Headed to Joe Pool and have a general question regarding "deep" fishing. Are you looking more at main water points/humps or Creek channels? I've never done well in water over 15' or so, but dang it I'm trying. Help the 60 year old rookie!

Historically, I've focused more on main lake points, humps and ledges. That being said, its been a long time since I've fished that lake. I would defer to someone with more recent experience.

Find humps and main points that go down to 25-30 feet at 45 degree slopes and Carolina rig them with baby brush hog or fluke.

Search posts by Steez MacQueen. He is the local JP guru.

Thanks for the replies guys. On the occasions where I've tried to graph out deeper at JP (more than 15' or so), the better, longer deep points seem to be on the west bank of the east arm north of the bridge. Would you agree with that? I've graphed the humps out on the main lake and it looks like sandbass to me most of the time. So I understand how you're fishing these, do you start out ONLY where you graph fish or do you start at 1/2 way down the point all the way out to the end, etc? Same thing for humps...do you fish only where you see fish or start at the top and work your way down. I've fished a hump just west of the main lake point on the west side that's about 20' deep on top and drops off to about 35' real quick on all sides. All I've ever caught off it is sand bass. There are a couple of tank dams just off the bank on the main lake point between the two arms that I've fished but never really caught much off either. One is pretty small, but the other on the east main point is a pretty good sized tank dam. Thanks for the responses. Headed out tomorrow morning and by golly, I'm gonna work em deep!

I have replaced my electronics once, but still don't have the detail imaging the newer rigs do. I look for bait fish-- I always start shallow (20ft in shallower) then turn around and work the deep stuff, keeping the boat in about 20 ft and casting deeper. Almost always football jig or carolina rig {too old and sore to throw a Mann's 30+, but that will get you bit too)

Ol' Steez get himself banned again??

I prefer to locate shallow...15 to 20 feet and cast to the deeper part. There are other deep slopes besides those that you found but those areas you identified consistently hold fish and I have caught a number of bass off those locations...study the lake map and look for the creek channels and you will find some other deep slopes as well. I always look for bait fish in or around these spots too...but sometimes they bite and sometimes they don't. Lately it has been very slow even though I mark fish and bait fish in the areas. I fish those deep spots with football jig, power worm, drop shot and carolina rig.

Find a steep drop near wherevery you like to fish and drag a 1 oz Carolina rig they don't move too far

Well I don't get skunked very often, but JP did it to me today. Fished from 8-noon. Zero...nada.nothing. But I did stay in water deeper than 15 feet the whole time which was a first for me. I ain't quitin!!

fivebites... what colors were you using that deep as far as soft plastics?

thanks
BD

My boys caught a five and a seven in the tires with drops shots on Robo worms wacky rigged two week ago

I caught a 9# out there two weeks ago in 25'. Been catching on average an over on every trip lately. May not one trip but may catch multiple the next. It can be feast or famine for sure

Thanks for all the responses guys. Bill Durham, I use watermelon red quite a bit, but based on my success rate yesterday...nada...I wouldn't bet the farm on that color. On Carolina rig I threw blue fleck 7" power worm, watermelon red baby brush hog, a chartreuse pepper Lake Fork ring fry, and a green biffle bug with chartreuse pinchers. Threw a 3/4 oz wobble head jig with the biffle bug on it. Threw a sexy shad 6XD and a Tennessee shad fat free shad for deep diving crank baits. All of those colors have done well for me around shallower cover in water less than 15'. And I've caught some really nice bass on Joe Pool. Slade, one of these days I'd love to go out there and get an on the water lesson from someone who knows how to do it! Bobby Milam...thank you!!

I can't tell you how many times I've went out there and been skunked or just catch dinks. But about two years ago I made the decision to only fish deeper water or for most of the year. And I started figuring some things out last summer, caught 2 10#'s and several from 7-9#. But then I hit a funk and went months without catching an over. Changed my strategies, studied the map more and more and the last few months have been good. I think what I have learned is fishing deep water is like fishing shallow in that you have to have an open mind, believe in what you are doing but most of all have a ton of patience. The crazy thing is, my wife goes with me from time to time and she always out fishes me. She has caught 3 over 8# this summer and lost a big one at the boat last week. My goal is for her to catch a DD but I think it would mean more to me than to her. Lol.