Bank Fishing Forum 2024

BuffaloBass716 reply :

With me being a young bank fisherman, I know there are significant differences when deciding on what to throw and using different tackle then what you would do from a boat.

I wish there was a "Bank Fishing" forum on here to try and limit and breakdown specific question when posted on the forum whether its from a bank fisherman or not. This could help us that strictly fish from shore and do not have a boat, or if you are just headed out on shore for a change.

This is just my thinking and just a suggestion. Anyone else think it would help for us bank fisherman?

Caylub reply :

Yea, I think that would be cool. I was thinking a forum for quick fire short answer questions would be cool too.

AK-Jax86 reply :

First I'm a bank fishermen too...

It would be cool but not really necessary. Basically any question you have can be answered here either by the search bar or simply posting.

I don't think they need to implement a bank fishing section on this site though.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

Maybe a pinned thread?

Long Mike reply :

Buffalo, your point has merit, but if we created a forum for everyone who has a special interest, there would be hundreds of them. e.g. separate forums for crankbaits, plastics, top-waters, trolling motors, etc. By the time a member could scroll through all the forums looking for his/her particular interest, it would have been much easier to simply use the Search Function, located at the top, right of each page.

BuffaloBass716 reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 9:45 AM, Long Mike said:
Buffalo, your point has merit, but if we created a forum for everyone who has a special interest, there would be hundreds of them. e.g. separate forums for crankbaits, plastics, top-waters, trolling motors, etc. By the time a member could scroll through all the forums looking for his/her particular interest, it would have been much easier to simply use the Search Function , located at the top, right of each page.

True. It was just a thought. It's not a big issue, mostly just seeing if anyone else sees it the same way as "boat vs. bank". I'm guessing the majority of bassresourse users have a boat, I think a bank fishing forum would appeal to people just picking up bass fishing as well.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 8:47 AM, BuffaloBass716 said:

With me being a young bank fisherman, I know there are significant differences when deciding on what to throw and using different tackle then what you would do from a boat.

I wish there was a "Bank Fishing" forum on here to try and limit and breakdown specific question when posted on the forum whether its from a bank fisherman or not. This could help us that strictly fish from shore and do not have a boat, or if you are just headed out on shore for a change.

This is just my thinking and just a suggestion. Anyone else think it would help for us bank fisherman?

It is long overdue my friend. I'm in the same boat as you. With the exception that my parents still dictate my fishing times for the next year haha. How's it feel to now be able to fish at will

DocBar reply :

I've been boatless the last few years, but there's not a lot of difference between bank fishing and boat fishing except, casting angles, access to structure that's beyond casting distance from shore and electronics. I really miss knowing what the bottom looks like. I'm not an accomplished enough fisherman to really tell the depth or bottom composition that a lot of guys on here talk about.

I grew up fishing both around 50-50, so I'm comfortable with either one. I'll use a Texas or Carolina rig, spinnerbait or crankbait ( I prefer a rattletrap chrome and blue...go figure) to search for fish, then when I find something they like, I'll try other baits/techniques to see what the big girls like.

The hardest part about bank fishing is not knowing what the underwater structures look like and where they are. Other than that, I use the same visual cues that guys in boats use.

I started rambling...sorry. I guess my main point is you should worry more about technique and choosing the right bait than whether or not you're in a boat or onshore. 2 of my top 5 personal bests have been caught bank fishing in ponds. One on private land that weighed in at 8.23 and one on a golf course (it's called Redstone now and they play the Shell Houston Open there) that weighed 7.66. Oddly enough, both were caught with a Zebco 303 and black/yellow worms and both were Texas rigged, weightless and caught before 1980.

I continued rambleng. Still sorry.

BuffaloBass716 reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 10:17 AM, coryn h. fishowl said:
It is long overdue my friend. I'm in the same boat as you. With the exception that my parents still dictate my fishing times for the next year haha. How's it feel to now be able to fish at will

I try and get out any time a can, weather and school permitting of course.

BuffaloBass716 reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 10:24 AM, DocBar said:

I've been boatless the last few years, but there's not a lot of difference between bank fishing and boat fishing except, casting angles, access to structure that's beyond casting distance from shore and electronics. I really miss knowing what the bottom looks like. I'm not an accomplished enough fisherman to really tell the depth or bottom composition that a lot of guys on here talk about.

I grew up fishing both around 50-50, so I'm comfortable with either one. I'll use a Texas or Carolina rig, spinnerbait or crankbait ( I prefer a rattletrap chrome and blue...go figure) to search for fish, then when I find something they like, I'll try other baits/techniques to see what the big girls like.

The hardest part about bank fishing is not knowing what the underwater structures look like and where they are. Other than that, I use the same visual cues that guys in boats use.

I started rambling...sorry. I guess my main point is you should worry more about technique and choosing the right bait than whether or not you're in a boat or onshore. 2 of my top 5 personal bests have been caught bank fishing in ponds. One on private land that weighed in at 8.23 and one on a golf course (it's called Redstone now and they play the Shell Houston Open there) that weighed 7.66. Oddly enough, both were caught with a Zebco 303 and black/yellow worms and both were Texas rigged, weightless and caught before 1980.

I continued rambleng. Still sorry.

Agreed. Most people I see bank fishing seem to just cast anywhere they choose, with no real purpose. I try to find logs and pockets in the weeds at least in shallow areas but casting into the Niagara River from shore is basically like flying blind, not knowing the depth and topography of the bottom can be frustrating and some days yield no results.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 10:32 AM, BuffaloBass716 said:
Agreed. Most people I see bank fishing seem to just cast anywhere they choose, with no real purpose. I try to find logs and pockets in the weeds at least in shallow areas but casting into the Niagara River from shore is basically like flying blind, not knowing the depth and topography of the bottom can be frustrating and some days yield no results.

I go fishing in every pond first and find some kind of lake map. It really does help. I'm enlisting in the army, so hopefully this time next year I'll be fishing from a jonboat. Hey, at least I know who to give a shout out to if I manage to make my way up there to buffalo

DocBar reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 10:36 AM, coryn h. fishowl said:
I go fishing in every pond first and find some kind of lake map. It really does help. I'm enlisting in the army, so hopefully this time next year I'll be fishing from a jonboat. Hey, at least I know who to give a shout out to if I manage to make my way up there to buffalo

I think I'm going to buy a Sea Eagle inflatable. I can add a small gas/trolling motor and a fish finder. The best part is I can haul it in my 5th wheel ( my home) and not drag it behind me. If I work in a part of the country with good fishing lakes, I'll use a resource like.....bassresource.com to find fellow fishermen to fish with.

I love catching fish, but I'd fish a ditch if it menat getting a hook wet. Besides, I caught a 34 lb. alligator snapper in a ditch, so it can be productive. Especially around Sheldon Resivioir outside of Houston, Tx. Might even get a small gator.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 10:32 AM, BuffaloBass716 said:
Agreed. Most people I see bank fishing seem to just cast anywhere they choose, with no real purpose. I try to find logs and pockets in the weeds at least in shallow areas but casting into the Niagara River from shore is basically like flying blind, not knowing the depth and topography of the bottom can be frustrating and some days yield no results.

Im sure that the case but yet could be deceiving. If you saw me at my local lake in certain spots it looks like Im just swinging for the other shoreline when actually I found areas far out on bottom that hold fish routinely. One area off a point out 100-110 feet on bottom Ill throw and hit weeds drag a few turns toward me and the weeds stop for a 15' or so then weeds again. In this opening is where bite occur. Its been this way for years I know the spot and others like it. A good sensitive rod helps as well to tell you what out there your radar in your hands.

DocBar reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 10:57 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:
Im sure that the case but yet could be deceiving. If you saw me at my local lake in certain spots it looks like Im just swinging for the other shoreline when actually I found areas far out on bottom that hold fish routinely. One area off a point out 100-110 feet on bottom Ill throw and hit weeds drag a few turns toward me and the weeds stop for a 15' or so then weeds again. In this opening is where bite occur. Its been this way for years I know the spot and others like it. A good sensitive rod helps as well to tell you what out there your radar in your hands.

Is this with the benefit of fishing the area from a boat or due to your experience in telling what's what's by experience and/or feel? I ask because I just can't tell much what depth something is and what it's made of unless I get some of it on my hook. I do not pretend to be good at fishing though, either.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 11:28 AM, DocBar said:
Is this with the benefit of fishing the area from a boat or due to your experience in telling what's what's by experience and/or feel? I ask because I just can't tell much what depth something is and what it's made of unless I get some of it on my hook. I do not pretend to be good at fishing though, either.

The lake is shore fishing only so going by experience feel feedback from rod with braid.

Once I figured this spot was producing over & over & over I took the time to try to figure why whats out there in area best I could.

alexandboi reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 10:57 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:
Im sure that the case but yet could be deceiving. If you saw me at my local lake in certain spots it looks like Im just swinging for the other shoreline when actually I found areas far out on bottom that hold fish routinely. One area off a point out 100-110 feet on bottom Ill throw and hit weeds drag a few turns toward me and the weeds stop for a 15' or so then weeds again. In this opening is where bite occur. Its been this way for years I know the spot and others like it. A good sensitive rod helps as well to tell you what out there your radar in your hands.

One of the reservoirs I fish has very little cover, so most of the time I am casting into open water. However, one of the things that help me find a spot to fish, is to look along the shorelines and my surroundings. Most of the time the shorelines and your surroundings are similar to what is in the water. For example, when I walk along the shore and see gravel along the shore I will make a cast and try to determine what else is under the water. If its something I think will hold fish I slow down and work the area thoroughly. When it comes to depth, I won't be accurate or maybe not even close, but depending on how long it takes my lure to hit the bottom, I get an estimate of how deep the water may be.

EvanT123 reply :

Fish opposite the way guys in boats do.

bigbill reply :

I mainly fish from shore. Knowing the bottom structure and layout does tell us how and where to fish it. Using a cast out hummingbird fish finder with a wrist watch reader is a big help in the smaller places were I fish with no tool maps. Once I know we're the flats, the deeper holes, the channels and points are I'm good to pick out my lure selection to fish it.

Fishing from shore is only fishing it backwards from a boat. We just need to figure when the fish are closer to the shoreline. Understanding there movements and low light conditions is the key to success, well two of them anyway. I prefer to stand in one spot and fan cast the whole area. I do not cast my casts close to each other when fan casting. I skip around with my casts not to disturb too much water in one area so I don't spook the fish. I try to make soft casts too I don't let my lure crash the water.

When walking up to the shoreline walking softly is the key. Do not step on any rocks. It sends vibrations into the water alarming the fish. Be very stealthy, handle your tackle very quietly. Put your tackle box down very softly. Do not make any noise at all.

If your fishing in the dark make sure you organize your tackle box. Use a small lite.

I like to use locking snap swivels to change lures out very quickly too. In the dark I use five rods with five lures on them. I usually don't switch lures if the sky is starting to light up to twilite as it approaches.

