Hey guys, there is a lot of talk about reading the beach for bars, holes, etc, but how do you go about reading a rocky shoreline?
I know the rocks are structure in themselves, but when you got a long stretch of rocks how do you decide where to concentrate your efforts? I'm talking about shoreline here, not really jetties.
In the past, I have just picked out a conveinant spot in terms of access and safety, didn't really "read" any water. What do you guys do? Concentrate on points? Try to cast near submerged boulders?

On a calm day, go for a snorkle around the area that you like to fish

I look at the chart for the area and try to find the points closest to deep water or a spot that looks like a gully headed for shore, if there is one above water sometimes they continue underwater.
Look at a chart for a place you know well and try and figure out why this one spot fishes well, then use that in other places as a starting point.

Process of elimination. Bass are strange critters, there can be a mile or so of shoreline and nite after nite bass will hang around a certin rock, or ledge, or hole, etc. Just pick a shorline and fish it, after some time youll learn where the bass hold and where they dont. Sometimes its within a yeard of boulder on an outgoing, sometimes its halfway thru the drop inbetween a rock and a hole, you get the idea.
Snorkeling can work to to locate good structure but youd be snorkeling druing the day, and there probably wont be any bass there anyways. Sometimes the most promising piece of structure is dead, while a quarter mile down the beach where you cant see any reason why bass would be there youll tong out on cows.
Hit the beach hard, youll find ure own bass holes.

Mikee's right that's the best way, if your not into diving then you have to spend some time there and observe it at different stages of the tide and pay attention to how current and tide work together creating ideal spots and situations. Look for underwater boulders and the eddys that could be created behind them and holes and depressions below the current and swells from the surf where the big girls can lay in and be lazy while waiting for something to get swept by.

On Friday and Saturday, the 28th and 29th I believe, are the next dates for the big moon tides. Happens up your way about two days after new moon, this month. I suggest you go an hour before low to see the outflow, then take note of the exposed structure. If you have time, stay for the turn and see how the incoming swings. It's the best time to scout what you otherwise are not able to see. Check your charts ahead of time and even check aerial views on Googlearth.

i walk the rocks at a mean low like nightfiter suggested, but also, i read the water like you would a beach. i look for eddies and rips off of points, whitewater about 50 feet off the shore is a good bet of a reef or boulder field. snorkeling is a good bet as well. the beauty of rocks is once you figure out the structure, it never changes

the beauty of rocks is once you figure out the structure, it never changes

Mr Chairman, I must contest the statements by the gentleman from the state of Rhode Island........

Eben, I'm gonna drag your butt up here a couple times to show you how a reef/boulderfield can get changed drastically. I bet I got half a dozen requests from Luds, Clogston and a few others asking how a certain spot had changed over the course of a couple noreasters. Hmmm, do we want to show him where all this fast current is, boys???

Tides do strange things to water and its current in different situations.Dont look for more of the same old same old but rather something that appears out of the ordinary.I can think of a nice spot where ALL the fish are(in R.I.of course)that has a nasty rip going towards the sea at a certain tide stage,I wonder if this holds fish?:bl:

try doing a google satelite image search on the area (google local) You can see a good amount of what's underwater. Rocks, sandbars, eelgrass beds.... everything but the fish. The hybrid mode is pretty cool too, it overlays street names on top of the satellite image.
I've wasted many, many hours going through these things! It's a good tool.

here's a link to a map of nobska point....Check it out

http://www.google.com/lochp?hl=en&tab=wl&q=nobska%20point%2C%20falmouth%2C%20ma

wow great info here guys, thanks, I love doing recon, now I have more of an idea of what to look for. I actually use google a ton for the sattelite images and such, I am also going to check out the charts though.

Mr Chairman, I must contest the statements by the gentleman from the state of Rhode Island........

Eben, I'm gonna drag your butt up here a couple times to show you how a reef/boulderfield can get changed drastically. I bet I got half a dozen requests from Luds, Clogston and a few others asking how a certain spot had changed over the course of a couple noreasters. Hmmm, do we want to show him where all this fast current is, boys???

true, but a boulder the size of a VW bug isnt going to roll 40 feet or disapear. my point is that if there is a rock pile about 30 feet out in 10 feet of water, it will always be there, the rocks may roll, but i dont think that they would vannish.. of course im talking about RI where we dont have major tides like north of the cape and the canal.

I fish places like this from time to time.. not much changes here. lobster gear is about the only thing that changes.

Eben, that picture is from last year...here's a more recent photo from after the big nor'easter this spring.

-spence

i knew it.. well there ya go.

true, but a boulder the size of a VW bug isnt going to roll 40 feet or disapear. my point is that if there is a rock pile about 30 feet out in 10 feet of water, it will always be there, the rocks may roll, but i dont think that they would vannish.. of course im talking about RI where we dont have major tides like north of the cape and the canal.

Our boulders don't move, they just get buried by all the gravel from the the adjacent rocky beach. Last year there was atleast 6' of gravel covering the rocks. Winter NE storms bury it and the steady S/SW of spring and summer usually digs it out. Last time I was up it looked pretty promissing for this time of year and hopefully things will turn on earlier than last year at that spot. If not, its a big ocean and I won't waste as much time waiting for it to turn on as I did last year :smash:

3 Factors:
1. Close access to deep water
2. Structure
3. Current

Hey guys, there is a lot of talk about reading the beach for bars, holes, etc, but how do you go about reading a rocky shoreline?

Ask a geologist :buds:

In all seriousness, knowing the local geology can help...
On bedrock coastlines, generally what you see onshore = offshore to some extent.. High relief onshore usually means deep water; if all the rocks point one way onshore they probably point the same way underwater... its all commonsensical :jump1:

1) get out your binnoculars and spy on other fisherman

2) follow successful fisherman

3) pay close attention to internet bulletin boards for spot burners

4) read all the fishing rags for spot burning

Ask a geologist :buds:

The waves that break in front of bedrock coastlines is an indication of a elevation of structure.
Which type of structure would this typically be, sand bar or a hard structure such as rock?
Would you target your cast before, on, or after this under water structure where the waves break?

I'd hazard a guess that it's other bedrock....

I agree with the idea that whats up is usually the same down. Except that beach thats your avitar.Spent many a night on that beach and the landing down the street. Most of the beaches up that way are pretty flat on low tide and don't have much structure. Just down the road you can toss herring chunks and feed the stripers like trout.
Whip