How To Find Bass Without Electronics 2024

MikeOGNR reply :

Okay guys let me throw you my scenario. I do not have all the money in the world to spend on fancy electronics to find fish. What I mostly rely on is a good topo map and my knowledge of bass and where they will be at certain times of the day. Can anyone explain to me how they beco,me successful on the water without electronics and how they find bass on any body of water??? Any help is appreciated

Thanks

- Mike

roadwarrior reply :

Points, rip rap on dams and any cover or structure. What you are missing is deep spots that cannot

be seen on the surface.

MikeOGNR reply :

So basically look for cover on the water that isnt in too shallow water but isnt swamped and just work those areas??? Also seeing as how I dont have electronics do you think I should rely more on findig cover and structure rather than going deep water???

roadwarrior reply :

You are confusing me. Structure and cover can be shallow or deep. The shallow you can

usually see, the deep you can't. Fish what you can see to start out.

MikeOGNR reply :

Okay, but on another note how do you determine bad structure from good structure??? What I mean is what are some signs of if fish are being held in the structure or if its pointless to even fish it???

roadwarrior reply :

Never unless you already know the lake/pond.

All structure/ cover has potential.

LgMouthGambler reply :

Do what roadwarrior is saying about fishing structure, points, etc. The only way that you are going to be able to find the fish all the time is by fishing the body of water enough that you have everything in the water located.

Traveler2586 reply :

One other thing you can try, that will help you on any lake, is a home study set of books by Buck Perry at http://www.buckperry.com/index.php.

They will show you how to read the shore terrain, maps, weather, etc.

Buck is no longer with us, he came before fish finder flashers, and learned to read a body of water from the shore out to deep water.

Give him a try.

slonezp reply :

Believe it or not, electronics will not magicaly catch fish for you. In addition to what was already said, anywhere the shoreline changes. Like, from a metal seawall to dirt and gravel or sand, or if you have a slopeing shoreline connected to a steep shoreline. There is a good chance those characteristics will carry on under water.

Highhawk1948 reply :

You might try fishing points with a couple of different crankbaits and judge to depth using them. If you hit weeds, rocks, etc. throw a floating marker out and fish it with a worm or jig. Fish visual cover, grass, boatdocks, etc. A good topo map is invaluable to get you into the right areas and can give you appoximations on points.

MikeOGNR reply :

So basically look for chages on the cover,points,etc???

Fishing Rhino reply :

You don't need the fancy electronics, though they do have advantages over the basic depth finder.

You can buy a small screen, basic depth finder for under a hundred dollars. They will more than adequately show bottom contours and composition. Their advantage is that they give you a visual of depth changes, vegetation, and structure.

For example. Start with a patch of bottom where you frequently catch fish. Make a pass over that area and take a good look at the display. Does it show an irregular bottom, is the bottom echo a wide or narrow line? Is it dark, nearly black, or a lighter shade of gray.?

Does it show anything above the bottom echo? That could be vegetation.

Once you have fixed in your mind what is on the screen, look for similar bottom. When you find similar bottom, fish it.

For starters, keep it simple. Don't get involved in making all sorts of adjustments to your display until you master the fundamentals. I've found the default settings work just fine for doing what I suggested above.

Save your pennies, and buy a name brand, econo version of their depth finder, fish finder, sounder, or whatever name you may call them. It will be money well spent, provided you take the time to learn how to use it, and apply its abilities to improve your success on the water.

Crappiebasser reply :

Make yourself a depth finder. Mark a piece of string in 1' increments and tie a weight to it. I used to use one when I was a kid to find ledges to fish. Also you can troll a crank bait searching for fish. This time of year they school up so if you catch one stop and fish that area.

MikeOGNR reply :

I just wanna catch more bass lol and learn how to work areas that produce fish haha

merc1997 reply :

crappiebasser gave some great tips to amke your own depth finder. i have used similar setups back in my youth. he brought up trolling also. very good tips.

WRB reply :

The question should be why would anyone with a boat today bass fishing without knowing how deep the water is under their boat. You don't Need state of the art sonar to determine what depth the water is and if baitfish or other suspended fish are under your boat. For less than $100 you can know exactly where to fish on any lake.

You already know how to read a topo map and can look at the terrain surrounding the lake and determine the approximate bottom contour,

Now you need to be able to confirm where you are at on the water by knowing how deep the water is and what type of bottom structure is under you. With that information you can apply your bass behavior knowledge and start catching bass.

Do you have a trolling motor to position your boat and stay near the structure or cover you want to fish?

Without a sonar unit and a trolling motor you are in for a lot of trail and error bass fishing. Your options are trolling different lures at various depths and anchoring on spots that may have bass within casting distance and fishing blind with a hope and a prayer.....both work at times.

I am old enough to have bass fished before sonar or electric trolling motors. I was also one of the first to buy both in the early 60's. I would rather do without my Outboard engine than be without a simple sonar unti and a trolling motor!

Tom

Bankbeater reply :

Learn how bass move during certain times of the year and then learn the lake you are fishing.