I'm so stealthy and quiet it's like I'm not even there. My PB of 10#lbs. Was caught two feet from shore at a drop off when I casted parallel to the shoreline. She hit my lure as it ripped out from the weeds into the open channel. She was there the whole time I was fishing there. I didn't spook her. In the dark I'm extra quiet and stealthy.

I fish at one spot that has a low bridge on top of a man made dam on both sides of it. I have rocky points, a channel with slow moving water. Flats, submerged weeds.surface weeds at one spot, Lilly pads if I cast far enough. All on one side of the low bridge. The other side were limited to a short channel that's surrounded by thick weeds at the end if it. Making short casts to the weeds edge does catch bass. But the other side has different ways to approach fishing it. The channel is 10' deep in front of me. I have a thick weedline parallel to the channel on my right with submerged weeds going into the flats. On the left side of the channel there is surface weeds but the area is deeper. The 10' deep channel goes out as far as I can cast. It stays at the 10' depth it averages. My point is the portable fish finder maps the area.

It tells me I can throw my 10' depth lures parallel to the weedline on my right.

Every body of water in this area where I fish at has a man made dam on it.

My point is I have everything you would find fishing from a boat when fishing from shore. Knowing the exact bottom structure tells us how to fish it. Bb

Loop_Dad reply :

I think it is safe to say that they are not going to make Bank Fishing Forum based on Long Mike's comment, but just in case...

I oppose to have a separate forum, as there are many things common between boat fishermen and bank fishermen. I fish both from boat and from bank and I do not want extra forum to search when I am looking for information.

ClackerBuzz reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 8:47 AM, BuffaloBass716 said:

With me being a young bank fisherman, I know there are significant differences when deciding on what to throw and using different tackle then what you would do from a boat.

I wish there was a "Bank Fishing" forum on here to try and limit and breakdown specific question when posted on the forum whether its from a bank fisherman or not. This could help us that strictly fish from shore and do not have a boat, or if you are just headed out on shore for a change.

This is just my thinking and just a suggestion. Anyone else think it would help for us bank fisherman?

I think it's the best suggestion I've read in a long time BuffaloBass.

Bank vs boat is 2 different universes. But I don't think a "Boat fishing" forum is need.

It's the exact reason we have a dedicated "Tournament" forum. Fishing Tourny's is a whole different ball game. New anglers fishing small ponds from shore don't need to get swept into advanced post, youtube videos or fight off the bait monkey buying lures that realistically need to be cast on an underwater point, from a boat, using a sonar unit, in 20 FOW.

Bank fishing is a genre of it's own that many new anglers find themselves in. We can help save them tons of time and money by offering them a place to start. And there are tons of veteran fisherman who spend their whole lives on the banks that have tons of information to share. And there are anglers who have made the transition from shore to boat and have that perspective to offer new guys. I think comparing it to specific techniques like top-water, crankbaits etc is comparing apples to oranges.

Side note: The "Search" function on this site is confusing and ineffective depending on the page ur search from. The are really 2 search bars on this site.

#1 Article Search bar on the homepage which searches past written articles.

#2 Forum Search bar which searches posts.

There should only be one search bar that yields all results.

From an IT perspective BR is current and a pleasure to navigate. But the split personality search bars remind me of back in the 1990's when you'd search Best Buy for "CD player" and they used Google to power the search so articles on CD players would come up instead of their product for sale.

Edited October 29, 2013 by ClackerBuzz

boostr reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 12:08 PM, bigbill said:

I mainly fish from shore. Knowing the bottom structure and layout does tell us how and where to fish it. Using a cast out hummingbird fish finder with a wrist watch reader is a big help in the smaller places were I fish with no tool maps. Once I know we're the flats, the deeper holes, the channels and points are I'm good to pick out my lure selection to fish it.

Fishing from shore is only fishing it backwards from a boat. We just need to figure when the fish are closer to the shoreline. Understanding there movements and low light conditions is the key to success, well two of them anyway. I prefer to stand in one spot and fan cast the whole area. I do not cast my casts close to each other when fan casting. I skip around with my casts not to disturb too much water in one area so I don't spook the fish. I try to make soft casts too I don't let my lure crash the water.

When walking up to the shoreline walking softly is the key. Do not step on any rocks. It sends vibrations into the water alarming the fish. Be very stealthy, handle your tackle very quietly. Put your tackle box down very softly. Do not make any noise at all.

If your fishing in the dark make sure you organize your tackle box. Use a small lite.

I like to use locking snap swivels to change lures out very quickly too. In the dark I use five rods with five lures on them. I usually don't switch lures if the sky is starting to light up to twilite as it approaches.

I'm so stealthy and quiet it's like I'm not even there. My PB of 10#lbs. Was caught two feet from shore at a drop off when I casted parallel to the shoreline. She hit my lure as it ripped out from the weeds into the open channel. She was there the whole time I was fishing there. I didn't spook her. In the dark I'm extra quiet and stealthy.

How that outrank fish finder

I fish at one spot that has a low bridge on top of a man made dam on both sides of it. I have rocky points, a channel with slow moving water. Flats, submerged weeds.surface weeds at one spot, Lilly pads if I cast far enough. All on one side of the low bridge. The other side were limited to a short channel that's surrounded by thick weeds at the end if it. Making short casts to the weeds edge does catch bass. But the other side has different ways to approach fishing it. The channel is 10' deep in front of me. I have a thick weedline parallel to the channel on my right with submerged weeds going into the flats. On the left side of the channel there is surface weeds but the area is deeper. The 10' deep channel goes out as far as I can cast. It stays at the 10' depth it averages. My point is the portable fish finder maps the area.

It tells me I can throw my 10' depth lures parallel to the weedline on my right.

Every body of water in this area where I fish at has a man made dam on it.

My point is I have everything you would find fishing from a boat when fishing from shore. Knowing the exact bottom structure tells us how to fish it. Bb

Thinking about getting one of these portable fish finders, is it pretty accurate? How does it work?

PABASS reply :

I think a Bank Fishing sub forum would be a welcome addition. Around here ponds have been slowly going away due golf course going out of business and farmers selling the land, its hard to find a fishing hole anymore especially one to take my kids to. We have lakes, streams and rivers but without a boat your area is limited and heavily fished. A group of ponds that I fish is just impossible to fish until summer or winter the vegetation is so bad you cant fish it with anything that doesn't float.

Felix77 reply :

I fish from the bank as well as compete in tournaments regularly as a co-angler. While there are some differences I don't think there are enough to warrant a separate forum.

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

To address the inability to know what is in front of you while fishing from the bank, try this:

Tie on a heavy carolina rig with a tungsten weight. Fan cast the areas you have access to. This will give you the ability to "feel" what is in front of you while possibly hooking a fish or two. Drag slowly and see if there are drops, transitions in bottom contour/composition or some type of structure.

Also, pay attention to your surroundings on the bank. Many times, they will give away (to some extent) what lies beneath the water. If you are fishing a quarry lake, generally the sides will slope down and step off as you get to the bottom. If you are fishing a farm pond in flat land, you're fishing a bowl for the most part.

Hyrule Bass reply :

most of my fishing is from the bank. i look for anything underwater that doesnt look normal. like a dark patch in the water could mean an underwater rock or stump or piece of wood. pay attention to whats around the shore and in the shallowest water on the bank. is it rocky, muddy, leafy, grassy. if you start pulling in grass, youve found an underwater grass bed, now try finding the edges of it or possible pockets in it, fish the transition points.

i do a lot of fishing off my uncles dock at Smith Mtn Lake. last year i went in october and the water was much lower than i had seen it since ive been fishing off this dock. i took pictures of the land thats usually underwater. now i know that much more about the structure and cover of the area around the dock. located a couple stumps and large rocks i didnt know existed. fish could hold to these things. with bank fishing you dont have to learn the whole lake, just the area youre fishing. if its a smaller pond, then try to learn as much as you can about it...

boostr reply :

The funny thing about thIs thread is; the op was asking if there could be a bank fishing forum... now he has one. Once this thing gets more replies it should be stickied.

boostr reply :

This will help me out alot also, for I am a bank fisherman as well.

KyakR reply :

I went from bank to my yak. I think a pinned thread on bank fishing would be great. Not just for info. As bigbill shows, bank fishing is as much a craft as boat fishing is........might be nice for bank fishermen to have some support, as sometimes they're looked down upon. boostr, I have have this terrific Humminbird portable fishfinder for my yak! Worth every penny! Piranha 165. There's even a better one, also portable. I don't know as much as the guys on the "boats" forum here....they could really steer you right.

boostr reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 12:16 AM, KyakR said:

I went from bank to my yak. I think a pinned thread on bank fishing would be great. Not just for info. As bigbill shows, bank fishing is as much a craft as boat fishing is........might be nice for bank fishermen to have some

support, as sometimes they're looked down upon. boostr, I have have this terrific Humminbird portable fishfinder for my yak! Worth every penny! Piranha 165. There's even a better one, also portable. I don't know as much as the guys on the "boats" forum here....they could really steer you right.

Actually there is a wireless fish finder or depth finder that you tie to your line and cast out and you have little Monitor that will show you the feed back of the sensor that you have cast out. I think that's what one of op has.

Catt reply :

Very simple salutation here guys

Start you a thread about bank fishing here under General Bass Fishing & see who is committed enough to keep it going.

Under Central Bass Fishing I started "So Y'all Want To Learn Toledo Bend" on Aug. 07, 2008. We have 178 pgs, 2,656 replies, & 296,202 views!

Notice I said "we", because it'll more than one person to keep it going.

ClackerBuzz reply :

i'm like speedbead i use a lure as my eye's under water, specifically a jig. but i'm very interested in what comes back on ANY hook. i learned it shore fishing and now apply it to boating as well.

I like when vibrant green weeds come back on my hook b/c i know i am in a 'fishy area'. the healthy weeds mean lots of oxygen and aquatic life for bass to feed on and live in.

i also like dead leaves. it usually means the area has good oxygen and is a deeper pocket. i've caught many nice fish where i find decomposing leaves.

and i like the jig to feel rocks, pebbles, wood etc.

fountains are awesome b/c they provide cover and oxygen but they eat lures so stick I with weedless and weightless senkos. or a very light bullet/texas rig if i need casting distance.

on the opposite end i don't like slimy green algae coming back. i'll toss a frog and quickly more on.

Fishes in trees reply :

I don't think that a separate forum for bank fishermen is a bad idea. Granted, you probably don't want to have a forum for every sub-genre out there, but I think that there are enough bank fishermen on this site that have questions pertaining to bank fishing that probably a separate forum would work..

BuffaloBass716 reply :

I didn't expect this many people to reply! haha. I realize that sub-categories can get confusing and pointless to some extent, maybe a pinned thread would work better. Like other people said, more people are stuck at the back because of the cost of owning a boat or being new to the sport. With more and more people joining the forum, this could help them get started and keep less relevant replies out.

tatertester reply :

Great idea......A bank fishing section makes total sense.

bigbill reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 12:28 AM, boostr said:
Actually there is a wireless fish finder or depth finder that you tie to your line and cast out and you have little Monitor that will show you the feed back of the sensor that you have cast out. I think that's what one of op has.

