Who fishes from a boat vs. fishes from shore? - How does it affect what tackle you use? 2024

tcbass reply :

After watching a lot of poster's videos and seeing their pics I realized that quite a few people on here fish from shore. Oddly I just assumed that most people fished from a boat.

Obviously that must change how many rods and how much tackle you can bring with you.

Who fishes from a boat and who fishes from shore and how does it affect what tackle you use?

Russ E reply :

I fish from a boat 99% of the time. Every piece of tackle I own is usually in the boat somewhere.

8 baitcasters, 6 spinning rods. and all terminal tackle. 3 or 4 poles on the deck, the rest in storage.

doesn't mean I use it all every trip , but it is ready.

On shore, usually 2 poles with a few baits.

OkobojiEagle reply :

I'm fortunate enough to own a small fishing boat, canoe, float tube, a couple sets of waders and I use them all throughout the year. I'm also fortunate to have collected dozens of rods/reels and several totes of baits and fishing paraphernalia. I've grown enough in my fishing to only carry with me a small shoulder bag with two small plano boxes -- one for jigs the other for hard baits -- and several pockets for soft plastics, spinnerbaits, leader line and a few necessary tools. That same bag is used from all of my water crafts, as well as while on foot. The most significant difference to my fishing while on my boat vs. canoe/tube/waders being I carry one rod/reel when fishing from canoe/tube/waders, and four rigged rod/reel combinations, make use of sonar, gps mapping and various boat control measures while fishing from the boat. I enjoy my fishing more when I keep it simple.

Team9nine reply :

You missed option 3 - both. I only bring what fits in my pockets from shore. In the boat, I obviously bring more, but still a lot less than you might think - about 6-10 3600 size boxes depending.

scaleface reply :

One difference is from bank your usually fishing uphill from a boat your often fishing downhill .

cgolf reply :

Both for me, river from shore and lake by boat.

River - Ned and mostly craw plastics and cranks that cover shallow water. One thing to note is that the weight on the plastics is specific to the flow I fish. A small 3500 size tackle bag carried over my shoulder. Usually one spinning rod, sometimes add a baitcaster.

Lakes - lots of plastics with many different weights and both deep diving and shallow cranks. 3600 sized bag for cranks and 3700 sized bag for plastics.

Bankbeater reply :

I fish from both. When I fish from a boat I can get down deeper so I use heavier baits. Both plastics and crankbaits.

I rarely use more weight than 3/16 for plastics when fishing from the bank. 1/4 or 5/16 is the heaviest crankbait I will use from the bank.

BuzzHudson19c reply :

Does kayak count as boat? I usually have a med action baitcasting setup and a med/light spinning. If I am hitting a lake with lots of vegetation I skip the spinning stuff and bring my heavy frog stick. Two small plano floating boxes. One with About 10 lures the other with terminal tackle.

RPreeb reply :

On 9/20/2017 at 4:07 AM, tcbass said:

After watching a lot of poster's videos and seeing their pics I realized that quite a few people on here fish from shore. Oddly I just assumed that most people fished from a boat.

Obviously that must change how many rods and how much tackle you can bring with you.

Who fishes from a boat and who fishes from shore and how does it affect what tackle you use?

Shore for now. My wife has agreed to add about $2000 to our budget over the winter to buy the canoe and accessories I've picked out, so that next year I'll be more amphibious. Since I only own 2 rods (one baitcaster and one spinning rod), I usually have both with me in the truck, even though I don't try to haul both around the shore as I fish. The small pond I fish most of the time allows me to go back to the truck to change baits or rods. I usually do a full circuit with one rig, then change if that isn't working.

I hope to add a second baitcaster over the winter. All 3 rods will probably join me in the canoe except on those few occasions when my wife wants to come along.

Ktho reply :

On 9/20/2017 at 6:57 AM, scaleface said:

One difference is from bank your usually fishing uphill from a boat your often fishing downhill .

