Following Roadbeds

[Lookin2learn]

I’m gonna try to get out on the water this weekend on a lake that has at least 3 old roadbeds running all the way across the lake. I knew this last time I went and after reading a lot of Buck’s stuff and listening to a ton of Dickson’s videos I was excited to try to fish the roadbeds..... but, when I got out there I had a lot of trouble locating the roadbeds and staying on them... for some reason I kinda had in my mind that I might be able to easily see a small increase in depth and then see the roadbed flatten out before it drops off the other side.... Didn’t work out like that. I run a Helix 9 and it didn’t look like the roadbed was raised at all. I could barely tell much difference between the roadbed and the bottom of the lake around it. It kinda seemed to me like silt had grown on top of the roadbed and the sonar return wasn’t bouncing off the roadbed better than the area around it... Any advice out there? Do I need to get my spoonplug down there and is it just more of a feel thing or do you think I’m interpreting the roadbed wrong?..... Or?....

[CHAMP]

I REMEMBER THE 1ST TIME I LOCATED AND FISHED A ROADBED took 6 -6lb bass off of it. Haven't done that good on it since but biggest one caught there weighed 9-6oz. Any way as for roadbeds they can be great. But on some lakes especially older lakes your map may show a roadbed but it was really just a dirt path. Some you will never see even tho your map says its there. But the big ? is it a productive roadbed. Even if it was or is just a dirt path if you can find it and the fish can find and it and it leads from deep to shallow. really be great if it crosses a channel. This is where a side scan unit really comes in handy. if its there a side scan will show it to you makes it simple to follow .If you need to place floating markers on it or just off of it so you know where its at. But 1st you must interpret it .

[Lookin2learn]

Thanks Champ. Actually, I know for sure the three roadbeds cross the channel and there’s actually one off the main lake that crosses a feeder stream. I can clearly see the channel on side scan and I clearly see the bridge where the roadbed crosses the channel, but it’s hard to see the roadbed itself. Makes me wonder if the fish can see it. It doesn’t seem to be raised at all.

[Lip ripper]

LOOKING TO LEARN YOU HAVE A THE ANSWERS YOUR LOOKING FOR, A SPOONPLUG ROD AND SPOONPLUGS.YOU HAVE THE TOOLS START USING THEM ,YOU WILL SOON FIND OUT IF THERE'S A ROAD BED OR NOT. DEPTH AND SPEED CONTROL ALWAYS!!

[Steve Craig]

L2L,
Rest assured, the fish can see that roadbed! A 6 inch rise is a Mountain to a fish. While our depth finders will usually not show a rise at all, or just flat area.
Your contact point will be right there where to road hits the channel, so that is where you want to spend your time anyway.
Yes the fish will follow the road as long as it continues to get shallower away from the channel, but if there is even the slightest dip, or the road starts to go slightly deeper, the fish wont use it.
Just like any other structure, they must go " all the way" as Buck would say in order to be a productive structure.

Once you can find a productive road bed, lay out some markers, then get your shoreline sightings and you will be set.
If your roadbed has a ditch on either side, all the better. Easier to follow that Breakline that is there.

[Lookin2learn]

Thanks for the replies guys. Steve, thanks for bringing that up about the road possibly getting deeper at some point. That didn’t even cross my mind! Lot of things to try to remember. We’ll see if I can find some fish. Temp has been in the 80’s here during the day and it’s supposed to get down to 59 tonight, but supposed to be mostly cloudy tomorrow so maybe we’ll get a movement.
Thanks!

[Team9nine]

Lots of roadbeds in reservoirs I fish, paved or otherwise. The nice part is most run pretty straight with just a few turns or intersections here and there making them easy to find and follow. A good depthfinder will easily show you where they are, even the old flasher units. It’s just like following a long muckline. You can lay out markers, use GPS icons or mapping, or simply watch for the change in hardness as you slowly go off and on the roadbed, making slight boat corrections as needed. The contact point is often where the old bridges and culverts were located where the road crossed a channel or feeder stream...usually the deepest water in the area.

[Duplex]

Lookin...

Brian's comments are 100% right on the money. When fishing reservoirs, I'm always looking for the roads. You can pretty much expect that the launch ramp was an old road. For the most part, they run straight and you can follow them using his suggestions. Throw markers. Also keep in mind that at times, the road runs to grade. It is the same depth as the surrounding terrain. Look for fish on high spots or areas of rubble/breaks. The video, A Day On the Water, starts with me catching a muskie on a roadbed. You can see the road emerge from the trees just above the motor as I'm making the pass. The fish hit at about 8' with the deepest water in the area at 10'. It does not cross a channel, creek, or culvert. Any time I encounter a roadbed in any part of a reservoir, I fish it because it represents structure: the bottom of the lake that is different from the surrounding area. Some roadbeds are better than others but they all represent a structure situation. At times, they may be difficult to see on your depth finder but the fish know it's there. Don't be afraid to make an educated guess as as to the direction it takes: use markers!!!!!

Jim

[Lookin2learn]

Thanks for the comment Jim. I had a very unproductive weekend. Posted some details and questions about the weekend under the general discussion board. Seems like it was a tough weekend for everyone around here. Although, the majority of folks around here are like me and are inexperienced fisherman. I fished all three days this (extended) weekend and caught one bass. That one was on the troll on a 100.