We have two of the hummingbird wireless portable fish finders you cast out. I have one rod setup with braided line for using it. It works awesome. One has the wristwatch screen and the other has a box reader. They are great for reading the bottom layout. I use it first at every new body of water. Then I know which depth lures I can use. This tool gives us shore fisherman more of an edge. It's just a pod we cast out then it sends the signal/info to the wristwatch screen. The fish also show up on the screen too. But once I learn the bottom layout, the depth and structure I'm ready to fish it.

It takes the guess work out fishing, less lost lures by knowing the depth. We were poking holes when the ice was on to learn the bottom layout before the portable casted out fish finder was offered. My son's would drill thru 22"+ of ice so we could measure the depths and figure out where the holes and the flats were. When we got the portable fish finder we went back and tried it and found out all our info we took by drilling holes in the ice using a 2oz sinker and mason line marked at every foot was true.

AK-Jax86 reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 1:51 AM, bigbill said:

We have two of the hummingbird wireless portable fish finders you cast out. I have one rod setup with braided line for using it. It works awesome. One has the wristwatch screen and the other has a box reader. They are great for reading the bottom layout. I use it first at every new body of water. Then I know which depth lures I can use. This tool gives us shore fisherman more of an edge. It's just a pod we cast out then it sends the signal/info to the wristwatch screen. The fish also show up on the screen too. But once I learn the bottom layout, the depth and structure I'm ready to fish it.

It takes the guess work out fishing, less lost lures by knowing the depth. We were poking holes when the ice was on to learn the bottom layout before the portable casted out fish finder was offered. My son's would drill thru 22"+ of ice so we could measure the depths and figure out where the holes and the flats were. When we got the portable fish finder we went back and tried it and found out all our info we took by drilling holes in the ice using a 2oz sinker and mason line marked at every foot was true.

that sounds interesting I am going to look into them. I remember seeing an ad in a magazine a while back but I didn't know how effective it would be. Good to know you have had success with them I may ad this to my Christmas list.

boostr reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 1:51 AM, bigbill said:

We have two of the hummingbird wireless portable fish finders you cast out. I have one rod setup with braided line for using it. It works awesome. One has the wristwatch screen and the other has a box reader. They are great for reading the bottom layout. I use it first at every new body of water. Then I know which depth lures I can use. This tool gives us shore fisherman more of an edge. It's just a pod we cast out then it sends the signal/info to the wristwatch screen. The fish also show up on the screen too. But once I learn the bottom layout, the depth and structure I'm ready to fish it.

It takes the guess work out fishing, less lost lures by knowing the depth. We were poking holes when the ice was on to learn the bottom layout before the portable casted out fish finder was offered. My son's would drill thru 22"+ of ice so we could measure the depths and figure out where the holes and the flats were. When we got the portable fish finder we went back and tried it and found out all our info we took by drilling holes in the ice using a 2oz sinker and mason line marked at every foot was true.

Which one is better, the wristwatch our the monitor (box), and how much do they go for?

michang5 reply :

I've been fishing small ponds and a quarry lake since July and I estimate that

70% of the fish I've caught have been in relation to some sort of visible cover or structure:
- the drop-off of the quarry lake
- next to a wall of cattails or tall grasses
- shallow areas
- submerged grass (for frogs)
15% have been just chucking the lure out into open water and "hey, I caught one"
and 15% have been from dragging a Carolina rig and finding a grass bed underwater

I'd like to be able to find and catch more relating to underwater structure. Probably the Hummingbird portable fish finder is going to be the best way to accomplish that. But I also want to buy a baitcasting setup... Need more funds!

BassinLou reply :

Bank fishing forum is a great idea. It is really needed? I don't think so. Like someone said earlier, pin it and leave it in the General Fishing Section. This topic will help a lot of people. I bank fish 80% of the time and tips and advice are always welcome. Great polarized glasses is great tool to have while bank fishing. They allow the angler to see many things that are vital in catching fish.

Long Mike reply :

Due to popular request, this thread is now pinned. Now, we will wait and see how much participation we have. I hope that it is considerable.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 11:28 AM, DocBar said:
Is this with the benefit of fishing the area from a boat or due to your experience in telling what's what's by experience and/or feel? I ask because I just can't tell much what depth something is and what it's made of unless I get some of it on my hook. I do not pretend to be good at fishing though, either.

On 10/28/2013 at 11:38 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

The lake is shore fishing only so going by experience feel feedback from rod with braid.

Once I figured this spot was producing over & over & over I took the time to try to figure why whats out there in area best I could.

Just one more reason for braid DocBar

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 3:09 AM, michang5 said:

I've been fishing small ponds and a quarry lake since July and I estimate that

70% of the fish I've caught have been in relation to some sort of visible cover or structure:

the drop-off of the quarry lake

next to a wall of cattails or tall grasses

shallow areas

submerged grass (for frogs)

15% have been just chucking the lure out into open water and "hey, I caught one"

and 15% have been from dragging a Carolina rig and finding a grass bed underwater

I'd like to be able to find and catch more relating to underwater structure. Probably the Hummingbird portable fish finder is going to be the best way to accomplish that. But I also want to buy a baitcasting setup... Need more funds!

Wood and surface vegetation are my favorite cover to hit from the bank. The bass seem to tolerate you coming closer. In fact, I usually flip/pitch to these areas from shore

Bruce424 reply :

I like this idea a lot!!! And fishing the bank is absolutly different. Great areas you can't get from shore. Sliding down steep hills to get to the water. Worrying about rod height and hitting tree limbs. Taking undefined trails to get to a spot. Not having trails to get to a spot is a big deal. Then having to deal with ticks, snakes etc. And not being able to take everything with you. Two maaaayybbbeee three rods and A tacklebag. Plenty of differences from fishing a boat

michang5 reply :

I'm really debating whether I should get a baitcasting setup to go with my spinning gear. I only fish from the bank.

I've been throwing 20lb. Power Pro braid with and without 12lb. fluoro leader. My best fish has been 3lbs. I mostly catch 1-2 pounders using a variety of rigs and lures -- Senkos, 1/4oz. weighted Carolina rigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, soft jerkbaits, and frogs. I recently started fishing 1/4-3/8oz. arky and swim jigs. I doubt I will ever throw crankbaits because I loathe treble-hook lures.

From the posts around BR, a baitcasting setup will give me more retrieve power, ability to use heavier weights, and better pitching accuracy. Depending on whom you read, I might also get more casting distance.

Breaking it down:

- I don't current fish heavy cover as there isn't a lot of heavy cover in the ponds I fish. So I'm not trying to horse 10 pounders out of dense grass.

- other than chatterbaits and the 3/8 jigs, I don't currently think my rod is overloaded. Maybe getting a BC will allow me to upsize my C-rigs to 1/2 and 1 oz weights. Or pitch heavier t-rigs to what little heavy cover there is.

- I could always use more accuracy, but I suspect I can get more accurate with my spinning gear if I just practice more.

- and more distance would be great, and maybe that comes with heavier lures that a BC would allow. There have been a few times when I wish I could get another few yards.

Are y'all hitting the banks with multiple rods in hand? Are you using them each time you're out? And the million-dollar question: Are you catching more fish than you did when you only had one rod? Thanks for your thoughts.

alexandboi reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 8:38 AM, michang5 said:

I'm really debating whether I should get a baitcasting setup to go with my spinning gear. I only fish from the bank.

I've been throwing 20lb. Power Pro braid with and without 12lb. fluoro leader. My best fish has been 3lbs. I mostly catch 1-2 pounders using a variety of rigs and lures -- Senkos, 1/4oz. weighted Carolina rigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, soft jerkbaits, and frogs. I recently started fishing 1/4-3/8oz. arky and swim jigs. I doubt I will ever throw crankbaits because I loathe treble-hook lures.

From the posts around BR, a baitcasting setup will give me more retrieve power, ability to use heavier weights, and better pitching accuracy. Depending on whom you read, I might also get more casting distance.

Breaking it down:

- I don't current fish heavy cover as there isn't a lot of heavy cover in the ponds I fish. So I'm not trying to horse 10 pounders out of dense grass.

- other than chatterbaits and the 3/8 jigs, I don't currently think my rod is overloaded. Maybe getting a BC will allow me to upsize my C-rigs to 1/2 and 1 oz weights. Or pitch heavier t-rigs to what little heavy cover there is.

- I could always use more accuracy, but I suspect I can get more accurate with my spinning gear if I just practice more.

- and more distance would be great, and maybe that comes with heavier lures that a BC would allow. There have been a few times when I wish I could get another few yards.

Are y'all hitting the banks with multiple rods in hand? Are you using them each time you're out? And the million-dollar question: Are you catching more fish than you did when you only had one rod? Thanks for your thoughts.

The way I see it is, use whatever you are comfortable with. Although, it doesn't hurt to try a baitcasting combo, who knows you may like it better. As far as accuracy goes I personally am a little more accurate with casting gear, although anyone can get accurate with either one. It just takes a little practice. Overall I think I cast just about the same with both spinning and casting gear, but again I think it has a lot to do with experience, since a lot of people tell me that they cat further with casting gear.

I usually carry 2 rods with me, one casting and one spinning. I can't say if I am catching more fish, but it does make it easier to switch lures, and two rods lets you do more things. For carrying, find a back pack with the rod carrier/holder on the side. It'll keep your hands free and you won't have to worry about people stepping on your gear.

DocBar reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 5:21 AM, coryn h. fishowl said:
Just one more reason for braid DocBar

LMAO!!! You're really trying to sell me on this. I'll consider rigging ONE reel with it and see how it does. I'll be sending you a bill when I lose my 1st lure and/or fish due to the knot coming undone.

DocBar reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 8:38 AM, michang5 said:

I'm really debating whether I should get a baitcasting setup to go with my spinning gear. I only fish from the bank.

I've been throwing 20lb. Power Pro braid with and without 12lb. fluoro leader. My best fish has been 3lbs. I mostly catch 1-2 pounders using a variety of rigs and lures -- Senkos, 1/4oz. weighted Carolina rigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, soft jerkbaits, and frogs. I recently started fishing 1/4-3/8oz. arky and swim jigs. I doubt I will ever throw crankbaits because I loathe treble-hook lures.

From the posts around BR, a baitcasting setup will give me more retrieve power, ability to use heavier weights, and better pitching accuracy. Depending on whom you read, I might also get more casting distance.

Breaking it down:

- I don't current fish heavy cover as there isn't a lot of heavy cover in the ponds I fish. So I'm not trying to horse 10 pounders out of dense grass.

- other than chatterbaits and the 3/8 jigs, I don't currently think my rod is overloaded. Maybe getting a BC will allow me to upsize my C-rigs to 1/2 and 1 oz weights. Or pitch heavier t-rigs to what little heavy cover there is.

- I could always use more accuracy, but I suspect I can get more accurate with my spinning gear if I just practice more.

- and more distance would be great, and maybe that comes with heavier lures that a BC would allow. There have been a few times when I wish I could get another few yards.

Are y'all hitting the banks with multiple rods in hand? Are you using them each time you're out? And the million-dollar question: Are you catching more fish than you did when you only had one rod? Thanks for your thoughts.

