Living On The Ledge

Fishing slows down in the post-spawn summer months. That doesn’t mean stop fishing, but it does mean you need to take a page out of the Book of Aerosmith and live on edge- the edge of the ledge that is. Finding the ledges is the ultimate challenge in locating bass on lakes and reservoirs. It's a tricky task for an angler learning to ledge fish. When I first heard of ledge fishing my mind turned to deep water drops like old creek channels. Little did I know that ledges can be nothing much more than a change in contour of a couple feet.

When it comes to offshore bass fishing, a ledge is any spot where the depth goes from shallow to deep in a short distance. Ledges are commonly found around banks sloping into river channels, creek channels or any situation resulting in a sharp depth. These underwater “valleys” provide bass with a place to hide and get out of the current. A ledge can also be the depth change off a small point or an expansive flat, and it doesn't necessarily drop from shallow water into much deeper water. The depth break might be simply several feet.

Flowing water has a big impact on the productivity of ledge fishing as reading the flow will help an angler understanding how bass position on these depth breaks. Knowing how to read where to place the cast on this structure can make or break your fishing. The bottom of the ledge is often hard, swept clean where the current is strongest. These spots often have gravel or shell beds which can make an area more likely to concentrate forage. Ledge fishing is all about finding these concentrations of fish.

When ledge fishing, you will need to plan how to position the boat as well as what you are going to throw. As water temperatures rise through the summer, bass move into ledges for access to food such as crawfish, shad, and other small fish that gather near these edges. I have found throwing Carolina rigs, jigs, and deep-diving crankbait that imitate this forage to be most productive.

Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass often congregate in compact, tight groups no more than a few feet wide or long. But the depths they swim in may vary and this is where the right bait can make a difference. This also means that you should fan cast in search mode to locate the school. Once you have located the group, there is nothing better than hitting the same spot and catching one 4-pounder after another.

Using your electronics, especially if you have side imaging, will be your most useful tool for this type of fishing. Take the time to study lake contours so you know the specific areas on your body of water. Preparation can really make for a day of exciting fishing when you find a pattern and can repeat. A good mapping system such as Navionics or similar software will allow you to study the Lake's contours prior to your outing. Points and river and creek mouths are good places to start your search. Look for schools inside the valleys, or off the “ledges” of slopes.

A recent trip with Tackle Warehouse pro Jimmy Washam added a few other tricks to my ledge game. Once you locate a school, Jimmy said you can “excite them by catching a few quickly.” He also demonstrated that ripping spoons in a jigging manner can fire-up the bite. “When you see a group of 15-20 fish, you can catch more of them when the fish get fired up and start competing for the bait,” Jimmy said. “Once you catch one or two, it turns on the competition, but you need to act fast because if the catch causes the school to noticeably dwindle, the fish will get smarter and move on.