This is a pretty big one. From shore your positioning is really limited, you don't get half the options you get on a boat. No matter what you do you're pretty much always fishing uphill. Due to that I'm downsizing pretty much any bottom contact bait. 3/8 is incredibly heavy from shore for me 5/16, 3/16 and 1/8 are the standard sizes I'm using. Deep diving stuff also just doesn't get used, it ends up just dredging the bottom and there's a really tiny window where it's doing what it should. Anything that dives below 3-5ft just gets left at home.

islandbass reply :

100% shorebound.

I usually bring 3 but might bring a fourth rod.

Usually this what I bring:

7' med Cabelas magtouch 2pc casting rod

6'6" mh shimano compre spinning

7' Okuma celilo UL spinning rod

These are my "trunk" rods and usually are in the car with me and hence usually get the most use. Rods are 2 piece by necessity. I'm not foolish enough to leave my one piece rods exposed in the car, not even for a second.

My true "bass" rods are one piece and will usually see action on the weekend.

There is some truth in the other thread about some lures working so well you could practically narrow it down to 4 top producers. It's true for me for the most part but I usually have at least one representation from the lure types that might not be the most effective for me.

I love my mag touch. It's seen all and battled all, largies, smallies, trout, pan fish, pink salmon, silver salmon. If I broke this rod, I'd probably shed a tear and bury in in the backyard.

My compre has also battled the same and MH power for a spinning rod? That's just awesome.

Both these rods can cover a wide array of applications and when they don't work, I'll usually be able to get them switching to ultra light. Liken that to being too close for missiles so you have to switch to guns.

I have so much fun with those rods that my bass rods get jealous, lol.

As a shorebound angler, I arrived at being a practical minimalist (i.e., cover your bases without excess) Why? (Asking myself) Because you're the carrying the gear, dummy! Yep, I used to carry everything and the kitchen sink but wised up.

MichaelCopeland reply :

I only fish from the shore, so I don't really know how it would effect the tackle I use. I suppose from a boat I would use the same things I use from shore, but add a few more things that I have not tried before. If I had a kayak it would definitely effect the way I fish the shoreline for the better. Harder to do that from the shore, in my opinion. I would also be able to fish areas I can't get to from the bank.

Catt reply :

I do everything from bank fishing to a 20' bass boat!

The only tackle bank fishing effects is I don't throw deep diving crankbaits!

Swbass15 reply :

I'll throw anything from the bank, we have some pretty steep banks here so even deep cranks get a turn. But usually a dropshot. From a boat same thing goes, I just feel more effective from a boat.

the reel ess reply :

I kayak fish. But if I go to a pond I can walk, I'll walk it all. Less trouble and effort. Even if I have the kayak, if I can walk some of the edge before I launch I will. I'm more likely to use topwaters and middle zone lures while walking so I don't get hung up. I save the bottom bumpers and lipless cranks for when I'm in the kayak. There are those ponds with a ring of lilies all around them. That calls for something totally weedless like a frog or weightless worm. Fewer options.

If I go to a bigger body of water, I take the kitchen sink, bottom to top. High wind plays a role in choosing. On those days I'll go walk a pond or paddle one that's either protected or out of the wind. Trying to kayak fish in a strong breeze is for the birds.

TOXIC reply :

I have done shore, wading, boat and Yak. I have found that for shore and Yak I will shorten up my rod requirements. From shore because of tree limbs and from the Yak because the only one I ever fished from was a sit-on and with a longer rod, the hookset was weak.

Scarborough817 reply :

i do both it just depends on where i am, i've started targeting pike at a small quarry lake near my house so mainly just one rod with a rapala glidin rap, a pearch swimbait or a 3/4oz res

up north at my home lake i am in the boat and normally have at least 6 rods in the boat with me i leave just about everything in there tackle wise so i grab the rods i want and go

SummertimeCarl reply :

Shore - 1, 2, or 3 rods. A backpack.

Kayak - 2 or 3 rods. Same backpack.

Boat - 5 rods. Same backpack.

The main difference is if I'm fishing from the shore I only throw my cheapest lures. I lose 5 times as many lures from the shore as I do from a boat/kayak.

