Identifying Common Types of Structure

There are scores of different structures and names given to them. Whether you realize it or not, you're always fishing some kind of structure. I'd like to name and define a few of the more common ones for newer anglers.

Points: Points are exactly like they sound; land that comes to a point and slowly arches down into the water column. The point itself is always going to be shallower than the water surrounding it.

Humps: The easiest way to describe a hump is to imagine an island that's underwater. A hump is typically a rounded land feature that is shallower than the water surrounding it.

Ledges: A ledge is just like it sounds. Ledges are simply a drop from shallower water to deeper water. Ledges can be gradual or very sharp. Ledges are often associated with the main river channel of manmade lakes.

Flats: This structure is just like it sounds. Flats are usually large structures that are flat in nature, with little variance in depth change. Try to imagingine a parking lot, and you have a decent idea of what a flat looks like.