Should I target structure-related fish or suspended fish?
They are two real populations with two playbooks, and the lake type tells you the mix. Structure fish — weed edges, rock bars, points in 2–6 m (7–20 ft) — are the casting game: precise, visual, figure-8 finishes, most productive in low light. Suspended fish hang over 15–30 m (50–100 ft) basins at bait-school depth on cisco lakes, and they are located with electronics and caught mostly by trolling; they include a disproportionate share of the true giants. A fair default: fish structure with the casting rods morning and evening, and spend the dead midday hours pulling baits over the basin instead of pounding empty weeds.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
More questions about Movement & range
- Do muskie have a home range?
- What daily windows should I plan a muskie day around?
- Do the same muskie really get caught over and over?
- How far do muskie travel through the seasons?
- Where do muskie sit when there are no weed beds — wood, docks, sand, tailwaters?
- Do muskie ever use really deep water — or sit on the bottom?
Same topic, other species
- What decides the exact depth a school suspends at? — Crappie
- How deep do largemouth actually go? — Largemouth Bass
- Do schools shift depth during the day? — Yellow Perch
- Do big pike patrol regular routes? — Northern Pike
- Do smallmouth school? — Smallmouth Bass
- How do trout move around in a lake, compared to a stream? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- Do walleye school? — Walleye