J Francho reply :

Boat, Boat, guest, kayak, shore. The amount of tackle I bring decreases from left to right.

thinkingredneck reply :

I met an angler from our college bass team. He had a "truck box" he carried everywhere he went. It contained two of everything he usually used: a few types of soft plastics, spinner bait in two configurations, a few cranks and jerkbaits, terminal tackle. It was an unholy mess. He claims he can fish anywhere he drives to out of that one large plano box. He carried a cheap rod and reel in case his truck was broken into. He used fluro line. Impressive confidence came from that young man. He really liked the Pit boss and used a c-rig a lot.

NYWayfarer reply :

I fish from shore, my kayak and as a guest on my Father-in laws' boat.

I bring 1 rod and a small tackle bag to fish from shore. On my kayak I take 2 rods and a shower caddy basket full of baits for easy access. On my Father-in laws' boat I take 3 rods and a milk crate full of baits.

YoTone reply :

only real difference when im fishing from a kayak or shore is that i wont throw a non top water treble hook lure bank fishing. bank fishing with crank baits have cost me a lot of money on snags.

tcbass reply :

On 9/20/2017 at 10:10 PM, SummertimeCarl said:

Shore - 1, 2, or 3 rods. A backpack.

Kayak - 2 or 3 rods. Same backpack.

Boat - 5 rods. Same backpack.

The main difference is if I'm fishing from the shore I only throw my cheapest lures. I lose 5 times as many lures from the shore as I do from a boat/kayak.

Interesting. I did a ton of shorefishijg as a kid and rarely lost lures. Probably because I was casting straight out into the lake.

fishballer06 reply :

I fish from a boat primarily, and from shore from time to time. When I'm in the boat, I usually have between 5-12 rods with me, and around 4-10 plano boxes of tackle, all my tools/scales, attractants, and a big bag of plastics.

If I'm fishing from shore, it's because I want to work on a technique or lure so that I'm more comfortable using it on the boat in a tournament situation. Or, I just got a new rod/reel and I want to break it in. So when I'm on the bank, I'll take whatever fits in one pocket.

Choporoz reply :

Shore, Kayak, Boat. In most cases, the answer is 'too much'. But, the minute that I try to downsize, it is the rod/lure/hook/pliers, etc that I left behind that I go to reach for and start cursing

fishindad reply :

I fish 99% from boat but do have waders, pack and gear for fishing from shore. There's a great small river/stream that runs through town with excellent smallie fishing. Problem is from Memorial Day until October it's typically filled with college students floating/tubing. Lots of eye candy but makes the river un-fishable even on most weekdays during Summer. I do enjoy both equally though - I love the simplicity and minimalism of fishing on foot compared to all the tackle I cram into my boat lockers.

Steveo-1969 reply :

I don't own a boat or a kayak/canoe. I wade fish year round in a river when the water level is low enough to safely wade, otherwise I fish from the shore. Occasionally I'm a guest one someone's boat.

When wading I carry one rod and all my tackle fits in a small over-the-shoulder bag (half the size of a bread loaf). When shore fishing (or a boat guest) I carry one spinning and one casting rod with the same small tackle bag.

dmor71 reply :

I don't change my tackle much between shore and boat/kayak. If grass becomes an issue and you have to fish through it then go with some weedless stuff. I did a lot of bank fishing back in the day and one thing I did change up was putting my tackle in a backpack. This made it easy to move around a lot and work a lot more of the bank. If you are fishing in the river, then a waist pack is best. I lover wading in rivers for smallmouth. I still do that up where I'm at in Iowa/Illinois.

Brett's_daddy reply :

I do about a 60/40 split (when my boat is running that is) between boat and shore/bank. I think the boat just gives you so many more options of where, when and what to fish vs. the bank. When bank fishing you're really at the mercy of the surrounding terrain, I mean you can only go where there's an opening around the shoreline and sometimes you have to hike a good ways to find it...a boat eliminates most of this hassle. I'm one of the foolish ones that brings everything but the kitchen sink, even if i only end up fishing with 1/8 to 1/4 of what i bring I'm always telling myself if you don't bring everything there's bound to be a time when you wished you had a certain lure etc. so I do it sherpa style for the bank fishing with a tackle box AND a tackle backpack and about 4 rods and reels (this usually entails a couple of trips to my fishing spot from the car. Ironically I carry the same amount for when I'm in the boat but it's A LOT easier...lol.

