Fishing Rocky Points

As water levels drop towards the end of summer, points are often the only obvious visible structure along the shoreline of rocky impoundments. These points are often the place where tournaments are won at this time of year as they can attract large numbers of fish and are easily targeted. Know which Points To Target Main lake points are not the only place to focus on and I often choose to fish the secondary points that are found in bays and river sections. The best rocky points to fish at this time of year have deeper water nearby so that bass don’t have to move far to retreat to their summer hiding places but it is worth checking out the more gradually sloping points too. Look out for points that have submerged structure running off them such as stumps, laydowns and boulders as these will be attractive to bass and are easily targeted. Why do bass hang out on points? Early autumn is the period of time when lethargic late-summer bass are attracted to rocky points in their search for food and often these points are the first stop for bass transitioning to shallower water. Bass tend to school together out on longer points around suspended baitfish but they will move onto smaller secondary points as the season changes. In Western Cape waters, smallmouth bass are particularly active around this time and because they spend a lot of time chasing baitfish around, they are easy to target by looking for signs of these baitfish in the water. I try to save a lot of time by looking for baitfish around these points and if I can’t find any I tend to move on to the next spot. You can utilise a wide variety of techniques when fishing on and around rocky points, which enables you to fish to your strengths. Wind It is well known that wind is one of the most important cues to get fish feeding actively and this holds true for targeting fish on points. I have had many slow days on the water turn around quickly when the wind started blowing. Wind direction is important and generally speaking wind needs to be blowing onto or across a point for the fishing to turn on. The reason for this is two-fold: firstly wind generates current in shallow water, which causes fish to position themselves at ambush points along a point. Secondly, wind-generated waves stir up the water around the rocks, which masks the bass’ presence and dislodges prey from their hiding places. Boat positioning is always important in the wind unless you have the luxury of Talons or Power-poles! Facing the boat into the wind enables you to hold your position, and if there is any current you can retrieve your bait with the current in a more natural manner. Look for the most active fish initially by targeting the shallowest area on the point first, while the sun is low, and then you can move deeper off the point as the sun comes up. My first casts to a rocky point (if it is still early) will always be made with a surface lure. I will usually start on the leeward side of the point and move round onto the windward side, keeping as far offshore as possible so you don’t spook fish hanging offshore. It is important not to waste too much time in one spot using a surface lure as you are looking for active fish, so move along the bank and cover as much of the area as you can before the sun gets high. If I am not catching fish on the surface I will change to fishing with a crankbait and fan cast the whole area from various angles. Fishing from shallow water into deeper water might encourage fish to bite that weren’t interested when you were cranking from deep to shallow. It is all about trial and error until you find how the fish are positioned on the point. A typical example of a secondary point. Cranking rocky points allows you to be versatile and you can fish a whole range of baits until you find what they are looking for, but in all cases it is imperative that you bang your lure into the bottom. Deep diving crankbaits can be fished in relatively shallow water and when you make contact with the bottom, let the bait float up again before continuing the retrieve. If bass are shoaling around baitfish I will use a jerkbait to try to get them excited and often, after catching one fish, you can quickly fill your bag. I also like to look for structure off the point, and during the heat of the day these are good areas to slow down and fish more thoroughly. Depending on the depth that the structure is sitting off the point, I will either fish with a soft plastic, a football head jig or a Carolina rig. Towards the end of the day, and if the wind picks up, head for the shallow water off rocky points with a spinnerbait or chatterbait and look out for the active fish once again. My Baits and Tackle Surface: I fish the Norman Lures Pro Pop and the Spro Dawg 100 for most surface situations using monofilament line and a Kistler KLX 6’9” Medium action rod. Your rod choice is important here as you need a light and relatively soft rod, but one that still has the backbone to pull larger fish out of shallow rocky areas and away from potential snags. Cranking: In shallow rocky areas I use the Spro Fat Papa, Rock Crawler or Aruku Shad fished on fluorocarbon line. My deep diving crankbait of choice is the Nories Shot Over 5 crankbait. Jigs: Choose football head jigs from ¼oz to ½oz paired with Gambler’s Burner Craw for a trailer. Carolina: ½oz Sinker with a 7” Gambler Burner worm or 6” Flappn Shad or Itty’s Secret Baits Clubfoot and Itty’s G30 grub for smallmouth. Expert Tips When targeting rocky points, remember that they are transition areas for bass at this time of year and they will continue to reload with fish over the course of the day. Make a note of which direction the wind was coming from in order to replicate the pattern elsewhere in the dam. Often areas that had no fish on them in the morning will produce fish later in the day, so keep checking and don’t forget the smaller secondary points in your planning. There is no single best technique for fishing points, but with practice you can narrow down your options.