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Structure Terminology
(or “how to sound like you know what’s going on!!!”)

By Mark Hutchinson of www.threeguysfishing.com

I’m sure we’ve all read articles or watched our favorite fishing shows and have heard references to “fishing the flats,” or “finding the breakline.”

What I’d like to do is to briefly describe a few of the most common structures along with their names and characteristics. This way, the next time you hear these terms you will be able to visualize them much easier!

Saddle:

This one is pretty well summed up by it’s name. A saddle has a high spot on one side, a high spot on the other, and a sloping depression in the middle. The most common place we would see this structure is between the shore and an island. Fish love to suspend in the deep water here and head into shore for feeding time.

Breakline:

This is basically where the water depth drops very rapidly due to an underwater channel or a rock formation. This can be a great spot to jig for smallmouths and walleyes!

Channel Bend:

If you visualize a river channel and what would happen if this river were flooded, this will help you to understand what a channel bends. In this situation the ORIGINAL channel is deeper than the rest of the reservoir:, Also, any feeder creeks are now submerged channels as well. A channel bend is simply a curve in these submerged features.

Cut:

This term simply describes anything that “cuts” into the riverbank and breaks the contour of the bank. This could include an incoming creek or a boat launch. It simply means something that breaks the regular line of structure.

Flat:

This is a fairly loose term in that a “flat” can vary immensely” Basically, however, a flat is a large area of the same depth. It’s not uncommon to find a channel running through the flat, and fish will often move in and out of the channel to feed on the flats.

Hopefully, this will help you to learn what type of structure you are looking for on your favorite lake or river. You can also impress your fishing buddies with some great fishing terminology! Take care, and good luck!

3GF