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What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer?

Posted By: Heron

What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/11/18 09:34 PM

I'm sure it varies from lake to lake, but any general estimates of the percentage of bass that move out to deeper water in any given lake?
Posted By: Txduckhunter

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/11/18 09:49 PM

I think it's pretty relative to the area your in and the lake your on.
Pretty sure the fish located in Kickapoo @ Palestine don't swim a couple of miles to be in 20' of water. They live in the skinny stuff year round.

I fish "shallow" year round but the warmer it gets the closer I am to deep water access.
Posted By: GIG'EM AGGIES

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/11/18 10:00 PM

Based on my last trip all but 6 of them, lol.
Posted By: CCTX

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/11/18 10:00 PM

Highly lake dependent
They will be where there is food and oxygenated water
Some lakes covered with shallow grass and hydrilla, they won’t move. Of course there will be some that will, especially smaller schooling bass chasing deep shad

There are some lakes where you move five yards off a rocky, barren bank and you’re in 20 feet of water. Those lakes, they are much more likely to move to deeper structure/cover

The next question is where do they go to feed and at what time. Some lakes in the summer, they might move deeper during the day and suspend, inactive moving shallower to feed at night

Find the baitfish and you will find their predators (the bass)
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/11/18 10:11 PM

As stated, it's relative to each lake and highly dependant on water levels and fish density. A lake like Rayburn always has shallow fish and in times of high fish density, that shallower percentage doesn't change, just more of them. I think it's probably 70-30 deep vs shallow. Just a guess
Posted By: Huckleberry

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/11/18 10:24 PM

73.268 %
Posted By: Matt Jackson

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/11/18 11:38 PM

I’ll just say last week fished shallow and caught very little. This week 15-20’ seem to be catching a lot. Who knows but I think once the sun comes out I’ll be moving out.
Posted By: JavelinJ

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/12/18 12:17 AM

I can't remember if it was Donald Harper or Ken A., but there were studies where bass only moved 400 yards (for the most part) their entire lives.
Posted By: Jarrett Latta

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/12/18 12:21 AM

Originally Posted By: txfour
I can't remember if it was Donald Harper or Ken A., but there were studies where bass only moved 400 yards (for the most part) their entire lives.


Depends on the lake. Parts of Rayburn and Toledo they are half mile out in the lake
Posted By: Ken A.

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/12/18 01:07 AM

Originally Posted By: txfour
I can't remember if it was Donald Harper or Ken A., but there were studies where bass only moved 400 yards (for the most part) their entire lives.


It was me talking about Dennis Canada's 15.63 from Fork. His fish Missy lived in Wolf Creek and spent most of her life suspended in a brushpile in 12' of water. When she would go on a feed she would travel along the treeline for 300-400 yards at times criss-crossing the creek channel that was 20+ feet deep but for the most part stayed in 12' of water.

I have sat directly over her and bounced a jig trough the brush as she ignored my offering but she was there. We confirmed by the signal she was sending. When she was resting in her "home" it was impossible to make her bite.

I do believe there are transient fish and resident fish in any given lake. I feel strongly the Goliaths of the lake are resident fish. Transient fish are the schools of 2-5# fish that roam. I believe once they exceed 12# they become more like loners and rarely group up. These individual fish defy most of the rules and may never bite an artificial.

I firmly believe the current State Record of 18.18 bite a crappie while Mr. St. Clair was unhooking another crappie and had his attention turned away from the rod he told me he caught The Fish on. I asked him about that in person and he did say it was possible. He told me when he turned around to check the rods on the other side of his boat (he had 10-12 rods out) one was bent double. He thought he had a big catfish until she surfaced. The rest is now history.
Posted By: Neches

Re: What Percentage (Generally) of Bass Move Deep in the Summer? - 06/12/18 02:11 AM

great story Ken A, Thanks
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