Part II
While it is possible to catch fish suspended over deep water, or when they move into deep, structure free water, your chances of catching them are much greater as they migrate or feed in the shallows.
A map will help you find all three important fish zones: sanctuaries, travel routes, and feeding areas. The map search process can be best done by first identifying likely feeding areas.
Many types of fish--crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, walleye, northern pike, muskie, large trout to cite a few--feed on minnows or forage fish. Schools of minnows thrive in warm water. If you are fishing for minnow feeders, start at the shoreline where the water will be warm. While you are going over the shoreline on your map, find areas that will hold schools of minnows--places that have vegetation, or brush piles, or where artificial fish attractors have been secured.
The shore areas you picked out will only be visited regularly by gamefish if they have easy access to the spot and a definite and protected route to get there. Here is where a fishing map becomes the invaluable tool.
Gamefish often prefer relatively deep water near their feeding grounds. Look at each possible shoreline foraging area you found and check the surroundings for much deeper water. If you find none, chances are the spot will be unproductive. The opposite is true, however. If you find a sharp drop-off near a shoreline brush pile, fish will be there dining on minnows.
Figure 1 illustrates a shoreline area with shallow (warm) water, but weeds, wood and other forms of cover are lacking. The off-shore area has a slow gradual drop with no discernible deep hole or evidence of structure to create a sanctuary. This area offers little to attract fish and should not be your first choice fishing spot.
Figure 2 shows a weedbed with lily pads and other weeds on a 5-foot flat--a natural for minnows. At the edge of the flat the water drops sharply to 20 feet, and just beyond the 20-foot level is a hole that is 33 feet deep. Fish often move from shallow feeding areas and suspend nearby over deep water. They can easily move from the deep water to the weed and pad growth. It is a short swim to the minnow haven where they will feed.