On lakes with bluffs and rock bottoms you should also graph predominant points and channel swings in a zig zag pattern and really focus on locating places using your 2D sonar where balls of baitfish are present. Anytime you see that the baitfish are tightly grouped up, usually in a ball shape, that very much indicates they are being fed upon. At the same time when you see that the baitfish are spread out across a large area that is a good sign that they are not being fed upon very much. I largely rely on my Humminbird Side Imaging in addition to my traditional 2D sonar to see these ball shaped shadows. When searching for actively feeding bass in any fishery that will typically have a good deep water bite regardless of how quickly the depth changes occur, seeing the baitfish grouped up tightly is a great indication that there are hungry largemouth in the area actively feeding. Whenever I am on a body of water and plan to fish in deeper water I will pay close attention to my graph as I idle away from the boat ramp to see what depth the majority of the baitfish are located in and where they are not. This will sometimes change throughout the day especially before a thermocline has developed and be aware that the more water clarity you have the deeper the thermocline will be located at. After locating a thermocline I will almost always be fishing just above that depth, after locating the depth that has the most fish I will then primarily focus on that particular depth range across the entire lake. In lakes with rocky bottoms and steep bluffs I will change my lure selections to more finesse techniques using lighter line since the water is typically clearer compared to shallower reservoirs that have much more silt in the water. I will sometimes use lures that can be presented well above the fish since their ability to see much further in very clear water can draw them off of the bottom or out of submerged timber to your lure. Aside from using bottom bumping lures such as shaky heads, dropshots, or football jigs with a smaller profile I will also use jerkbaits, walking style topwater lures, and quickly retrieved double willow leaf spinnerbaits. When you can figure out the general depth which the fish are relating to and locate a bluff wall that looks to have some balled up baitfish I recommend making your casts parallel to that depth which seems to have the majority of fish rather than casting towards the bank and bringing your lure out towards deeper water as casting parallel will keep your lure in or just above the most productive depth for a much longer period during your retrieve. Learning how to interpret what you are seeing on your marine electronics is crucial to becoming a proficient deep water fisherman. Once you begin to master the technique of locating and catching deep offshore bass you may find it hard to return to fishing in the shallows. Fishing offshore in deep water is by far my favorite way to fish as my electronics do not lie, they show you exactly what is going on beneath you. I hope this helps, good luck!

Now is a time fish can be very deep and they can be caught. They are deep because they have a food source and the THERMOCLINE does not restrict movement. Lakes in TX stratify very quickly in May and bass will move toward shallow water or to the top [summer] because OXYGEN depletion. JMHO

Nice video Stephen.

Thank you for the kind words sir! I very much appreciate it. If I am able to continue having success with my femoral nerve injections which have relieved my pain substantially I am planning on getting back into the professional fishing scene in 2021. If that is the case then I will once again be producing many more new bass fishing instructional YouTube Videos with the goal of helping other fellow bass anglers understand how to use particular lures with the best results in addition to some tips regarding the most productive techniques for catching bass on various bodies of water throughout the changing seasons, rigging techniques, sonar interpretation for offshore fishing success, tips for various water conditions and much more. Often times I will have other professional tournament anglers and top bass guides joining me. I will dive into easy to understand bass fishing related topics, and answering my viewers questions throughout the live stream. During my days on the water I'll be educating my viewers on exactly why I am using multiple lures and fishing various patterns throughout the entire video stream. In the meantime please feel free to contact me via email at s_fatherree@yahoo.com as I very seldom check my messages here on the Texas Fishing Forum. Cheers!

Would y’all rather start with a Carolina rig or drop shot?

Dependent on the cover or structure you're fishing

Carolina rig
I always try to catch them on the bigger rod & line if possible.

If I have a rocky bottom will always go C-rig as it makes more noise dragging the rocks. I'f I'm pitching up into willows or against wood, going to use a drop shot or weighted wacky.