If you want to find fish – look for structure.

Fish naturally seek out objects in the water for safety, so if you can put a bait there you’ve got a good chance of a bit of action. The trouble with structure is that while they can hold good fish they can be a nightmare for fishermen – tangled terminal tackle, lost gear and wasted time. Snags can be a pain in the butt if not fished properly.

Fishing structure

It’s funny that any object in the water that holds fish is called structure…. but the same object is called a snag if it traps our line.

Lure fishermen will tell you “if you’re not getting snagged you’re not getting fish” and it’s true! You’ve got to get amongst the rugged stuff to get amongst the fish.

So how do you fish structure?

This all depends on what type of structure you have in front of you.

Piers bridge and rock walls

Things like piers bridges and rock walls are pretty straight forward. The water immediately beside them, in front of and behind them is where the fish will be. Many fish, especially smaller ones will hold close to the object while bigger predators will often cruise along a little further out looking for food.

Floating structure

Pontoons, weed rafts, mooring docks, buoys even boats provide cover for fish. As long as they aren’t moving they can be a good place to cast a bait.

Submerged structure

Fallen trees, large rocks, weed beds even car bodies and shopping trolleys are places fish will hold and feed. One of my favourite spots in the Yarra river, right in suburban Melbourne, was a bend on the river that had a car body dumped in it. You could just see the car in mid summer when the water was low and it was one of the most productive spots on the river.

Placing your bait

While structure holds fish it will also snag tackle. You need to put your hook close to it but not in it.

This is where accurate casting is really important . If you watch experienced lure anglers such as the professional US bass anglers as well as our own Aussie professionals you’ll see guys who can land a lure on a dinner plate at 20 metres. This really helps put your hook deep in the target zone. The more you do this the more fish you’ll catch.

You need to get your bait close enough to lure fish out of structure without landing in the structure.

How close do you need to be?

It can depend a little on the species of fish you are targeting.

I’ve seen Murray Cod leave a bait alone that was a metre away from their holding spot but absolutely belt it when it was within 60cm. On the other hand I’ve seen Redfin and bream move some metres from cover to swallow a bait.

The other consideration in fishing snags is being able to extract a fish that will naturally run back into cover when hooked.

You need to make a judgement call on how close you cast. I usually try to get a bite first and deal with the circumstances of being close to snags afterwards.

Remember to use heavier tackle when fishing structure. It can save terminal tackle as well as lost fish if you scale up to suit the conditions. This is where abrasion resistant line really makes a difference. Strong monofilament and fluorocarbon lines can take a bit of wear and tear while braid will cut on any sharp object.

Playing fish in snags

Timing is everything when playing fish in structure. You don’t get much time to react and can’t let a fish run too far or you will be in all sorts of trouble.

It is a natural reaction for fish to escape into or around snags. They’ll wrap around branches shred line over rocks or dive into weed to avoid being caught.

The best approach is to stay close to your rod, watch the tip and be ready to act the moment you see movement. It is really important to be alert. Taking a nap, playing with your phone or chatting with your friends can lose you a good fish…take it from someone who has done all these things.

Lure fishermen hold their rods when they fish so they can react quickly. Bait fishermen need to be just as attentive to rod movement to keep out of trouble. Set your drag pretty tight to avoid the fish making a run and quickly steer them away from the structure.

Fishing snags can be one of the most rewarding approaches you can have. It can also be one of the most frustration.

If you follow these simple techniques you might just land that big ugly monster that nobody else has ever caught.