Crestliner2008 reply :

Great discussion. What Traveler said previous is sound advice, as far as learning what structure really is. Buck Perry is not considered the "Father of Structure Fishing" for nothing! Beyond that, all structure is not equal. A sonar will tell you if bait is present on structure or not. That knowledge is certainly beneficial to determining whether or not it is a good structure. Save your pennys and purchase a simple black & white portable sonar. Have someone tell you how to set it up properly and learn to use it. These steps will increase your success tremendously.

NBR reply :

I assure you that Buck Perry did not have a sonar when he wrote the book on structure fishing. A string or rope with a heavy weight works very well in finding bottom changes I believe most natural lakes with charts were originally done by either the WPA or CCC with a marked rope and a weight. orked then works now. Not as fast as a sonar but it works.

Traveler2586 reply :

On 10/1/2012 at 7:47 PM, Crestliner2008 said:

Great discussion. What Traveler said previous is sound advice, as far as learning what structure really is. Buck Perry is not considered the "Father of Structure Fishing" for nothing! Beyond that, all structure is not equal. A sonar will tell you if bait is present on structure or not. That knowledge is certainly beneficial to determining whether or not it is a good structure. Save your pennys and purchase a simple black & white portable sonar. Have someone tell you how to set it up properly and learn to use it. These steps will increase your success tremendously.

For the price, I found his nine (9) volumes and five (yes 5) sample baits well worth the $60.00. Yes, winter is coming, and when it's too cold to play outside I'll dust off Bucks books again for a refresher; weather, water, structure, migration routs, it's all there, all you have to do is read.

MikeOGNR reply :

I have a portable fish finder an eagle cuda 300 yet I have not the slightest clue how to use it and the sonar is a pain to use can anyone elaborate on how to use it???

MikeOGNR reply :

The fish finder I always feel isnt helping me and do I have to be right over something for the sonar to read it???

WRB reply :

On 10/2/2012 at 3:05 AM, MikeOGNR said:

The fish finder I always feel isnt helping me and do I have to be right over something for the sonar to read it???

I realize this suggestion is another expense but well worth it; get a copy of Don Iovino's Finesse Fishing and the Sonar connection. Don is a hall of fame pro bass angler and a expert with sonar. This book covers everything you need to know about basic sonar.

Think of the sonar signal as a narrow beam flash light, or as Don puts it your showers head, the signal is about 1" in daimeter at the transducer and is cone shaped getting larger the deeper the signal travels.

Your unit the cone area is about 1/3rd in diameter as the depth your are reading; 15' deep the area is about 5 feet in diameter directly below the transducer.

If your sonar is set to show fish icons, turn those off, the icons can be anything within the cone return area.

Your primary goal is to read the bottom depth, learning to interpret sonar signals takes a lot of practice.

Keep in mind what you see on the sonar screen is history of what the transducer has already passed over, the screen displays what is behind you, unless you are stopped still in the water or going very slow.

You adjust the sonar power by increasing the gain, like turning up the volume on your radio. Too much power and the screen get cluttered with static, so turn up the gain so you see a few background dots, you don't want the power so low that the screen is white, then the transducer wil not pick up the bottom accurately or any suspended fish.

Get the book and start practicing with your unit.

Good luck!

Tom

Fishing Rhino reply :

Unless you have access to high definition maps, topo maps while extremely helpful do not show many of the small humps and holes that exist, and finding them by dropping a "sounding lead" would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

And yes, I have used a sounding lead from time to time during my years as a commercial lobsterman. You'll notice the recess at the bottom of the lead weight. Tallow, a type of grease from animal fat, regular grease, or soft wax is used to fill that recess. When the weight settles to the bottom, the grease will pick up a sample of the bottom and show if the bottom is sandy, mud, clay, etc., and what color the bottom material is.

Common colors include greens, grays, browns on the waters I fished. It will even pick up tiny shell fragments, and small pieces of gravel.

It is however tedious and time consuming. For some reason, the computer I am currently using does not have access to the editing features which include the post image icon. Click on the link below to see a rendering of a typical sounding lead.

http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/website/shipwrecks/logbooks_lesson/sounding_lead.jpg

Here's an example of a high def map from Navionics. I can post this image because I have it in my Photobucket album which allows me to copy the image code directly to a forum message.

The problem is finding those humps w/o GPS.

However, once you have located a good piece of bottom it should be relatively easy to return to it, unless it's a good distance from the shore. You'll need a notebook, so you can record your ranges which will get you back to that spot.

For example, "Line up the flagpole with the left corner of the yellow house. That piece of productive bottom will always be along that line, unless someone removes the flagpole. You may be a hundred yards from shore. If possible make a note of that. Get further away from shore, position yourself so the corner of the house and flagpole are alined, then head toward shore keeping the pole and corner lined up. If you have a sounder, you'll be able to see that hump, or a change in structure or cover.

