structure and bass behavior question
 

i wanted to throw something out there regarding holes on the ocean floor near outflows.

i can remember snorkeling at a beach when i was a kid and stumbling upon a couple holes that lay in between a rocky outcropping and an outflow. i would say they were about 10 feet deep and 20 in diameter. i was thinking that bass may lay low in the holes and wait for bait to pass above them. either run offs from the outflow or something else heading to the rocks to look for food.

any comments on this type of situation. how do you think bass would behave in this structure? do bass "hang out" in areas this small and wait for food. or are they more mobile hunters?

dude, stopped reading after you typed whole and then outflow. you're overthinking things. just go fishing and find out if there are bass there. it's fall and fish on the north shore are starting to be on the move. you could go tonight and get skunked and hit a 50 at the same spot using the same plug tomorrow night.

i would concentrate on getting more passes from cherie(spelling?) if anything.:lasso:

So your saying I need to go back to where I was this morning and there will be a 50 there......I'm holding you to that :hihi:

Dude - where are these holes and I'll check 'em out for you... Sounds real good to me ;)

yeah, holes or no holes, outflows are always a good place to start
just fish it! if you happen to know where a hole is, concentrate on that area because bass WILL use it as an ambush spot.

i said "could":usd:

dont' worry TDF, if there was a 50 there, luds would have caught it by now!! :rotfl:

zing! ha ha! just trying to think of new things to go large instead of getting stuck in a rut at the same spots.

There are better places than others to hold big fish. The best time at an inlet or canal for a big fish is dead slack. All the advantages are on your side at this time. No current to fight the fish against and they are moving to find food, not just to migrate through fast.

Completely disagree, I believe fish are moving more, BUT fish dont just migrate through, they 'set-up shop' behind obstructions, in eddies etc. and ambush bait... slack can be good, but the moving water is better IMHO

I second that.:kewl:

I watched a bunch of about 30 dinks at a inlet this summer from a bridge, during in-coming water they just hung out. As soon as the outflow started, they were on the feed, and they stayed above the pilings, not behind them.

The best time for a 40# plus is slack in my opinion.

Could not disagree more. IMHO slack water is the least productive point of the tide. Big Bass are lazy opportunistic feeders. They will ambush easy prey, expending as little energy as possible in the process. At slack, the bait has no current to fight and is the least vulnerable. It has been my experience that the last hour before slack or the first hour after slack are the tide windows for large. In that 15 to 30 minute slack time I found that getting a cup of coffee from my thermos is time well spent.

Not only will a bass lay low in the hole , if a bigger one comes along , he'll kick that one out and make it his home. So anyway , yes , you have the right idea on this.

Everyone has their opinions and I don't want to start any trouble- this is a good discussion though.

Yes I would favor the last hour into slack than the full running tide. Large fish will hold and wait for food behind structure - they are attracted to some places more than others. Hooking a large fish during a running tide - like in the canal is tough! Most huge fish are taken there when the water is barely moving.

This whole convo applies to inlet/rivers/canals (with strong current)and is totally different than a rocky shoreline or beach. I'm also commenting on large fish - 40#s and up. This has worked best for me, just sharing my experience.

100% agree with Rizzo.

Rizzo
Not starting any trouble at all. And yes this is a very good discussion. My comments are also meant to apply to inlets etc. Let's agree to disagree.
I would suggest to all reading this thread to keep logs, try different stages of the tide and draw your own conclusions. :think::think:

I agree 100% w/ TonyO