By Nick Simonson
The tick-tick-tick of a rocky stretch against a bottom bouncer, or the jolting carom of a crankbait off a small boulder is a comforting feeling when fishing in summer. While the sensation may be a bit jarring, it's a welcome reminder that an offering is in the right place as patterns set up and fish like walleyes, smallmouth bass and others are on the prowl in some of their preferred places underwater. Whether it's a sunken rockpile on a reservoir, a stretch of substrate that changes from soft bottom to hard bumps, or rip rap that secures a shoreline and extends below the surface, rocks have the power to draw and hold fish, and angling those areas can pay off significantly.
Perhaps the greatest draw that rocks provide is shelter for food sources. The obvious prey items are crayfish, which use the crevices and crannies to hide from predators and await their own food items to come by. Additionally, aquatic insects like dragonfly, damselfly and caddisfly nymphs can be found in rocky regions, and other small offerings too help build the food web in and around submerged rocks. These items draw in predators and smaller baitfish which those bigger game fish feed on as well, making rocky stretches a smorgasbord in summer. Bigger rocks in the mix also provide cover for game fish like walleyes, muskies, and bass, making areas even more ideal with all the elements required for safety and survival. However, fishing rocky stretches can present a challenge to anglers as those same nooks and small openings present snaggy situations from time to time.
Thus, learning how to fish rocks in a way that limits snags is the best way to get in where fish are feeding and holing up. When trolling rocky spaces for walleyes utilizing no snag sinkers - such as bottom bouncers or slinkies - helps work lures and baits in and around the area, which the base of each such weight slides and ticks along out of most hang-ups. When they do get stuck on the troll, simply backing a boat up often frees the weight and allows for continued angling without breaking off. Similarly, utilizing insert jig heads or Texas-rigged plastics with conical bullet weights when fishing for bass in rocky stretches will limit the number of hang-ups and allow for easier exploration of each area and a more natural presentation of the offering.
Additionally, when over rocky reefs or a descending bank of rip-rap a slip float setup can be adjusted to target the precise place where fish are holding or relating to the structure. Simply confirm via sonar where the fish are in the adjacent water column (or through trial and error on each cast until a fish hits when fishing from shore or without electronics) and adjust the depth by moving the bobber stop up or down the line to put the bait where it needs to be in relation to the rocky area and how it's harboring those fish. Remember most fish feed upward, so being a bit above the rocks is a good idea; it also helps prevent snags.
Summer often sends fish to deeper rocky structures for food and cover, and finding a stretch of rock that isn't well known to other anglers is a gem of a GPS point to lock in. Check for stretches of transition to gravel and small rocks, sunken rock piles, and reefs on favorite waters when looking for walleyes, bass, and other gamefish this season as things settle out. With a few adjustments and some tackle tweaks, you're likely to find some golden fishing wedged in between the rocky spaces of any water.
Simonson is the lead writer and editor of Dakota Edge Outdoors.
Featured Photo: Rocking Out. This summer walleye came off a rocky edge of a small hump where the substrate provided a break and a unique area in an otherwise sandy and weedy stretch of structure. Simonson Photo.
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