I usually only take 2 rods with me when bank fishing: a medium heavy extra fast and a medium fast. I usually use 10 or 12 lb test mono and I'll fish every single lure I own with either set up.

I grew up fishing BC's and definitely prefer them but I've been using a spinning rod the last 6 months or so and I'm getting the hang of it. Distance seems much easier with any weight on a spinner but my accuracy has suffered. Good casting with lighter lures makes up for that and I've caught some fish that I wouldn't have with a BC, IMO.

My advise would be to buy the best BC set up you can afford and see how you like it. Before you ever try and cast it, watch some videos on how to set up your BC and keep rats nests out of it. Then be patient and really learn how to tune the reel to the bait you're fishing. The magnetic brake systems on different BC's take a little getting used to as well as the spool tensioner(that's what I call it, anyways).

Since I've started using a spinning set up, I'll probably take 2 or 3 rods with me. One will definitely be a spinner. The versatility of having both is awesome. I've got a little grasshopper crankbait that just kills fish in certain situations and I get much better distance with a spinner than BC. That distance is the difference between getting the lure in the strike zone, ready to fish, and getting it in the strike zone and peeling off line to clear a rats nest.

AK-Jax86 reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 11:16 AM, DocBar said:
LMAO!!! You're really trying to sell me on this. I'll consider rigging ONE reel with it and see how it does. I'll be sending you a bill when I lose my 1st lure and/or fish due to the knot coming undone.

I have yet to lose a lure from the braid breaking... but getting snagged and having to cut my line now that's a different story lol. I am a frequent lure to tree contributor lol

JTMONEY606 reply :

i would love it.

CDobber reply :

I personally love the idea of a pinned/separate sub-board, as I find myself fishing 85% from shore due to time constraints or the fact that our boat is a pontoon and that usually means towing kids around on a raft and/or them jumping into the water from one end of the boat while I try to fish from the other.

I have looked into some portable fish finders but haven't yet come across one that got me to jump at it. I haven't developed enough feel to use a lure as my eyes....I can usually tell grass from something more solid...and am quite unsure if I'm correctly reading bites as its been months since I've actually landed a fish...and would love to use diagnostics to rule in or rule out some of the places I've tried from shore that haven't produced for me. One interesting one I liked the concept of was called ReelSonar (now apparently called iBobber), but it was still in a prototypical type phase and have never seen an update on the product...but it used a GPS/smartphone app, something I'm always carrying anyway. The wristwatch concept is equally interesting and not something I've seen yet, the closest I've read about was Humminbird Fishin Buddy, but that sounded like the unit stayed with you and you simply threw a line into the water. Amazon reviews of Hawkeye/Humminbird type portables were lukewarm the last time I looked into them.

I have a quarry 5 min from the house that I just know holds bass, and have caught some smaller ones over the last 2 yrs of trying....and I can see a lot of interesting structure above and sometimes below the water surface, but the water clarity is usually pretty dark and thick, even though the max depth is probably 10'. I was out there on Sunday and had never seen it so clear, really hoping the clarity holds out where I can take some pictures and maybe even take waders out to grab some measurements and see where drop-offs are, how far out I need to cast to reach different areas, etc. I even had the thought of getting a bunch of holes in ice this winter to do this if need be, as I know it would help my success rate immeasurably, not that ANY catch would jump that rate right about now tenfold.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 10/30/2013 at 12:36 AM, AK-Jax86 said:
I have yet to lose a lure from the braid breaking... but getting snagged and having to cut my line now that's a different story lol. I am a frequent lure to tree contributor lol

I wonder if we can write-off such donations come tax season

tomustang reply :

On 10/30/2013 at 12:36 AM, AK-Jax86 said:
I have yet to lose a lure from the braid breaking... but getting snagged and having to cut my line now that's a different story lol. I am a frequent lure to tree contributor lol

Sometimes it's better to bring a short stick so you can wrap up the braid and pull it.

Sam reply :

Do you guys realize that you have to be smarter than a boater if you bank fish?

When in a boat you can maneuver around; run from spot to spot; have ten or more setups ready to throw; take along 500 pounds of tackle; and hit every spot from ten different angles to try to get a strike.

When on the bank you are limited in your movements; limited in hitting different spots; can take four setups ready to throw; have to be knowledgeable and take only 1 pound of tackle; and hit every spot from two or three angles at the most.

Bank fishermen have to understand how the weather impacts their fishing; what to wear; how to retrieve snagged lures; watch out for animals on land and at your feet; and use a limited number of techniques depending on the bank and foliage around you.

When a bank fisherman gets to fish from a bass boat for the first time it is like being released from a jail cell. All the space in the world and so many places to fish it can drive you nuts.

The most important factor for bank fisherman to understand is that bass are bass and their instincts are the same be in a river, lake or pond. You may not be able to throw five different baits from ten different angles at a submerged tree from the bank, so bank fishermen have to be savvy as to what should produce a strike and from what angle.

So to throw my two cents into the discussion, what ever you learn from the guys and gals on the Forum will work from a boat or the bank. it is your responsibility to determine the pattern for the day and take advantage of it as best you can.

seekonkBass reply :

On 10/31/2013 at 2:59 PM, Sam said:

Do you guys realize that you have to be smarter than a boater if you bank fish?

When in a boat you can maneuver around; run from spot to spot; have ten or more setups ready to throw; take along 500 pounds of tackle; and hit every spot from ten different angles to try to get a strike.

When on the bank you are limited in your movements; limited in hitting different spots; can take four setups ready to throw; have to be knowledgeable and take only 1 pound of tackle; and hit every spot from two or three angles at the most.

Bank fishermen have to understand how the weather impacts their fishing; what to wear; how to retrieve snagged lures; watch out for animals on land and at your feet; and use a limited number of techniques depending on the bank and foliage around you.

When a bank fisherman gets to fish from a bass boat for the first time it is like being released from a jail cell. All the space in the world and so many places to fish it can drive you nuts.

The most important factor for bank fisherman to understand is that bass are bass and their instincts are the same be in a river, lake or pond. You may not be able to throw five different baits from ten different angles at a submerged tree from the bank, so bank fishermen have to be savvy as to what should produce a strike and from what angle.

So to throw my two cents into the discussion, what ever you learn from the guys and gals on the Forum will work from a boat or the bank. it is your responsibility to determine the pattern for the day and take advantage of it as best you can.

^ this is so well written!!! Now I feel like calling in sick and going fishing! Well done!

fish_oil reply :

Yes, I agree, a bank/shore fishing forum would be great.

By using the websites search engine for bank fishing/shore fishing, many posts are lost in the search because keywords are not always included in the original posters comments.

It would make the site more user friendly for bank/shore fisherman. I like reading about fishing in general but, I also like to read about specific posts regarding bank/shore fisherman.

AK-Jax86 reply :

On 10/31/2013 at 2:03 PM, tomustang said:
Sometimes it's better to bring a short stick so you can wrap up the braid and pull it.

That's a very good idea! Would make it a lot easier on my hands when I am trying to pull the line

Thanks for that tip

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 4:00 AM, Long Mike said:
Due to popular request, this thread is now pinned. Now, we will wait and see how much participation we have. I hope that it is considerable.

Now unpinned?

AK-Jax86 reply :

On 11/1/2013 at 1:46 AM, SPEEDBEAD. said:

Now unpinned?

that was quick lol

ClackerBuzz reply :

i usually carry 2 rods when bank fishing. i like to have reaction baits. and finesse baits. reaction can be bladed or silent as long as they are moving. finesse can be big (10" ribbontail) or small (4.5" finesse worm) as long as they are worked slowly.

a chatterbait is my goto bank fishing reaction lure. it comes thru weeds like butter and literally vibrates the weeds right off so you don't waste casts 1/2 way back b/c a 12" weed is tangled like with a spinnerbait. stroke it as soon as you feel a tangled weed and 90% of the time it comes right off. don't be shy, rip it hard and fast. sometimes it even provokes a strike.

however i do not like a chatterbait around chunk rock b/c it wedges in them to easily. a spinnerbait is better here b/c the head bounces off the rocks better. most ponds have weeds and sediment so 90% of the time i have a chatter tied on. rivers and reservoirs have rocks so 90% i'll use a spinnerbait.

i also like a jig b/c i can swim it like a reaction bait (at any dept in the water column from topwater, burned under the surface, count down 4-10 ft, bang it thru lily stalks, bounced off the bottom). a jig is my eye's and I can learn the contour of the lake with it. it is also my "silent" reaction/swimjig bait. i step down quickly to a silent reaction if the bass aren't taking a loud/bladed/shiny/vibration lure. also i can pitch, dead stick, and lightly hop a jig and don't have to change out rods to slow way down for finiky bass. like sam said shore fishing is very limited with casting angles so i'm VERY quick to pick up and put down lures, and equally quick to speed up or slow wayyyy down my retrieve.

i don't like a jig if the pond has lots of weeds or scum b/c the weed guard collects too much junk. i'll switch to a pegged texas rig b/c the bullet weight comes thru weeds much better. i stopped buying jigs and i'm becoming a t-rig guy. and punch rigs for heavy cover.

i just read a great post about using a bead head in front of ur senko/brush hog etc (or any weightless plastic) b/c it comes thru the weeds so much easier. it works great b/c you can slowly inch ur plastic thru the weeds much better. i don't like getting 'hung up on weeds and having to pop my senko free. that senko pop has never yielded a reaction strike for me (unlike a chatter or lipless trap).

its b/c of shore fishing i'm now switching to beaver trailers and beaver t-rigs. i was at a pond the other day where you had to cast over 20 ft of pennywort to access open water. just so happened i had a beaver t-rig already on my rod so i used it. i pulled that one beaver thru endless feet of weeds, wort, cast for 2hrs, pulled it thru sticks and tree branches, caught a 3lb bass and never once changed it out. i would have gone thru a pack or two of regular craws b/c the appendages would have ripped off so many. i use the same MH baitcaster rod for my chatterbaits/ jigs/texas rigs and larger weightless plastics/meals like a 6" senko or 1/16oz t-rig 10" ribbon tail worm. (michang5, ur spinning set up sounds perfect. you don't 'need' a BC. it is not a magic bullet that will guarantee more fish. only buy one if you feel inspired to learn it. be prepared for a long and possibly hard learning curve that might not fit recreational needs. as opposed to BC being more suited for tourny/competitive fishing. or from a boat where you can possibly cast 1000+ times a day from many different angles. a BC is less stressful on ur hands with that many casts per day.)

my second rod is usually a M spinning for lighter/finesse lures. if i'm in fairly open water I use 6-8lb test b/c it casts farther (10-20ft leaders to 20lb braid; i like the advantage of being able to cut the leader off and go straight braid when i encounter some nasty cover or lily pad field; and love the sensitivity plus solid hook sets).

if the reaction bite isn't on I go finesse. 99% of the time bank fishing is for fun and recreation (non-tournaments). a good rule to remember is: lighter weights and/or smaller lures= more bites.

also lighter weights=snag less.

