Today's fishermen has a pretty good understanding of the word "structure" as it pertains to fishing. If you ask a fisherman what is structure? He will typically answer "Weeds, rocks, wood (trees), docks, etc.", all of which are correct. This article is going to talk about "wood" and explain how not all wood is created equal, as well as break "wood" down into three classes for discussion that being: deadfalls, beaver lodges, and lastly I will talk about the "Woods". Before we talk about these areas, it is important to understand that fishing this structure starts before we hit the water. A fisherman has to have the right equipment and the ability to use it.
As we are talking about fishing in and around trees, branches, stumps, etc., it should be obvious that we can't let any fish we hook make long runs on a very loose drag. We are not open water fishing, quite the contrary we are fishing in an area with many, many obstructions. If allowed to run, the fish would wrap you around every twig in the lake or it would at least seem that way. If you are going to fish wood effectively, you should have a stout rod, a reel capable of holding a fish on a tight drag, as well as a line in a high pound test strength and that is abrasion resistant.
The fisherman must also use the appropriate lures for the situation he is facing. What this means is that you want to have a lure on that has the ability to fish over the cover or can work its way through the branches, tree limbs, etc. without getting constantly hung up. There are no absolutes as to what a person can use in the way of lures. The fisherman's ability, water depth, and concentration of obstructions will dictate what can be reasonably be used. In most instances surface baits, some spinnerbaits, and soft plastics rigged in a Carolina style can be effective.
As mentioned previously, the fisherman must have the ability to use the equipment effectively. A fisherman can be using the right rod, reel, and line and can fail miserably if he cannot cast accurately. If you are going to be throwing at obstructions such as trees, rocks or docks, the fisherman has to be able to do pin point casting. My wife watches me cast as I put my lure next to a tree, wall, dock, etc. and always says "Boy, you are lucky!". As tell her, it isn't luck if you can do it consistently. If you can't place your cast accurately, you will be hung up a lot. There is nothing that ruins a good fishing spot quicker, than having to take a boat in to retrieve a hung up lure. Not only will getting hung up eat into your fishing time; but it also eats into your fishing partners. Your partner will become upset if you are hung up virtually on every cast. If you are going to fish visible structure such as wood, get familiar with the equipment you are going to be using. You will not want to first try to become proficient with a bait caster, when you normally use a spinning rod, while trying to fish visible structure. Practice in non-fishing situations using the equipment you will fish with until you can make accurate casts.
Deadfalls: A deadfall for the purpose of this article will be a tree or large limb, that is in or partially in the water. Deadfalls typically occur as a result of storms and the erosion of shoreline(root area) where the trees are actually pushed over into the water. It is not uncommon to see an entire shoreline with deadfalls, but not all deadfalls are created equal. As a general rule of thumb, the more horizontal the deadfall, the better the deadfall. Typically a horizontal deadfall provides more cover over a wider range depths than a vertical pole type tree.
Beaver Lodges: Another great spot to fish wood is where you see a beaver lodge. A beaver lodge is not just the sticks you see seeing above the water line, but a significant area in and around the lodge. The portion of the lodge you see sitting above the water is actually the roof and insulation for the beaver's home. The lodge is not just a stack of sticks, as the beaver actually intertwines the sticks. It is virtually impossible to pull apart a lodge by hand. The preferred method to remove them is through the use of dynamite! The lodge, aside from identifying the area, is not in itself all that important to a fisherman. The beaver environment is actually made up three distinct areas: The lodge, the channels and the food cache. Again, the lodge is that portion we see sticking up out of the water. Channels are literally beaver highways that lead to the lodge that are relatively wood free, but are surrounded by the food cache. These channels are typically deeper (relative term) than the surrounding food cache as food cache artificially raises the bottom.
The Woods: - This is not exactly a scientific or technical term, but it seems to describe the area I am going to talk about next. When I am talking about "The Woods", I am typically talking about taking the boat into flooded areas of trees. The trees can be alive or dead, but have been flooded by high water (such as the spring of 2008) from melted snow and rain, or as the result of blocking water outlets such as a river with a damn.
I can honestly say that I fish beaver locations a lot. I can also say that I never have caught much when the beavers are actually swimming around carry branches to the lodge. Again, I am speaking from my experience. I think it typically has to do with the beavers spooking the fish, especially if they start the tail slapping. I can also say that I have caught musky, pike, bass, and pan fish in and around beaver lodges. They are always worth fishing.
Click the mailbox to e-mail. Last updated on ... October 25, 2008
