Bluffs are hit-or-miss fishing spots. However, they have the potential to be great fish producers. Check what experts recommend for catching fish from these structures.

Casting

Casting is fun. It allows a fisherman to stay away from the fish to avoid spooking them, and casts can be pinpointed to productive spots.

Crappie tournaments have been won by fishing bluffs. For example, a Crappie USA Classic was won on a deep bluff with a submerged tree that was hung in the bluff at about the 35-foot level. The winners cast, then dropped their jigs straight down the bluff wall to the cover where the fish were holding. Staying a distance from the fish was a key to avoid spooking the fish.

There are several key elements to casting. First, it’s important to pinpoint fish with electronics. The next step is cast from a distance to avoid spooking the fish. Step three is to let the bait fall until it gets just over the fish.

Another great option is to cast minnows under a slip-float so the bait will stay at a specific depth in key spots. Use current and wind to your advantage by letting the bait float naturally to the fish.

Rockslides

Tournament fisherman Dan Dannenmueller fishes many lakes and rivers across the country. Bluffs are not his go-to choices, but he finds some of them to be very productive. He says that finding where logs have hung up in the rocks creates high-potential fishing.

“Another place to look,” says Dannenmueller, “is where a portion of the bluff has slid down into the water, creating an uneven bottom or ledges. Crappies will get on the down-current side and hold. It might take a few minutes to find them on your electronics, but the ledges and fish should show on sonar.

“I use electronics to find the underwater spots, and I usually fish them vertically. I might spider rig with multiple poles, or vertically jig one pole. Baits can be held still or moved slowly. Fish will be behind rocks and cover to get out of the current. When there is no current at this time of year, they will likely be suspended up in the water column, over structures and ledges created by the slide.”

His favorite rig is a double-hook minnow rig, with a single minnow on the top hook and a Road Runner head with a Bobby Garland Itty Bit on bottom.

Something different…spoons

“There are two major reasons for seeking a bluff,” says Truman Lake guide and tournament fisherman Barry Morrow (660-723-2667). “The first is to get out of the wind. The second is to target fish holding on a bluff.

“I usually vertically jig cover with a standard long pole and plastic-bodied jig. The jigs are lifelike targets that catch fish. I’ve used them for decades because they work. However, a spoon is a good bait, and it gives crappies something different to see.”

On a trip with him at Truman Lake, it didn’t take long for us to catch fish on a spoon. Morrow says, “A spoon will catch fish, so don’t be afraid to try a small spoon when you’re fishing a bluff. My best tip would be fish it like you would a jig, with subtle movements, not radical. Jigs are good, but spoons deserve more attention than they get.”

Vertically jigging shad balls

Morrow says that keeping presentations simple can produce great results. “I start by side scanning with my Humminbird,” says Barry Morrow. “My home lake has a lot of standing timber, so I begin looking at timber along or near a bluff. I’m looking for shad balls.”

Morrow says that crappies will be near or within the balls of shad. The shad are a crappie’s dinner bell indicating that it’s time to eat. Therefore, find the shad and you’ll find the fish, whether fish are directly on the bluff or nearby in timber. Remember, shad are always moving, and so are the fish.

“I usually vertically jig because that’s all the timber allows. I use a 1/4- to 1/2-ounce sinker over a 1/16-ounce jig. A small profile bait is important, so I’m often using a Bobby Garland Itty Bit. But remember that a plastic jig of any size can usually be trimmed down to form a small bait. Fish the jig above, below and within the shad balls.”

Whitehead’s tips for bluffs

“Casting is one of the best ways to fish a bluff,” says Brad Whitehead. “I prefer a B‘n’M 6-foot Sharpshooter, 6-pound-test line and a 1/16-ounce Crappie Magnet jig. I switch to a 1/8-ounce when there is more current or wind,” say Whitehead.

“I prefer to cast parallel to the bluff, letting the jig fall to the strike zone and working it back to the boat. The jig is in the strike zone longer so your odds of catching a fish is greater.

“Cast up-current to present the jig in a more natural way, letting it float downstream to the fish. The jig is harder to control when it’s drifting with the current, but it can make a big difference in the number of strikes.”

“I use electronics to find trees and logs that are hung in the rocks down 20 to 40 feet deep. Good electronics will show if fish are on it.

“Wind can be a problem when casting, so I’ll switch to vertically jigging a 1/4-ounce jig. The hook hangs less and can be pulled loose when hung up. Use a jig with a thin wire hook that can be pulled loose when hung. The jig lets fishermen get the bait down into the cover and feel what’s happening.”

Whitehead’s tips, along with the tips from the other experts, provide good guidelines for bluffing crappies. Enjoy the action these often-overlooked structures can produce.

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