Structure and Contact Point

[FlexD]

Been studying another structure situation for an upcoming trip, am I reading this structure correctly, mainly where the contact point could very well be? This is a lowland reservoir, with water clarity 2 foot down.

MainLakeContact Point.PNG (387.31 KiB) Viewed 37420 times

[Team9nine]

That would be my first guess, too, but while in the area, I would double-check the little fingers just above and below that spot to be certain. They could get some activity at times, or have something not shown on the map that makes them good.

[TN_Explorer]

Brian - thanks for the input. If you were approaching this for the first time, how would you fish it? The basics say start in the shallows, but the shallows are nowhere near the contact point. It appears too deep to set up in 10' of water, but Is casting the correct way to check this area?

[CHAMP]

Before you fish it you have to map it ,then you will know how to fish it .

[Team9nine]

I agree with Champ. First time on the lake, I’d spend some time idling around and graphing the area to see how similar or different it is from the map. In addition, you’ll get to see any breaks (weeds/weedlines, stumps, brush piles, rock piles, etc.) that fish would use, but won’t show on these maps.

After all that, I’d fish it, and I’d start on the point right in the shallows unless my mapping showed a large group of fish positioned elsewhere. Once I move out to the deeper water and fingers, if I could reach them by cranking, I would. If not, I’d troll them. Hopefully, I’d catch a fish or two in all that to point me to an anchoring spot to focus on more thoroughly. If not, I’d use the breaks and breaklines as my guide on where to position to cast.

[TN_Explorer]

Thank you

[Fran Myers]

I dont agree with that being the contact point. Unless I’m looking at the map wrong. There appears to be a contact point by the ‘C’ by the word contact point…

I would certainly check it out but I wouldnt start there

[Steve Craig]

Im with Fran on this one.
42 feet is the deepest water in the area. That is the Home of the fish.
The only way to know for sure is to MAP IT!!!
I see what looks like a good breakline around the bar at 16 feet(according to the map). Using only your depth finder.......
Find the Crown first, then drive off of it looking for any and all breaklines, marking them.
Once found, then you need to FOLLOW each one around the structure, marking any and all changes in direction.
Now run from the crown out each finger you have found noting depths as you go. Write it all down on paper.
I see at least 4 good fingers to check out. There may be more once you run the structure.
Then look for the LONGEST, NARROWEST,SHARPEST BREAKING, AND DEEPEST BREAKING into the deepest water in the area.
Only then will you know the Contact Point.

[jwt]

Feeder stream cuts, folks, feeder stream cuts. Is that a feeder stream coming just to the left of the left of the ROUTE button?

[Team9nine]

Do you have a map showing a larger area of this particular section of the lake? I see JWT’s point about a possible junction with a feeder stream cut, but can’t tell for sure based on the above picture. Might help with interpretation, but this is one of those that there will be no way to know for certain until you map it and fish it all. Mapping and interpretation is where Buck says we can always improve. The above discussion shows why, as we all have our guesses based on past experiences and knowledge. Only the fish can tell you for certain. That said, I haven’t read anything above yet that would change my original thoughts.

[joseph radunz]

No one ever knows unless you map it AND fish it
I like these exercises, however we can speculate all we want but you’ll never know until you fish it. Plane and simple. Fish it - fish it-fish it- fish……