good electronics. A steep creek channel bend that lies adjacent to a shallow flat can hold a big school of winter bass that would otherwise remain undiscovered.
SLOW MOTION
Because fish are cold blood, their metabolism slows down when water temperatures drop. With water temperatures at their lowest this time of year, feeding activity is greatly diminished. Bass
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