(Editor's note: The following is the latest installment in a series of fishing tips presented by The Bass University. Check back each Friday for a new tip.)
While many professional anglers grew up fishing mostly wood or grass cover, 2019 Bassmaster Classic champion Ott DeFoe’s upbringing on the lakes of east Tennessee made him a huge fan of the really hard stuff.
“We’ve got rocks of all shapes and sizes,” he said. “They are a key form of bass-holding cover.”
Accordingly he’s learned to seek them out on many lakes around the country. Even on vegetation-filled fisheries like Guntersville rocks like riprap can play a key role, as proven during the last two Bassmaster Classics held there. While those tournament wins were spot-specific, DeFoe believes that one great thing about rockier lakes is that they tend not to be spot-oriented. Instead, they can be patterned. Once you dial in that pattern, if anything changes – like water color or weather – you “usually just need to make a bait change.”
The basic pattern starts with looking for flatter areas in the spring and fall, and steeper areas with access to deep water in the summer and winter. In the former scenario, he’s hunting for transition areas. That means funnels and pinch points, not just riprap and bridges, but also spots between islands or areas where a lake necks down. In those situations, the right wind direction can create natural currents that concentrate fish. Within those areas, he’ll try to narrow it down further. Often there is a key rock or stretch of rock that fish feed on. It’s not always easy to figure out, but when you do it helps with the patterning process.
He especially likes changes in rocks. For example, think of a boat ramp, where the cover can alternate between chunk rock and gravel and concrete. Fish can use those changes and sight lines as ambush lanes and travel routes. He also likes high spots on offshore humps and points. If fish are concentrated in 8 to 12 feet of water, he looks for lone rocks that top out in that zone, above the rest of them. “They have the very crest of that place to use as a table,” he explained. That’s better than just a gently sloping point because it enables them to see in all directions.
DeFoe uses a variety of baits to cover different types of rock, depending on the season, water clarity and other factors, one of which is man-made rock versus natural rock. Natural rock tends to be smoother because it has been weathered over time, versus rock from a quarry which is often still jagged.
“You can fish a jig on riprap,” he explained. “It’s going to be very frustrating. You’re going to break them off and you’re going to be mad at some point in time.” That doesn’t mean he won’t use one if that’s the best tool available, but he might try a less-snaggy alternative first.
If you want to learn some of the other secrets of how one of the most popular pros on the Bass Pro Tour deciphers rocky lakes, including his tips for maximizing the benefits of his Hydrowave, check out his full video, available only by subscribing to The Bass University TV.
