Three Keys to Ledge Fishing
As working the ledges on these huge Tennessee River Impoundments keeps becoming more popular; the offshore bite on the ledges is front and center for many anglers. My belief is it takes a few important keys to be successful on the ledges and of course some luck, also.
The first must in my eyes is inclusive electronics that can be your eyes on the bottom; yes, it’s not cheap but if your going to fish the ledges electronics is everything. You cannot survey the bottom and understand the dynamics of the ledges unless you can see what’s below you. Lowrance to me has the most inclusive view of the bottom than anyone on the market; you get a clear detailed view of the depths below you; with the newest software “Fish Reveal” it’s like watching a TV show of the bottom the fish and their locations. Understanding what you’re seeing is as important as anything you can do, so if you have the hardware and don’t understand what you’re seeing or how to use it, get some help, you have invested lots of money so solicit the training.
Current, in many cases fisherman do-not understand how the current affects the bite on the ledges. The thing of it is, every river is different some run north to south others run differently; knowing how your lake runs allows you to understand the affect of the current or lack of it. The keys are the position that the fish are in when their pulling current vs. not. If you don’t know where they position, then you can’t align your boat in the right position to catch them. If your crossing the fish with your bait from the wrong angle they just won’t bite that’s a fact.
Lastly know what your seeing, yes you can tell the difference in bass and other species of fish from your electronics; it just takes time viewing the bottom. Bass position differently than many other fish; bass have feeding habits and because of it they align themselves more scattered than other fish do and understanding this is paramount. The only way to truly understand this is to find the fish, view their alignment take out your bait and fish. Once you’ve done this, enough times you will be able to distinguish the difference.
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
www.facebook.com/FishGuntersville
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270
Capt. Mike Gerry