How do I find good structure for fishing?
Maximizing your knowledge of the structure in the water you fish can lead to more epic hooksets.
Breaking down basic concepts to help you find structure and fish faster.
All fish relate to structure at some point in the day, whether it is a direct relation where fish are ‘hiding’ or indirect where fish are “near”, identifying key structures is a critical component to finding fish.
What is structure?
“Structure” is a general term that refers to the bottom composition or object(s) in the water that are different from their surroundings.
On “featureless” or “uniform” bodies of water like the eastern-basin of Lake Erie where the dominant bottom type is soft mud, the term “structure” may refer to small changes like strips of sand, harder mud, boulders, rock piles, gravel beds, or underwater high spots or humps.
On other lakes which may have a more diverse bottom composition, large objects like timber, or cribs may be the dominant structure types that anglers seek out to locate fish.
Regardless of the structure you are looking for on any given body of water, the important things is that this structure is different than what surrounds it, and usually comes off the bottom a few inches to several feet, giving fish a place to hide, ambush, or that attracts baitfish.
How do I find structure on the lake bottom?
Finding structure has become an obsession for hardcore tournament anglers over the past 30 years and has become increasingly easy through the development of marine electronics.
Luckily for the weekend angler, even those who don’t own a boat, finding structure and understanding what good structure is doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking that requires the latest and greatest fish finders available.
Digital Resources
There are plenty of ways to locate structure without even hooking up the boat or visiting a lake, and I have found some of my best fishing spots by simply doing research on Google Maps, Google Earth, and Navionics.
Using satellite images hosted on Google Maps and Earth, it’s easy to see rock humps, fingers, and changes in the bottom structure on clear lakes around shallow water.
Shown below is an example of a stetch of rock piles that are excellent for smallmouth, found on google maps:
Navionics
One of the greatest resources for a shore or boat angler looking for structure is Navionics.
Garmin (owner of navionics) is increasing their subscription options making free maps less detailed (less detailed contours), but even the most basic free maps can assist in finding major structures on waterbodies, especially when cross referenced with satellite images.
Maps like these can offer a great head start to finding likely areas to find fish, before even hitting a new waterbody for the first time.
Shore Fishing Tips
Anglers from shore should have an equal interest in understanding what’s in front of them before they spend a lot of time working a spot, especially if they plan to set up for carp, catfish, or any live-bait fishing where they cast out and let their bait sit.
To “feel out” a spot from shore, or get an idea of depth, use a small half-ounce to one-ounce bell sinker on braided line and cast around.
Starting close to the bank and working out, pitch the sinker out and pay attention to how long it takes to hit bottom (on a tight line), and what kind of return you feel when it does.
Soft bottoms will feel like a “thud” on the rod tip, while hard, rocky bottoms will fill like “ticks” when contacted with a sinker on tight line.
Trees and branches will often leave traces of debris on the sinker and feel “grabby” when a sinker or lure is dragged through them.
Another way to understand bottom structure and the depth of your fishing spot is to use a marker-float. This kind of float is like a slip float in reverse, and is a great way to gain an intimate understanding of you favourite shore fishing spot.
If you found these tips helpful, and would like to experience this kind of learning on-the-water, let’s chat and organize a great fishing trip.
Lyle Gayder - Hooked on Niagara Fishing Guide Service
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