i usually start with a 5" senko for finesse. a 4.5" zoom finesse worm on split shot usually is a sure thing. it catches fish big and small. if ur getting too many small its time to up size. BPS has 'clam shot' which is split shot w/o ears. they come thru weeds beautifully. i will also use a bobber stop to peg a 1/32oz rooster tail/in-line spinner body (cheap on e bay). i love split shot/mini carolina rigs from shore b/c you can craw over and thru just about anything w/o getting hung up or collecting junk.

a roostertail or mepps spinner is usually a good finesse reaction lure. (good panic box stuff).

a good thing to be aware of with soft plastics is not only size but rate of fall. somedays a 5" senko just falls to fast for the fish's taste. but i might be catching too many dinks on zoom finesse worms. then i love to switch to a fluke. its got a slower rate of fall that is erratic but still has a large profile. i don't really use them as a jerkbait. i do very well just dead stick/slow drag them like a senko. just like a weightless beaver has a bulky profile but a very slow rate of fall compared to a standard 1/4oz jig. soft plastics flat out catch fish. b/c casts and angles are limited from shore i fish alot of weightless plastics and i'm quick to experiment with rate of fall. i'll move quickly from a 4.5" finesse worm to a tube to a 5" senko to a beaver to a fluke. they all can be worked on the same rod/split shot rig with a 2/0 hook. and they all have a different profile and rate of fall so i can usually get a pattern going fast.

don't use ur rod to break baid...or ur hand b/c you'll eventually get cut.

set down the rod and pick up a stick. wrap the braid around the stick and pull slowly like ur water skiing. alot of times you can bend out the hooks.

bigbill reply :

The hummingbird portable fish finder comes in two different models now. One is the wrist reader(screen) while the other screen mounts on your rod. There around $99 the cost of a decent rod or reel nowadays. It's well worth it in fishing new smaller bodies

where no topo maps are available. I think it's the best tool us shore fisherman can have besides or brains. Once I know the layout I know how and where to fish it.

Then I throw my ritual of lures. Shore fishing is rewarding too. You can master it by spending more time fishing. Fishing knowledge isn't free it comes with a price. The time we spend fishing, learning as we go is the price. We take everything we read, every video we watched and everything anyone has told us about fishing and stored it in our minds. Then we're ready to go fishing and try it all out. It's not luck in fishing it's skill. Spending more time fishing is the only way we can hone our fishing skills.

Don't limit yourself to fishing one body of water. Learn and hone your skills to the max at one spot then take your skills and knowledge you have learned to any other body of water and apply them. You will find out your skills will work in any body of water. The only limitations is what we actually put on ourselves. Think out side of your tackle box and apply your skills.

AK-Jax86 reply :

On 11/1/2013 at 2:48 AM, bigbill said:

The hummingbird portable fish finder comes in two different models now. One is the wrist reader(screen) while the other screen mounts on your rod. There around $99 the cost of a decent rod or reel nowadays. It's well worth it in fishing new smaller bodies

where no topo maps are available. I think it's the best tool us shore fisherman can have besides or brains. Once I know the layout I know how and where to fish it.

Then I throw my ritual of lures. Shore fishing is rewarding too. You can master it by spending more time fishing. Fishing knowledge isn't free it comes with a price. The time we spend fishing, learning as we go is the price. We take everything we read, every video we watched and everything anyone has told us about fishing and stored it in our minds. Then we're ready to go fishing and try it all out. It's not luck in fishing it's skill. Spending more time fishing is the only way we can hone our fishing skills.

I'm thinking about buying one of these I have heard a few people talk highly of them, I saw an ad for something similar, not sure if it was hummingbird, and I didn't think it would be affective but I guess I was wrong because I have only heard good things.

michang5 reply :

A ton of good info, ClackerBuzz. Thank you!

I ended up getting the baitcasting rig yesterday (a Daiwa Tatula reel on an *** 7'1" MHF rod). Haven't been able to do anything with yet due to work, Halloween prep and lack of BC knowledge. I'm reading and watching what I can. Look forward to trying it out — and failing for quite awhile.

Ultimately, I'm looking to have a similar setup to many others here. The baitcaster for reaction lures and/or jigs and/or Carolina rig. And the spinning setup for soft plastics.

Finally, I can offer a bit of info on the Hawkeye F33P fish finder. While it advertises itself as a portable unit with a castable beacon, the cable that attaches to the beacon is THICK and HEAVY. And in order for it to read a good distance away from the bank, you have to attach 3-5 additional floaters to the cable or else it sinks pulling the beacon down. There's no way you can cast all that foam, cable and beacon. It would be much better suited to dragging from a kayak or boat. Needless to say, I returned the Hawkeye.

bigbill reply :

The hummingbird portable fishfinder is wireless. We purchased it the minute we read about it in a bass magazine. We went to the local wal Mart and there it was.

bostonsox2904 reply :

For me as a bank fisherman, one of the toughest things is landing a fish when theres a high bank. A nice fish out of the water will put a lot of strain on your line. A couple good head-jerks and the fish is back in the water. Any tactics besides just flinging the fish over your shoulder?

J Francho reply :

Quote

Any tactics besides just flinging the fish over your shoulder?

Use a net.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 11/1/2013 at 4:06 AM, bigbill said:
The hummingbird portable fishfinder is wireless. We purchased it the minute we read about it in a bass magazine. We went to the local wal Mart and there it was.

Is this the one you have Hummingbird Smartcast?

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

Why don't we just go make a thread in fishing reports and keep it going?

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 11/1/2013 at 1:46 AM, SPEEDBEAD. said:

Now unpinned?

NNNNNOOOOOOO

I beg that the next moderator who lays eyes on this comment please reconsider said unpinning. Such an idea as this has so much potential for the betterment, education, and communication of (bank) anglers everywhere. Is this not the very precipice upon which this site was founded? Not everyone owns a rocket sled. I certainly don't. Young anglers such as myself, most of whom will be bank fishing, would have a kind of haven, a classroom if you will, in which they would learn how to expand their abilities. BR accomplishes this quite well as it is, but a bank forum would be a college to the general forum's real world. This could help bring in so many anglers, especially younger ones, to a site that they might have otherwise misjudged as a chatroom for bass boat jockeys; a site that would teach them to be more responsible, conscientious, skilled anglers. I implore you to analyze the possible outcomes of making this its own forum in a pragmatic manner. There is nothing to lose, and yet, there is much to gain, with the possibility of helping so many individuals, and possibly the sport itself, by making this a forum. I await your decision with the patience I have garnered from years of teaching myself how to fish, from a bank I might add; (that is to say, until, through BR, I had others to teach me.) It is time for me to attempt to repay the favor.

AmatuerJames reply :

im looking at getting a jon boat and a kayak soon but for now im planted on the ground too my friend, these last weekends i caught a 7 pounder and a 9 pounder.. im not saying this to brag as much as i am saying just keep working an area no matter how many fish you dont catch. if you know that a place doesnt have fish thats a little different obviously. I live on two 10x2 square acre ponds and i have known there are fish in them for a long time but until this year i havent figured them out. shore fishing is something that you become better at exponentially. hope this helped and i think a shore fishing thread would help too catch some big ones and get back to us man!

-James

ClackerBuzz reply :

i'm sure the best way to get the thread pinned again or keeping it a hot topic is by posting relevant bank fishing info. ie not making it a debate page.

so start posting and stop debating?

snags are a headache when bank fishing and i have a bunch of ways i go about avoiding them.

i'll post a write up when i get time.

anyone have any specific bank fishing problems they want addressed?

bostonsox2904 reply :

On 11/2/2013 at 12:19 PM, coryn h. fishowl said:

NNNNNOOOOOOO

I beg that the next moderator who lays eyes on this comment please reconsider said unpinning. Such an idea as this has so much potential for the betterment, education, and communication of (bank) anglers everywhere. Is this not the very precipice upon which this site was founded? Not everyone owns a rocket sled. I certainly don't. Young anglers such as myself, most of whom will be bank fishing, would have a kind of haven, a classroom if you will, in which they would learn how to expand their abilities. BR accomplishes this quite well as it is, but a bank forum would be a college to the general forum's real world. This could help bring in so many anglers, especially younger ones, to a site that they might have otherwise misjudged as a chatroom for bass boat jockeys; a site that would teach them to be more responsible, conscientious, skilled anglers. I implore you to analyze the possible outcomes of making this its own forum in a pragmatic manner. There is nothing to lose, and yet, there is much to gain, with the possibility of helping so many individuals, and possibly the sport itself, by making this a forum. I await your decision with the patience I have garnered from years of teaching myself how to fish, from a bank I might add; (that is to say, until, through BR, I had others to teach me.) It is time for me to attempt to repay the favor.

He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his arguement

Rhody reply :

just recently moved to florida, and once again am relegated to the shore. struggling immensely thus far, but im sticking with it, got to heed some of the advice here and slow down and really soak some of the areas ive been hopping around at.

dreamertino reply :

Does the hummingbird portable fish finder have a motor or something, if not how do you retrieve it.

michang5 reply :

It has to be tied to a line on a rod/reel. Cast it out like a lure and reel it back in. I did a lot of research on them, and the repeated criticism is that the batteries don't last a long time. And when they die you have to buy a whole new yellow beacon thingy for $20. There is a YouTube vid where a guy dissects one and installs a new batteries, but it requires cutting and gluing the unit.

Sam reply :

You tie the transducer unit to your line and cast it out and reel it in.

bigbill reply :

I believe the pod has a 500 hour life on the water. The sight explains it. I had ours ever since they came out. I haven't tried it in a while. I used it to learn the bottom structure and layout. I haven't used it to find fish yet. I use my talents for that.

Plus by hammering each place all the time we learn we're the fish are.

This is an awesome tool.

Sam is right it takes more to be a successful shore fisherman. I throw a variety of different lures and colors till I get action. But don't

be limited to that one pattern that's working. We can have multiple

patterns at the sametime.

In the low light conditions use brighter colors.

If your having success with a mepps Anglia #3 and the bite stops let's

say in the middle of the day try a mepps Anglia #4 & #5 in the same color. The bigger fish will come in to see what the smaller ones are feeding on but they won't hit the smaller lure.

When the light conditions change from daylight to dusk. Example your throwing a Joe's fly in blackgnat silver blade w/black tail. The bite slows down or stops as it gets darker. I put on the Joe's fly in firetiger apache or his glo tiger. You will land a few more fish.

Going from a more natural color in the day light and switching to a brighter color as the lighting conditions change. On the low light overcast days throw brighter colors moved slower.

Don't be afraid to slow the lures down. I notice in the low light that speed matters too.

I'm giving you my tips on what I have learned though the years while fishing from shore. I actually took my time and tried different things to see how the fish react. I like to see everyone catch fish. I even stop fishing if there are kids near me so I can help them too. I even stop to help adults too. Think about it if they catch more fish they actually buy more tackle sooner or later. It's giving back to the manufacturers who make me have success and make me look good too. Plus we're helping new fisherman catch more fish. I feel like I'm a salesman for fishing equipment when I'm fishing and having success in front of everyone. I'm no pro nor ever claim to be I just love fishing. And I like to see others enjoy it with the success like I have too.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 11/3/2013 at 7:40 AM, dreamertino said:
Does the hummingbird portable fish finder have a motor or something, if not how do you retrieve it.

