Fishing The Ledge Gives You An Edge

Ledges are to bass what tree lines and fence rows are to quail, rabbit and deer. Ledges are found on most bodies of water, and they're basically easy to locate and identify, provided you've got a good topographical map and a graph or depthfinder.

Now, just because you locate a ledge doesn't mean you've located fish. It's your job now to find the ideal depth, the best area along that ledge and a concentration of bass.

Although no two ledges are formed identically, there are factors that distinguish the best types of ledges. For example, a sudden or rapid change in depth is certainly an outstanding feature. Availability of cover is another. And whether it's a double ledge or not is also a key factor. When a double lip exists in a small area along a deep ledge, it's almost a sure bet that it will hold fish sometime during the year.

I believe all anglers have certain ways they prefer to fish particular types of structure. I fish ledges gradually, presenting my lure along the structure from one end to the other, or at least work the ideal depth. Fishing a ledge with a fairly consistent and systematic pace is effective, and by all means fish any irregular features thoroughly.

Bass move up and down ledges as the mood strikes them. So, if you go all the way down the ledge fishing the prime spots without a hit, don't write the area off because you may have fished it at the wrong time of day. Come back and fish it again periodically.

To fish a ledge, position your boat out in deep water and use a series of fan casts along a short portion of the ledge. If fan-casting doesn't locate a few fish, ease your boat out even farther over the deeper water and circle around 30 to 50 yards, looking at your depthfinder for suspended fish. It's not uncommon for bass to suspend over deep water 20 to 30 and even 50 yards off the contact point.

If bass are using a depth of 10 feet or less, they may tend to move in reaction to the boat passing overhead. This may make it necessary to fan cast a 90-degree area to either side of a straight line. You'll be surprised how often this technique works.

Be aware of the presence of current when fishing ledges. It could be a wind current or a man-made current caused by water being pulled or generated through or over a dam. When current is present, bass have the tendency to position themselves on the down-current side of structure. Naturally, if the structure is deep, wind current would have little effect on their location.

When fishing ledges, I prefer to use a long rod, such as a long casting rod that measures 6 to 7 feet in length. I use a reasonably lightweight line of about 8- to 10-pound test simply because this allows me to boom out long casts. Long casts will enable you to cover more water with each cast. This is very important when fishing ledges.

Although light line is best, you'll get some stretch and it may affect your strike-to-catch ratio. However, if you're fishing a crankbait with sharp hooks, this will greatly reduce your odds of losing fish.

I hope these tips have helped you realize how important ledges can be and have given you some insight on how to fish this fish-holding real estate. I think you'll agree, you've now got the edge for bass on a ledge.