RB 77 reply :

I do it all. Boat, shore, kayak, float tube, etc. If I'm shore fishing, I pack very light. Two rods only. On the boat, I usually have at least a 1/2 dozen laid out on the deck if not more.

3crows reply :

I am vexed. I am a kayaker but prefer to stand when fishing. But a kayak that is stable enough to stand will not paddle well and a kayak that paddles well will not allow standing.

I carry three rods, one with a worm of some sort, usually a Zoom or Senko (Falcon WW and Curado 70XG), another with a spinner bait/chatter bait or similar (a Curado 200I on Falcon Herm) and lately my new spinning outfit with a Ned Rig (Stradic Ci4+ on Falcon JC). I try to pre-rig everything and carry a couple of spares and maybe a different color or two. Anything more becomes a wrassling match and a wrassling match in my kayak could become a swimming lesson.

WRB reply :

I fish from my own boat 90% of the time, from someone else's boat 9% and maybe from shore 1%, it's too difficult to shore fishing anymore.

When was shore fishing it was usually at night and used 1 rod/reel carrying a few lures, mostly T-rigged big worms. Every 6 months I take everything out of my boat just to remember what I have stored in it, way too much tackle.

This past week I cleaned up my garage stored tackle looking for a box of 6 vintage Ambassaduer 2500C and 4500C reels and didn't find them! I consolidated my lures and through away 6 tackle boxes, hundreds of old jigs and worm and still have several more tackle boxes plus cabinates full of tackle I have saved over the 50 years.

Tom

Jerryj33 reply :

Recently had to sell my little Jon boat because I was moving cross the country, so I'm shore bound for a little while. I carry 2 rods, and a backpack with a 3600 tray of various lures and terminal tackle, and several bags of plastics. Of course I keep tons more tackle in the truck and very often find myself jogging back to the parking lot to grab something that I didn't think to bring in the first place. All of my deep cranks, heavy stuff and most expensive tackle is now just gathering dust. Couldn't bear the thought of snagging a vision 110 in the middle of a pond.

Boomstick reply :

I fish from shore like 90% of the time. The rest of the time, I rent a boat or canoe.

As for tackle, I will usually carry a mid size tackle bag unless its a long walk to the fishing spot. I have two casting rods and two spinning rods, and what I bring depends on where I'm fishing and what I'm fishing on any given day.

ohboyitsrobby reply :

I fish mainly from my boat mainly. But throw in some river fishing from shore and canoe. When I'm in the boat i carry 15-16 combos and all my tackle minus a box of jigs and a big bag of plastics. No need to carry literally everything. On the bank a couple poles and a small box. Canoe I carry a couple combos and a 3600 box with a couple bags of plastics. Guaranteed to have the bigger rebel craw and some watermelon red brush hogs and a pop r on those trips. I absolutely love fishing floats it's what I grew up doing. Some of my best memories ever come from these

clh121787 reply :

Fishing from shore I carry 1 or 2 rods max. And fish 3 baits.Max . Texas rig some plastic either weighted or weightless, chatterbait, or a top water, usually frog or yellow magic.

NiX reply :

Kayak - 4 rods (3 BC and one spinning), a net, a few plano boxes with a little bit of everything. Topwater/jerkbait/spinnerbait/lip and lipless cranks/jigs/plastics

Shore - 2 Rods(one spinning and one BC) and a backpack with 2 plano boxes filled with stuff I would use for the day. When I fish the shore I usually throw jigs/plastics

YaknBassn reply :

I do 99% of my fishing from a kayak. I used to bring bare bones, but I've slowly worked my way up to bringing everything.