Connect it to a radio controlled boat and drive it where you what it that would be a great way to use it. Im not joking saw it in a fish mag article.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 11/3/2013 at 11:20 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:
Connect it to a radio controlled boat and drive it where you what it that would be a great way to use it. Im not joking saw it in a fish mag article.

Now that's a great idea!!

Driving a radio boat zeep it a around having blast, to find fish.. then go and catch them.. sounds like I'll.be looking into this

birdoflight reply :

On 11/3/2013 at 11:20 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:
Connect it to a radio controlled boat and drive it where you what it that would be a great way to use it. Im not joking saw it in a fish mag article.

Interesting, but it really detracts from bank anglers' need to travel without excess doesn't it? Most RC boats that I have seen are 24+ inches long plus remote!

boostr reply :

On Youtube I've seen guys attach it to a RC boat that is also a bait feeder. They drive around to find the fish and then release the bait where they find them. I think they like doing this in Europe.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 11/3/2013 at 10:01 AM, michang5 said:
It has to be tied to a line on a rod/reel. Cast it out like a lure and reel it back in. I did a lot of research on them, and the repeated criticism is that the batteries don't last a long time. And when they die you have to buy a whole new yellow beacon thingy for $20. There is a YouTube vid where a guy dissects one and installs a new batteries, but it requires cutting and gluing the unit.

Still sounds worth it, I think I'm going to get one. Seems like it would help a lot.

Paul Roberts reply :

I have an HB rod mounted unit. It is very limited in terms of resolution offering only a single tone (no grayscale) and large pixels. Sensitivity adjustments don't allow very good read on bottom hardness. It will tell you actual depth but not too much more. I tried running it over fish and it won't discern them from the bottom if small or anywhere near the bottom. Large carp showed as bumps that could just as well have been stumps. Waves also adds variation to the readings. Fun in a limited way but not a great fishing tool. Not like real sonar. My advice would be to save the money and buy a float tube. Then save again and get a compact sonar with good resolution.

Oh yes ... The battery in the sending unit only turns on when the two leads are wet, completing the circuit. If they stay wet the battery will continue to drain. So, dry it well before putting it away.

Sorry for the downer of a review, but I found the unit too limited and thought I'd throw it out there.

As to shore fishing I do and have done a lot of it. Agree with Sam that positioning issues are a major difference between shore and boat. However, baits and lures are much the same. When and where to apply them still counts.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

So what are your Biggest Bank Side catches this year?

I have 2 that are very close in size aroung 3-1/2#

1. Caught with a Spro aruka shad jr oh 15' out from shore.

2. Kinami Palm Tree way out around 100'

SirSnookalot reply :

Not weighing my fish I couldn't say what my largest bass from the bank was, I keep a 20" mark on my rods and estimated a few bass to be in the 25-28" range.

BassinLou reply :

My biggest banks catches this year, was my Avatar pic that is 6+, and a 7+.

Bruce424 reply :

Biggest this year from the bank was around 22" I do the same where I have a 15" mark and a 20"mark on my rods. Couldn't weigh it but it was a lil chunky and had some heft. thinkin 5lber. Personal best. on flipping jig close to the bank. Hit hard Gave me such a rush.

cabrela reply :

On 10/31/2013 at 10:13 PM, fish_oil said:

Yes, I agree, a bank/shore fishing forum would be great.

By using the websites search engine for bank fishing/shore fishing, many posts are lost in the search because keywords are not always included in the original posters comments.

It would make the site more user friendly for bank/shore fisherman. I like reading about fishing in general but, I also like to read about specific posts regarding bank/shore fisherman.

cabrela reply :

On 11/2/2013 at 12:19 PM, coryn h. fishowl said:
Such an idea as this has so much potential for the betterment, education, and communication of (bank) anglers everywhere. Is this not the very precipice upon which this site was founded? Not everyone owns a rocket sled. I certainly don't. Young anglers such as myself, most of whom will be bank fishing, would have a kind of haven, a classroom if you will, in which they would learn how to expand their abilities. BR accomplishes this quite well as it is, but a bank forum would be a college to the general forum's real world. This could help bring in so many anglers, especially younger ones, to a site that they might have otherwise misjudged as a chatroom for bass boat jockeys; a site that would teach them to be more responsible, conscientious, skilled anglers. I implore you to analyze the possible outcomes of making this its own forum in a pragmatic manner. There is nothing to lose, and yet, there is much to gain, with the possibility of helping so many individuals, and possibly the sport itself, by making this a forum. I await your decision with the patience I have garnered from years of teaching myself how to fish, from a bank I might add; (that is to say, until, through BR, I had others to teach me.) It is time for me to attempt to repay the favor.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

One thing I'm surprised I don't hear mentioned in relation to bank fishing more often...pitching and flipping. Given how quickly you can make successive casts, it is a great method to cover water quickly.

cabrela reply :

On 11/12/2013 at 9:42 PM, coryn h. fishowl said:
One thing I'm surprised I don't hear mentioned in relation to bank fishing more often...pitching and flipping. Given how quickly you can make successive casts, it is a great method to cover water quickly.

Here´s something that I would like to read more as well...

Fishing With Edward reply :

I caught this 6#er from the bank.

SirSnookalot reply :

A significant difference between bank and boat is landing the fish. From boat quite often one is pulling the fish out of cover into open water, from the bank pulling it back into thru cover. High banked canals or a sea walls poses a different situation than lipping, netting or gaffing from a boat.

Caylub reply :

What do you do to get to those big girls hiding out in deeper water, or are they even hiding out in deeper water this time of year? I went to a pond this Saturday and last and I caught about ten fish total. I'm not mad about that it sure beats a skunk but they were all about 1 1/2 pound or less and were all caught about twenty feet or less from shore. I'm wondering are there big girls in this pond Im exploring and if there are some big fish where are they hiding. Or is my presentation off. I caught them all on a Zoom trick worm t rigged weightless, junebug. I didn't bother changing because I was catching them at a pace I was happy with.

5fishlimit reply :

On 11/12/2013 at 9:42 PM, coryn h. fishowl said:
One thing I'm surprised I don't hear mentioned in relation to bank fishing more often...pitching and flipping. Given how quickly you can make successive casts, it is a great method to cover water quickly.

I do this very often. On a lot of the Inland reservoir lakes there are fallen trees and docks that the techniques are - IMHO - more critical to master than those fishing from a boat.

geo g reply :

I fish from the boat on weekends and from the bank almost every evening. From the bank I look for points, drop offs and anywhere there is visible structure. A place with two or more types of vegetation is always a good target. Mixed vegetation is always better then just one type. In man made lakes in Florida, there is always a drop off with a depth change of 5 to 20 feet. Bass love to hug the drop offs and use them for shade and ambush points. On windy days bank fishing always allow you to fish slower and it is often more productive, at least for me. Always watch for weeds moving, a shaking pad or stick up is a great sign. Fish in stealth mode. Clear water will give away any sudden movement on the bank. Make long casts in ultra clear water. Our lakes are often loaded with weeds and pads so Texas rigged plastics are the way to go. I often throw weightless senkos, flukes, worms, centepedes, and frogs with good success. When fishing slow down. Many fisherman fish way too fast. Exceptions would be when they are crashing bait fish, or early mornings, or late evenings and night fishing. Good luck, I hope this helps someone out there.

cabrela reply :

On 12/5/2013 at 8:23 AM, geo g said:
I fish from the boat on weekends and from the bank almost every evening. From the bank I look for points, drop offs and anywhere there is visible structure. A place with two or more types of vegetation is always a good target. Mixed vegetation is always better then just one type. In man made lakes in Florida, there is always a drop off with a depth change of 5 to 20 feet. Bass love to hug the drop offs and use them for shade and ambush points. On windy days bank fishing always allow you to fish slower and it is often more productive, at least for me. Always watch for weeds moving, a shaking pad or stick up is a great sign. Fish in stealth mode. Clear water will give away any sudden movement on the bank. Make long casts in ultra clear water. Our lakes are often loaded with weeds and pads so Texas rigged plastics are the way to go. I often throw weightless senkos, flukes, worms, centepedes, and frogs with good success. When fishing slow down. Many fisherman fish way too fast. Exceptions would be when they are crashing bait fish, or early mornings, or late evenings and night fishing. Good luck, I hope this helps someone out there.

Hi, It does!

0119 reply :

I think a bank specific sub forum would be useful to many. So often on the rod/reel forum folks who are bank fishing get suggestions on rods that hold very little practical purpose on shore from boat anglers. I imagine more than a few regretted purchase's they made after a short time of use. Just like in politics, boat anglers have more say a.k.a. Lobbyist like power. If it be on a forum, or in swaying manufacturers into making products better suited for only them.

J Francho reply :

I fish from the bank, kayak, canoe, and bass boat. I can't really think of any rod in my collection I wouldn't bring for whatever I was fishing from. There's definitely some big differences in techniques, each specific to to what your fishing from, but really, I always use the cover present to determine what rods I'm going to use.

0119: just curious, what features would you like to see in a rod for bank fishing? What problems do you encounter? I know for me, spinning reels with long rear grips can be clumsy while sitting in a kayak. I've also always wanted to see a hybrid pistol grip flipping stick, but with a removable fighting grip, like many heavier fly rods feature.

0119 reply :

Problems include tight quarters, lots of brush hampering a backcast. Finding situations where you need to flip or pitch but a rod longer than 6ft cant fit in the space around you. I kayak too and rod butts are all to long for comfort unless you have a size 28 waist and flat stomach. So many long rods made now aren't really longer in the portion between tip and seat, they only add to the rear grip. Todays rods are made to satisfy a guy at the bow of a bass boat who fishes wide open waters. I myself mostly fish overgrown and overhanging banks, barely 20 yards wide. I need a combo that can pull out bigger fish from tiny man made waters most fishermen neglect to consider.

J Francho reply :

The long handles don't bother me as much, but I fit that skinny guy description. I tuck the butt end under my arm, which is why I like a full rear cork grip.

The kayak market is growing rapidly, and I think someone could really do well, working at a grass roots level to develop a line that would satisfy this group. You're not the first to have those complaints.

0119 reply :

There have been some kayak specific rods in the recent past. Okuma thought kayak rods needed even longer rear grips and double foregrips to prevent high sticking. Maybe they work for So. Ca. yakkers jigging kelp beds but not anyone else. Quantum tried it too but you never found them on a rack anywhere. American Rodsmith's did a yakkers series a few years back that really fit the bill with shorter rear grips and pre drilled holes in the real seats to attach a leash to. No retailers around here carried them except Bass Pro, but only for a year. St. Croix has been quoted in magazines as stating there is no market to support kayak specific rods. Kayaking is slowing down a lot here. Everyone is jumping on the SUP bandwagon. Standing so there is no need for special rods any more. And that seems to suit the yak shops, now they only stock ultra high end St Croix and Loomis rods in cater to the high dollar customer. SUP's just doesn't fit bass fishing in waters stuffed with gators though.

