Just curious what everyone did to learn and be effective fishing deep? I have tried it alot but am sure I am either killing myself with boat positioning\control or just not throwing the right stuff. It is hard to determine where I am going wrong. So did you hire guides to show you, learn from others, just keep cracking until you got lucky one day and figured it out? Any tips or insight would be appreciated.

try to imagine that 20 feet is not that deep, look at the height of your house and picture you in the boat on top.

I started out fishing deep then learned how to fish shallow. Fishing deep is not hard with Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. I suppose the hardest part is learning how to imagine what is going on down there. Pay close attention to your electronics and try to get a mental image of what your lure is doing down there. Also get a mental image of what the structure would look like if you could see it. To do that just look at structures you can see above the surface.

I hired a couple Lake Fork guides who were deep structure fishing specialists. Many times.

Good topic-

This is what I plan on doin this summer. I need to get better at fishing deep and could learn more in a day from one of those guys than a year of just trying to figure it out.

Guaranteed!

I too recently started to strive to fish deeper. Never hired a guide (maybe should) but set my mind to it and have spent the last few trips committed to it (had to force myseld to not fish obvious weeds and banks) Recently one day it paid off and I have never been more satisfied. Try jigs or t rig and c rig worms over creek channels, points and standing timber. I understand it is easier to get frustrated and loose confidence fishing deeper but if you fish slow enough it will pay off. I still have a long way to go but it is encouraging to think of myseld as more of a well rounded fisherman.

This is one of my goals this year also(Trying to stop pounding BANKS when I know I should go DEEP!). I've been fishing humps, creek channels, and deep structure and like Mule Shoe said it has paid off! No giants yet but, my confidence is growing. My goto deep water baits consist of heavier (1/4 to 1/2 oz) shakey heads w/ larger worms, big jigs, and deep diving cranks.

In the evening instead of top waters in shallows, I too have been throwing deep diving cranks and have had some success. It's a great time also!

Jim Edwards at Falcon helped me out. The biggest thing for me was confidence. Too many times I would pull up on a good looking spot and leave it after a few casts with no bites.

Once you get some success it's a lot easier to stay on top of them a little while and get them to bite.

With side imaging I would expect to start seeing the deep water haunts that are only fished by a few to become crowded. LOL

Deep water fishing takes more patience but is also more stabil then shallow water. Weather doesn't have near the effect on a brush pile in 20' vs. one in 8'. But it does take a little more patience and trying from every angle to figure out what they are looking for down there.

Jody

Also my goal this summer. I have had limited success in the past, but always struggle with boat positioning, wind, etc. And am especially daunted over twenty feet.

Glad someone asked this! I too have been C-riggin, jiggin and crankin deep with not much success yet. I vow to keep trying though!

Make yourself do it. The next five or six times you go fishing in the summer, go to the same lake and don't let yourself go shallower than 12 feet or so. If you study your maps and find some decent areas before you go and make yourself fish it, you will get more comfortable.

Resist the urge to move to another spot in 15 minutes, too. While you may be able to cruise through a cove and cover most of it, deeper structure requires time and angles. Fish a point or ridge from one side, then the other. Throw down it as well.

I would strongly suggest starting with a c-rig. It will catch fish and build your confidence faster than a jig or deep crank.

Good luck.