Ninety percent of feeding fish concentrate in just 10% of the water around structural features where current creates predictable feeding zones. Mike Hennessy's fundamentals reveal how structure serves as fish highways, ambush points, and current breaks, requiring anglers to identify where flow hits features head-on and position boats for natural bait presentation with current.
Fundamentals of Fishing Structure: Mike Hennessy
Fundamentals of Fishing Structure: Mike Hennessy
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Mike Hennessy
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Why Do 90% of Feeding Fish Concentrate in Just 10% of the Water?
Mike Hennessy breaks down essential concepts separating successful anglers from those who struggle to find fish consistently, starting with a powerful principle: approximately 90% of feeding fish concentrate in just 10% of the water at any given time, and that 10% is almost always around structural features. Understanding how fish relate to underwater structure and how current interacts with these features is the foundation of productive fishing, whether targeting bass in freshwater or snapper around offshore reefs.
Structure serves multiple biological needs simultaneously, creating zones where fish can feed efficiently, access safety, and minimize energy expenditure. These aren't random preferences but evolutionary adaptations driving fish to specific locations that smart anglers learn to recognize and exploit.
How Does Current Interaction with Structure Create Feeding Zones?
Structure fishing revolves around understanding where current hits features, creating predictable concentrations of food sources and disoriented baitfish. Identify where current hits structure head-on to locate the most active feeding zones, then look for current seams and eddies formed downstream where predators wait.
Structure creates these prime fishing opportunities through:
- Fish highways serving as underwater migration routes between deep and shallow water
- Ambush points where predatory fish use structural edges to trap and herd baitfish
- Current breaks deflecting water flow and concentrating food sources
- Safety zones providing quick access to deeper water for escape routes
Understanding how different current speeds affect fish positioning around structure accounts for seasonal changes based on water temperature and current strength variations throughout the year.
What Positioning and Presentation Strategies Maximize Structure Fishing Success?
Position your boat to present baits naturally with current flow, targeting the up-current side of structure during active feeding periods. Work structure systematically from deep to shallow or along current edges rather than random casting hoping to intercept fish.
Match your presentation speed to current conditions because faster current requires more aggressive presentations, while using current to your advantage creates natural bait presentation and lure action predators recognize instinctively.
This fundamentals of fishing structure knowledge applies across all fishing scenarios, from shallow water mangrove structure to deep offshore reefs and wrecks. For species-specific applications of these structure fishing principles, explore our guides on mangrove snapper, bottom fishing techniques, and reef and wreck fishing strategies.
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Mike Hennessy is a versatile game fishing expert renowned for his mastery of offshore, inshore, fly, and freshwater techniques. His accomplishments include a record 1245lb Blue Marlin and victory in the Bisbees Black and Blue tournament. He hosts global fishing expeditions while promoting conservation, owns an eco-resort in Costa Rica, and runs Namotu Island Resort in Fiji. Hennessy currently specializes in light tackle fishing for Black Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna.
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