Raul reply :

On 12/6/2013 at 6:53 AM, 119 said:
Problems include tight quarters, lots of brush hampering a backcast. Finding situations where you need to flip or pitch but a rod longer than 6ft cant fit in the space around you. I kayak too and rod butts are all to long for comfort unless you have a size 28 waist and flat stomach. So many long rods made now aren't really longer in the portion between tip and seat, they only add to the rear grip. Todays rods are made to satisfy a guy at the bow of a bass boat who fishes wide open waters. I myself mostly fish overgrown and overhanging banks, barely 20 yards wide. I need a combo that can pull out bigger fish from tiny man made waters most fishermen neglect to consider.

Size 28 waist, flat stomach and 110 lbs, have we met somewhere ? cuz that sounds like me. I also agree on the rod selection/suggestion, reel selection/suggestion too, I do own a boat ( actually it´s a 12 ft jontub ) which, unless somebody else is gonna go with me, spends most of it´s time stored, so if I wanna get some action it´s going to be from the bank and on foot patrol.

It´s sad to see that tackle manufacturers in the US don´t offer really nice 2 piece rods, where I´m at two piece rods are a necessity, bank fishing in my neck of the woods most of the times involves having to walk thru thick brush and you can´t do that with a single piece rod comfortably, import rod manufacturers like GraphiteLeader, MajorCraft, Tailwalk & Daiko do offer really nice rods. I may love baitcasting gear, I´m really good at operating the gear but as good as I am I can´t do more than the room I have to swing the rod allows me to, therefore, spinng gear is my choice for the foot patrol. Lure selection is also important, I´m a tackle junkie, I´ve got tons of stuff but I can´t carry all my junk with me, years have taught me that I don´t need a lot of stuff, what I need is to know a lot of stuff ( rigging and fishing techiques ) to get the most out of every single bait I´m able to carry.

Ratherbfishing reply :

On 12/7/2013 at 1:23 AM, Raul said:

It´s sad to see that tackle manufacturers in the US don´t offer really nice 2 piece rods, where I´m at two piece rods are a necessity, bank fishing in my neck of the woods most of the times involves having to walk thru thick brush and you can´t do that with a single piece rod comfortably,

A good tip I learned somewhere along the way: hold your rod(s) backwards (trailing behind you). You will have fewer snags.

Cryoglobin reply :

I fish a lot of spots with pretty dense cover, and I usually put a trash bag over my rod when bushwacking.

Some techniques I use when its too thick for any kind of backcast....

Wrist rocket - be careful doing this as it could potentially implant a hook a long way into somewhere you do not want it. It is most dangerous on hardbaits with hanging, swinging trebles. You just have to be mindful about making sure the hooks are facing out. If you snag a treble on the pocket and it then slings back, well you might get away with it once, or you might not. And, if you do not get away with it, you won't be too happy with yourself. I wasn't happy with myself once, or maybe twice , so I try to stick to t-rigs now when using this.....until I get really desperate. I have never had an issue using t-rigs. They do not go as far as I can cast, but considerably further than I can pitch or flip.

Another thing I will do is slack line drift a frog on windy days. Put yourself upwind of some nice looking cover, drift it through, and then drag it back. I have combined that technique with the wrist rocket and put bait in places i had no business getting it to. Sometimes you can fling it out there into a crosswind past an exposed stump and then work the bait right to left or vice versa without dragging it back towards shore. The trick is being able to sling the line over the stump when you get a strike. It can make hooksets tricky, and obviously you will eventually end up with line abrasion. Or you may end up with a fish on in an unlandable situation if it zooms back toward you and around the stump. But if it can get you to fish you can't otherwise reach....well thats the name of the game, right?

Anyway, just some stuff I use occasionally. Hopefully it helps or gives someone some ideas.

SirSnookalot reply :

I do all of my freshwater fishing from the bank, the areas I fish I can use whatever I wish, it's very open. I do prefer using a 7' med spin for high banked canals and 6'6 light or ml spin for ponds. I like casting with rods with longer butts. A good portion of my saltwater fishing is done from beach, sea walls and jetties, again I like the longer butt for casting and more so tucking the butt under my armpit is useful in handling some of the species. I have probably said this at least 100,000 times, I would never buy a rod for any kind of fishing with good foregrip.

0119 reply :

Not me. If I'm using spinning which is like nearly never i put the rear grip under my forearm and make the rod an extension of my arm. Even for snook tarpon and jacks. My saltwater bank fishing is either true jungle boar hogging my way thru mangrove forest or urban jungle under bridges and between barges and such. Long grips are pretty useless there too.

boostr reply :

On 12/7/2013 at 6:39 AM, Ratherbfishing said:
A good tip I learned somewhere along the way: hold your rod(s) backwards (trailing behind you). You will have fewer snags.

X2 a very good technique, done it and does work great.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

Just because the lakes are frozen over doesn't mean that this topic gets to die. There has to be some of those fanatical, lunatic people who sit by a hole in the ice and expose themselves to hypothermia to entertain the bored fish, on this site.

Felix77 reply :

On 12/22/2013 at 3:11 PM, coryn h. fishowl said:
Just because the lakes are frozen over doesn't mean that this topic gets to die. There has to be some of those fanatical, lunatic people who sit by a hole in the ice and expose themselves to hypothermia to entertain the bored fish, on this site.

This reminds me of a story. Last late winter/early spring (just around ice out) my friend and I went to check out one of our honey holes. It was about 30 minutes away. When we got there it was still frozen. We threw a rock out to see how frozen it was and ended up quickly punching a hole in the ice.

We spent the next hour+ pitching to the hole. We had a blast even though we didn't catch anything. That would have been a sick ending.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 12/22/2013 at 10:41 PM, Felix77 said:

This reminds me of a story. Last late winter/early spring (just around ice out) my friend and I went to check out one of our honey holes. It was about 30 minutes away. When we got there it was still frozen. We threw a rock out to see how frozen it was and ended up quickly punching a hole in the ice.

We spent the next hour+ pitching to the hole. We had a blast even though we didn't catch anything. That would have been a sick ending.

I do that sometimes to, haha. I know there is not a chance in frozen-over...purgatory, that I'll catch anything, but you have to cure the cabin fever somehow

Felix77 reply :

On 12/23/2013 at 2:05 AM, coryn h. fishowl said:
I do that sometimes to, haha. I know there is not a chance in frozen-over...purgatory, that I'll catch anything, but you have to cure the cabin fever somehow

Exactly! LOL

nascar2428 reply :

This is a great thread. 95% of my fishing is from the bank. A well stocked backpack, 2 or 3 2pc spinning rods for spinnerbaits, worms&jigs, and crankbaits. A nice public park pond or lake void of development and I am a happy camper. Just my 2 cents.

cabrela reply :

Happy holidays to all bank fishermen/fisherwomen (and the rest of them as well....)

Chance_Taker4 reply :

I fish from the bank and would love a forum dedicated to us fisherman. Some of the tips and advice I read on here from boaters are helpful but the majority does not help in the way I fish. Being able to click one link and have all my questions asked and answered would be helpful.

mitchwk reply :

Hey, I have a question about bank fishing.

I'm relatively new to bass fishing and using texas rigs, stop and go retrieve etc. All that stuff is easy to read about on here. My question is about where on the pond to find bass while bank fishing. I have read about structure like trees and grass, but I'm confused about ledges and rocks? How do these provide cover? What do you all look for when fishing from the bank?

bankbassassin reply :

On 1/12/2014 at 5:31 AM, mitchwk said:

Hey, I have a question about bank fishing.

I'm relatively new to bass fishing and using texas rigs, stop and go retrieve etc. All that stuff is easy to read about on here. My question is about where on the pond to find bass while bank fishing. I have read about structure like trees and grass, but I'm confused about ledges and rocks? How do these provide cover? What do you all look for when fishing from the bank?

There is no one specific spot that will hold bass in every pond. Depending on the type of pond, man made or natural, there will be different depth features on your pond. Forget about ledges till you have a boat, and look for simpler signs of places fish will most likely be. Weed beds with gaps between them, points or curves in the shoreline, and areas that remain shady are all spots to start at. Hopefully someone else can lend some knowledge to the rocks thing, my FL ponds are all mud/muck/slime/quicksand bottom.

Invest in some weedless frogs and a ton of hooks and start casting into spot you'd never think to cast to. That's where I've had the most success(and the most fun).

0119 reply :

Cover provides protection and opportunity to sit in ambush, a bass' favorite tactic. Structure can provide cover too but can be anything from wood and natural growth, to ledges, underwater variety in the bottom like a hump, ledge, old creek bed and man made stuff too. The variety is what attracts bass and their forage so places different things intersect can be dynamite. A bass can sit behind a single branch or stump and get cover from sunlight and the opportunity to ambush. A ledge can do the same thing. Sometimes a bass will sit on the shady side of the tiniest bit of cover to shade his eyes so don't pass up any emergent target you find. I find man made cover and structure to be a gold mine in most small waters I bank fish.

I.rar reply :

I only fish from shore and have since I started fishing. Since then, I'm down to one two-piece spinning rig and a handful of various plastics. Imo, it's about confidence. The baits I've kept, I feel I can catch fish if they are in the spot I'm fishing. Also, with very limited fishing time, it works perfect for me as I'm not cutting and retying baits every few casts. I've tried carrying 2 or more rigs but I find im better suited with one and a fanny bag of tackle. Makes restocking my fishing supply cheaper too.

My system may not work for everyone, but it has for me and the type of fishing I do.

Btw, I'm down for a bank fishing section. Obviously it won't see the traffic the other subforums do, but it would be nice to see all bank fishing topics in one place.

mitchwk reply :

On 1/12/2014 at 6:21 AM, 119 said:
Cover provides protection and opportunity to sit in ambush, a bass' favorite tactic. Structure can provide cover too but can be anything from wood and natural growth, to ledges, underwater variety in the bottom like a hump, ledge, old creek bed and man made stuff too. The variety is what attracts bass and their forage so places different things intersect can be dynamite. A bass can sit behind a single branch or stump and get cover from sunlight and the opportunity to ambush. A ledge can do the same thing. Sometimes a bass will sit on the shady side of the tiniest bit of cover to shade his eyes so don't pass up any emergent target you find. I find man made cover and structure to be a gold mine in most small waters I bank fish.

Thanks for the help! I have had a terrible time of actually finding fish. The last few times I have gone I haven't caught a thing. I think its because I was fishing a texas rig like I would a big mepps for pike, just casting it far and reeling fast. How do you all prefer to reel in a Texas rig? I have read a lot about making the bait look real by incorporating pauses and jerking your rod. When bass fishing should all baits be retrieved using pauses?

SudburyBasser reply :

I vote in favor of a bank fishing forum. At a minimum this thread should be stickied.

