im just getting into trying to catch fish in deeper water and havent been the most successful at it. ive caught some spots on drop shots and shakeyheads but that was only 14-16ft. what is your go to technique when fishing and trying to find fish in deeper water? im guessing drop shot, shakeyhead, C-rig, jigs, and cranks? how do you find the fish?

I Spend a lot of time graphing areas to eliminate water.
I use a jig and big worm a lot but keep the deep diving crank baits out too.
I throw a shakey head but it's not you average tiny shakey head. I prefer a big worm or a creature bait on a 1/2oz to a 1oz SH hook.
And a C-Rig

Hard to beat a C-Rig

Flutter Spoon and Jigging Spoon

You find them by Mapping and fishing.
- Spend days on end finding the bigger fish shallow.
- Use your mapping and fish the back 1/3 of all coves and creeks.
- Then spend days on end following these fish to the second drop learning where every bush and lay down is along that route.
- They will follow that same route to the shallow each day, stopping to ambush on the same bushes along the way until they have feed up; then return to their comfort zone.
- Then spend days driving the creek channels finding where they live and fishing for them.
- Spots with the heaviest cover next to the steepest drop will be where they live.
- Vertical ledges with heavy cover on top is the best.
- Look for the deep water fish to be attached to some of this cover which will make them much more cooperative.
- You can pass over these fish in 20 ft. or more without disturbing them. Any less than that, I like to drift using only the front depth finder when possible. Keep in mind that you have a narrow view of the bottom in 10 ft. of water; so back off and use side imaging when possible to locate your cover and fish.

This may help:

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/11258849/#11258849