If possible get a bearing on other landmarks. It may be a couple of easily identifiable trees. Again, head for the pole and the corner of the house, keeping your eyes on the "two trees" and when you are in line with the pole and the corner, and the two trees, you are on the spot.

Crappiebasser reply :

On 10/2/2012 at 3:00 AM, MikeOGNR said:

I have a portable fish finder an eagle cuda 300 yet I have not the slightest clue how to use it and the sonar is a pain to use can anyone elaborate on how to use it???

You could try reading the owner's manual for your FF. If you don't have it download one from Eagle's website. Learning to operate and interpret a fish finder is more info than anyone will post for you.

MikeOGNR reply :

What I don't understand is how you tell weeds from rocks and so on and so fourth and also since the mounting on the transducer is a suction cup it reall doesn't help at all and I's quite the pain in the ass

Traveler2586 reply :

On 10/2/2012 at 9:45 PM, MikeOGNR said:

What I don't understand is how you tell weeds from rocks and so on and so fourth and also since the mounting on the transducer is a suction cup it really doesn't help at all and I's quite the pain in the ass

I think the best way I can describe the difference is weeds are usually more spiky, rising off the bottom in clumps, rocks give a solid return and look like bumps on the bottom. In my home waters I deal mostly with weeds and muck; I'm looking for transitions between muck and sand & gravel bottoms, or muck and hard clay bottoms. I don't see much in the way of rock formations, but we do have some "ballast" rock piles from old ships that dumped their ballast overboard while taking on cargo. At times, I've found what I thought was a large rock, but they turn out to be old engines left behind after the wood boat rotted away.

Look for transitions of any kind.

As for the suction cup, get red of it and opt for a more stable mounting; pull the cup off and use the rest of the bracket to mount to something, a board if you have to, clamp that to the transom of the boat. That's how I started with my first flasher, I mounted the transducer to a 1X3 and clamped it to the transom of my Jon-boat with two "C" clamps.

WRB reply :

Eagle makes accessories like a transducer mounting kit for about $15. Your unit I'd good for what you need, however you must want to use it. All I have heard so far from you is negative replies regarding your sonar unit.

There is an old saying; you can lead a horse to water, but can't make it drink.

It's true bass can be caught without electronics and as a few have noted Buck Perry didn't have electronics, but I can garrantee if was fishing today he would.

Most of your questions regarding using a sonar unit have been asked by other anglers new to using sonar, you are not alone. My recommendation was to educate yourself and you should do that. Try the sonar forums, buy the book suggested, check out Bruce Sampson's video's, lots of resources available.

You could post a map of your lake and get several inputs where to catch bass, that would narrow down your choices where to look and where not. At the end of the day, it's up to you.

Tom

Highhawk1948 reply :

I started with the Hummingbird Flasher units. I would look at the red bars and then throw a deep diving crankbait through the spot and drag up the species of weeds and learned to tell the difference from eel grass, hydrilla, pepper grass itc. Also hard bottom verses mud.

When I went to the new ones that have screens I did the same thing so I could identifiy stuff. Also, read the manual, it probable has examples of what the screen will look like.

(I loved the old flasher units, Hummingbird and to drag me kicking and screaming into the new age!)

MikeOGNR reply :

I just really wanna learn how to use the d**n thing haha

Sam reply :

Use your eyes and experience.

Just look for places along the shore that would hold bass.

Watch where other bass fishermen fish off the bank as they probably are fishing a brushpile, hump, rock bed, stumps, etc. out from the shoreline.

Mouths of creeks.

Backs of creeks.

Along the creeks' shoreline.

Any wood you see; any places where two types of grass meet; rocks; rocks and grass; points; lilly pads, hydrilla and other grasses; piers; docks; moored boats; boat houses; rip rap; bulkheads; marinas; bridges; and the list goes on and on.

LOOK FOR PLACES THAT SHOULD HOLD BASS. There is no guarantee that a bass will be there but you have to give it a shot.

Remember, structure may not hold a bass; but you will always find bass around struture.

Mark you maps and keep the places you catch those green monsters a secret.

WRB reply :

On 10/3/2012 at 7:34 AM, Highhawk1948 said:

I started with the Hummingbird Flasher units. I would look at the red bars and then throw a deep diving crankbait through the spot and drag up the species of weeds and learned to tell the difference from eel grass, hydrilla, pepper grass itc. Also hard bottom verses mud.

When I went to the new ones that have screens I did the same thing so I could identifiy stuff. Also, read the manual, it probable has examples of what the screen will look like.

(I loved the old flasher units, Hummingbird and to drag me kicking and screaming into the new age!)

The right 1/2" vertical edge of your some screen is a real time flasher, it' not the circular shape you were used to looking at!

Tom

SirSnookalot reply :

I think Sam is right on. I never in my life used for electronics for bass, just worked the drop offs, those were in the days of no motor on my rowboat. I don't bass fish at all from boat anymore, but I'm always watching the water and birds for where the fish may be.

tennsopher reply :

Traveler thanks for the link.I used to have Buck Perry's book spoonplugging but have since lost it I still have my spoonplugs though.

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