I usually bring a total of 6-7 rods, 4 being on deck, ready to use, and the others stowed below deck.

I have a crate with three 3500 boxes with jigs, topwater, and cranks. I also have a double sided 3600 satchel with terminal tackle and other items. I also bring a tacklebag with an assortment of soft plastics.

I do like to try and anticipate, but I like being able to adapt to the conditions.

gimruis reply :

I fish from a boat 100% of the time. I can't remember the last time I fished from shore. Maybe 15 years ago?

I fish from my own boat about 75% of the time. The other 25% I'm in a friend's boat, a canoe in a river, or my Father's boat.

I'm lucky enough to have access to a boat all the time and its something I won't take for granted.

Koz reply :

I'm simply fascinated by the amount of people here that carry 5-10+ rods. I understand having 2 or 3 rods with some combination of baitcast, spincast, and a rod with heavy braid. But I don't see how there is a huge statistical advantage by precisely matching every rod type, lure type, reel type, and line type.

I'm not trying to be disrespectful, I'm just wondering if it makes a large, statistical difference in fish strikes and landing fish for the average, non-pro fisherman.

I bank fish 99% of the time with one rod and reel combo. I used to bring a second spinner combo but it was more of a pain than a convenience. Next year I might add a baitcaster and see if that makes a difference of any kind.

I have a Spiderwire shoulder tackle bag with three large boxes for lures and one small one for terminal tackle. The extra space in the body of the bag allows me to carry a large Ziploc bag that hold a number of soft plastic bags.

When I bank fish I usually bring my bike so I can quickly move to new locations or to new lagoons.

J Francho reply :

On 9/21/2017 at 10:04 AM, 3crows said:

I am vexed. I am a kayaker but prefer to stand when fishing. But a kayak that is stable enough to stand will not paddle well and a kayak that paddles well will not allow standing.

Totally false. Get in some better boats. My Commander 140 tracks extremely well, is fast, and I can easily stand and fish. There are several others out there as well.

Raul reply :

I got a boat ( well, if you can call a 12 ft aluminum Jonboat a boat that's what I got ) but I fish a lot more from shore, from the boat I carry 5 rods and like 500 lbs of stuff, from the shore I carry 1 rod and a small backpack with a handful of lures.

Pro Logcatcher reply :

I don't own a boat and it will be awhile before I do. What I would recommend for shore fishing is to get a backpack and two or three of those lure cases. Put hard baits along with worm hooks, shakey heads, etc. in there. You can put bags of plastics in the front pocket. Now add a rod and reel, and I'm ready for a couple hours at the pond.

LxVE Bassin reply :

I'm 95% from the shore. I have a friend that has boat so I go out with him on the water when I can. I didn't change anything the few times I get on the boat. I use all of the same stuff but my go to lures are 1/2 ounce chatterbaits, weighthese senkos, and 1/4 ounce t rigged craw baits. On the boat I'm mainly fishing shallow water no more than 10 feet.

Fried Lemons reply :

I fish exclusively from shore. All of my lures I organize into various Plano boxes and choose based on where I plan to fish and what species I'm targeting. I can fit up to three Plano 3600 boxes and all of my tools in my backpack although it's usually just one or two.

I prefer to carry just one rod whenever possible or at most two, also based on where I'm fishing and what I'm fishing for. The type of bank fishing I do is sometimes very rough with off trail hiking and climbing huge rocks. It's much more enjoyable if I don't have multiple rods to tangle in trees and bump against rocks.

I do want to buy a kayak eventually.

Further North reply :

Boat & wading.

My boat has been called a floating tackle shop and I'm a multi-species fisherman...so the answer to what tackle I bring is, "All of it."

When I wade I'm usually chucking flies, I bring what's appropriate to what I'm chasing: I have a trout slingpack, a bass slingpack and a pike/musky slingpack.

Michaelangelo reply :

Of course it does. Fish a deep diver from the shore of a weedy pond and see how that goes.

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Who fishes from a boat vs. fishes from shore? - How does it affect what tackle you use? 2024

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