Flats have always puzzled me...be them deep, medium, or shallow. "Irregular" features I understand; points, ledges, humps, etc., but flats...how, when, and what to look for?? Someone bust some knowledge bombs on me.

Flats are where the big ones are in the fall ... does that help?

flats are feeding grounds typically....best flats are close to deep water and/or channel swings.

Flats- always fish near deep water. Look for drains, an object by its self.
Old ranch roads, fence rows ETC.

This is how I found the best flats when I was fishing tournaments. Start with your hard map and find the biggest flats up each main creek channel or cove. I want the flat to be as far away form boat traffic as possible. I wanted the flat to be just before the creek channel rose to only 10 ft. of water remaining in the last 1/3 of that creek. The best flats will have heavy cover on them in the shallows with deeper bushes for the Bass to move to the shallows from deep water to shallow water. Each Bass will stop at the same spots on that route to feed in the shallows. It is my feeling that once that Bass finishes feed then it will not move any farther toward the shallows. Some make it all the way to the shoreline cover and some finish before they get there, then return to their comfort zone for the rest of the day.

I fished them year round and checked them every time on the water. Knowing where every piece of cover is on that flat is the key to getting bit quick. I never beat them up and only took what I could catch on the first pass through them and left for the next one. By 9:00 each morning I was ready to move to the Second Drop on those same flats. These are spots in 5 to 15 ft. and is many times the last shallow water cover on the flat. I looked for the second drop spots in the same areas as the shallow water spots that seemed to hold excellent top water fish and Fluke fish year round. Then by 11:00 I would move to the Deep Water Spots if the stringer wasn't large enough and fish those until weigh-in. This would be along the creek channel itself and any standing timber where the flat dropped to it's deepest point into the creek.

In checking the shallow water spots during the week, if weather or water conditions was not right to produce large fish then we would go straight to the Second Drop Spots at day break and start there staying out of the shallows. Sometimes they were not producing there either: so we stayed on the deep water spots adjacent to the best flat all day long. I would divide the flats in 3 levels of depth and put together the day accordingly.

This is why I like picture books. Love what you said Donald, but my ADD keeps kicking in about every 5 seconds. And I'm having a hard time really picturing what you mean. Any pics with the information would be worth "a thousand words".

It is really not that hard to understand.
- Open your hard map. Pick one of the larger creeks or coves with a creek to start looking.
- Start looking at the map where the water depth gets to 20 ft.
- I like the last 1/3 of that creek starting at 20 ft. and follow it back until the depth is 10 ft.. My best flats have been in this short section of the coves.
- Any bend in the creak will produce a flat on both sides.
- The inside bend flat is usually the best in the Spring.
- I also like the flats that are the biggest. Meaning there is more water between the creek and the shoreline.
- Go shallow first next to the shore and throw top water, spinner baits, flukes and cranks. Catching fish shallow like this tells me there are good fish traveling that route from the creek to the shore.
- The first couple of hours at day break is the best for shallow water fishing.
- By 9:00 they are on their way back to their comfort zone near the creek.
- Again knowing where every piece of cover is on that flat will allow you to keep getting bit as they move in and move back out.

Using that flat in the Spring for spawning fish is a little different. All you have to do is figure out the depth the spawn is taking place and pitch ever piece of cover in that depth range on each flat. If it is 5 ft. then they are going to be there for a few days until finished. Success will come when the sun is on the water for a few hours during the spawn. Just because she want bit the first time through doesn't mean she want bite a hour from now.

Donald,

I think I am reading you as something like this...

Thanks for all the input, fellas.

That red square is the outside bend of the channel. It will produce as a channel swing close to the bank sometimes. The inside bend is on the right side of the creek and there is lots of water and bushes between the creek and the shore. Those Bass will prefer that big flat to the right and will move from one bush to the next until they have ambushed all the pray they need as they are moving toward the shallower water.

One of the best spots I see on there is just to the left of the 15ft. mark. That creek channel runs right between two wide contours or flats. I would prefer the one on the right side because it is furthermost from the shore.

David.
This creek has several things going for it which will make it one of the best on the lake.
- It appears to be a North Cove.
- It is a Dog Leg Cove (sharp bend in the creek).
- It is a double creek cove. The water is much richer in a double creek cove. Bass just like them.
- It is a deep water cove in the front 1/3.
- It has channel swings in 3 places just in this section. That is not counting the swings in the back of both shallow creeks. (Where the creek is closer on one bank than the other)
- The shoreline drops off quickly in several spots which allows for a super top water bite each morning.

It is one of the best. The Fishing spot at the creek channel bend isn't mine. I was really just pulling up the last 1/3 where it goes from 20 to 15 to 10 foot. There is grass in there, so yes... This is an area that was featured on an episode of Honey Hole last year!

Good to know the grass is rebounding at sandlin. Hopefully it will spread.

Donald sounds like a guy I would like to go out with and learn from.

Good Info here!!