SirSnookalot reply :

In my part of Florida the canals and ponds have little real structure, with the exception of debris, which I might classify more as cover than structure. What ever you want to call bass like to hang near bridges, culverts, and canal intersections. Community type ponds that can have some really nice fish, I have done well fishing the corner pockets, where I live there isn't even much vegetation.

nascar2428 reply :

Most of the tips and advice on this site and in these forums can be applied to bank fishing. I never got in a boat last year and still was able to catch a lot of fish from the bank. Except for deep water fishing, just about every technique can be utilized from the bank. This thread is a great place for the bankers to meet and discuss things. The forums contain such a wealth of information for all bass anglers, bankers or boaters, As anglers we have to be able to learn how to apply that information to our individual situations. A forum just for bank fishing would be full of duplicate information.. As far as I know, the bass have never been able to tell wether I was catching em from a boat or from the bank. They just knew they were caught!!

cabrela reply :

On 1/12/2014 at 2:21 PM, SudburyBasser said:
I vote in favor of a bank fishing forum. At a minimum this thread should be stickier.

Bank fishing and boat fishing aren´t quite the same thing, so I vote in favor as well.

mitchwk reply :

Thanks for the help, I actually just read Road Warrior's post on how to catch fish and that answered my question. Apparently it is not best to just cast a worm and reel it in as fast as you can.

ClackerBuzz reply :

i beat the bank for years and was a certified pond master before moving off shore. ponds are like fishing in a barrel BUT it still take awhile to learn how to: consistently catch fish, catch the biggest fish in the pond and learn how to read what's going on above and below the water.

1 ponds have a feeder stream, either above ground or underground. the feeder stream brings fresh water/oxygen/food. the influx of water during heavy rain and flooding flushes out a pit where they like to hold. there will always be fish hanging there, especially in summer b/c its like air conditioning. you can usually see the feeder creek above ground. if the pond is underground/spring fed the surface area can sill looks 'swampy' ie you won't trek thru that area without waders; you can smell the moisture in the air; there is beaver activity; tall cat tails, bullies etc.

2 the water must exit the pond as well. this area also holds fish but in my experience not as big.

3 streams meander thru a large lake like a snake. they don't have quite the opportunity to zig zag from bank to bank in a small pond. at the very least the underwater stream favorites one side of the pond. this will be the deeper side and it holds better fish. the opposite side is usually shallow, more stagnant water w/ slimy algae on the surface and on the bottom, and tapers very slowly out to the middle. it has stumps and logs jammed in the muck etc. this would be the pond flat or cove side. i always try this area but it produces best during spawn, spring, fall. bass don't worry about predators from above as much in low light conditions so they will be more bold about sitting in this shallow water at dusk/dawn/night fishing or with wind chop on the surface or rain. i hate this area in the summer b/c its the hottest part of the pond w/ no current or wind. but i love fishing it during the cold season b/c the water warms up the fastest so bass sunbath in these pond coves or corners. its hard to get a 'big lure over their head in this shallow water b/c even a 4" senko casts a bald eagle like shadow. i try my normal lures but keep them far off shore to draw the fish out to them. if they aren't chasing or are skiddish i go with a 1/8 Mepps in-line spinner. its the only thing i've found can be cast right over their heads and not spook them from above or below in 12" of water. a lot of times the thumping/vibration from a double willow spinnerbait just scares the crap out of them in stable pond water this shallow. there are aggressive feeding times where they love it so i start big but quickly downsize if i'm just scaring bass. the more you analyze ponds and what's going on above water the easier it become to read whats going on underneath. ponds are more shallow so it's easy to see bass reacting negatively to vibrating lures. learn from their reaction and make adjustments immediately.

4 if there is a dock never walk out onto it b/c you'll spook all the fish on that side of the pond. first stealth cast both sides and then the front from both direction. then slowly tip toe out to access deeper water. never walk directly up to the waters edge. i make my first cast from 10-15ft back. i've seen other guys laugh at me bc i'm elmer fudd but there's nothing better than silently flipping a lure 6ft off shore and having a giant bass smash it. vise versa there's nothing worse than walking right up to the waters edge only to spook a nice bass out to the deep. most guys see the swirling bass take off and think 'oh there's good activity today'. but really you just spooked a bass you could have caught.

5 fan casting is the way to go. i'll fan cast an area and move on. i don't fish, i hunt fish. ur first cast to an area has the best chance of catching the biggest bass and/or the most aggressive bass. so why not relocate often. some guys sit in the same spot all day long. probably bc that's how they were taught to fish. i've literally caught 3 fish approaching a guy...walked around him...and caught 3 more bass as i hiked up shore. he finally came over to ask me what my magic lure was. i know it took alot for him to approach me so i explained the lure changes each day but my hunting/hiking fish style will always be the same. it was probably the last time he used a lawn chair for bass fishing.

6 if ur not catching fish change lures often. if i fan cast 3 different locations with a spinnerbait and don't catch a bass, it's time to change lures. ponds are small so it's easy to locate and/or draw fish in. i'm quick to change lures and go from reaction lure w/ vibration... to reaction w/ no vibration (swim jig/senko/swimbait etc)... to bottom bounding something like a t-rig, c-rig, split shot... to flipping wacky senkos... to dead sticking senkos, drop shot or bottom crawling jigs.

you only have so much shore/casting real estate from shore so i'm quick change lures. and i'm quick to slow down my retrieves and/or be patient.

7 analyze what comes back on ur hook. the two best things are green vibrant weeds and/or clean leaves. these areas hold bass so if ur hook comes back with either you are in the right place. the worst thing to bring back is green slim algae=keep hiking up shore. fountains or aerators are also fish magnets b/c of the oxygen/food and cover. i fished a pond for years that had no weeds but it had an aerator. it created an underwater current system and fresh mulched leaves would gather in a nice pocket 30ft away. this is where i always caught the biggest bass. it took a 80ft cast to get out there. if i couldn't draw them back with a reaction bait i would just bombed a jig out and slowly worked it till they crushed it.

8 i hate frogs . no matter how stealth i am, they are better. a frog jumping into the water is like an alarm to bass that gives away my position. if i spook a frog into the water at a good location i wait a few minutes before casting. i just check my text messages, tie my shoe, put on new lure etc. let the spot settle until the bass drops his guard again.

9 use braid mainline with leader of ur choice. i also carry 2 rods and use a fanny pack. One spinning and one casting rod. both have a braid (10lb and 30lb) with yo zuri leaders (6, 8, 12, 15 or 17 lb). i keep a bunch of 12ft leaders wrapped up with a piece of tape around each. it takes up virtually no room and weighs next to nothing yet i'm prepared for any situation. if the cover gets nasty i just remove the leaders and fish straight braid.

10 skip buying ur next two rods and buy a kayak. it will get you off shore and open so many possibilities. so many angles, constant fresh water, access to deeper water, ultra stealth. spring is coming and every box store will have one for under $300. it will change ur fishing life.

Good article by Hank Parker on Pond fishing:

http://www.bassresource.com/hank-parker-fishing/pond-fishing-tactics.html

ClackerBuzz reply :

11- do not ignore or downplay a bite. remember the location and always think of that spot as a fishy/big bass spot. bite locations are fish holding areas so think of them as good not bad. it's easy to get down b/c u missed a fish but a bite is v-e-r-y important clue that reveals ur in a fish holding location. it's not as important on ponds. but very important when bank fishing lakes/reservoirs etc (and equally important when fishing from kayak or 18ft boat; mark a GPS point if u have a unit). if you got skunked that day but got 4 bites....go back to those 4 locations tomorrow and from that day forward. make them ur priority spots.

try to figure out the bite right then and there. cast back immediately with something different (something closely related to what you were doing when you got the bite

ie you gave up on ur dead sticking/slow dragging ur senko and just started reeling ur line in when a bass slammed it but he didn't commit. the 'fleeing' bait got a reaction out of the bass. tie on a similar color jig and cast back immediately. dead stick it for 60 sec to get his interest (like the senko did) and then go straight to reeling it back experimenting with slow to fast reaction retrieve, pops, rips etc.

I.rar reply :

Excellent posts clacker!

cabrela reply :

On 1/13/2014 at 1:43 AM, ClackerBuzz said:

i beat the bank for years and was a certified pond master before moving off shore. ponds are like fishing in a barrel but it still take awhile to learn how to consistently catch fish.. and how to catch the biggest fish in the pond..and how to read what's going on above and below the water.

1 ponds have a feeder stream, either above ground or underground. the feeder stream brings fresh water/oxygen/food. the influx of water during heavy rain and flooding flushes out a pit where they like to hold. there will always be fish hanging there, especially in summer b/c its like air conditioning. you can usually see the feeder the creek above ground. if the pond is underground/spring fed the surface area can sill looks 'swampy' ie you won't trek thru that area without waders; you can smell the moisture in the air; there is beaver activity; tall cat tails, bullies etc.

2 the water must exit the pond as well. this area also holds fish but in my experience not as big.

3 streams meander thru a large lake like a snake. they don't have quite the opportunity to zig zag from bank to bank in a small pond. at the very least the underwater stream favorites one side of the pond. this will be the deeper side and it holds better fish. the opposite side is usually shallow, more stagnant water w/ slimy algae on the surface and on the bottom, and tapers very slowly out to the middle. it has stumps and logs jammed in the muck etc. this would be the pond flat or cove side. i always try this area but it produces best during spawn, spring, fall. bass don't worry about predators from above as much in low light conditions so they will be more bold about sitting in this shallow water at dusk/dawn/night fishing or with wind chop on the surface or rain. i hate this area in the summer b/c its the hottest part of the pond w/ no current or wind. but i love fishing it during the cold season b/c the water warms up the fastest so bass sunbath in these pond coves or corners. its hard to get a 'big lure over their head in this shallow water b/c even a 4" senko casts a bald eagle like shadow. i try my normal lures but keep them far off shore to draw the fish out to them. if they aren't chasing or are skiddish i go with a 1/8 Mepps in-line spinner. its the only thing i've found can be cast right over their heads and not spook them from above or below in 12" of water. a lot of times the thumping/vibration from a double willow spinnerbait just scares the crap out of them in water this shallow. there are aggressive feeding times where they love it so i start big but quickly downsize if i'm just scaring bass. the more you analyze ponds and what's going on above water the easier it become to read whats going on underneath. also i'm quick to analyze how they are reacting to your lures. its easy on a pond b/c you can literally see a lure spook them vs not seeing on a lake in 20ft of water.

4 if there is a dock never walk out onto it b/c you'll spook all the fish on that side of the pond. first stealth cast both sides and then the front from both direction. then slowly tip toe out to access deeper water. never walk directly up to the waters edge. i make my first cast from 10-15ft back. i've seen other guys laugh at me bc i'm elmer fudd but there's nothing better than silently flipping a lure into the first 12" of water and having a giant bass smash it. vise versa there's nothing worse than walking right up to the waters edge only to spook a nice bass out to the deep. most guys see the swirling bass take off and think 'oh there's good 'activity' today. but why not catch that bass.

5 fan casting is the way to go. i'll fan cast an area and move on. i don't fish, i hunt fish. ur first cast to an area has the best chance of catching the biggest bass and/or the most aggressive bass. so why not relocate often. some guys sit in the same spot all day long. probably bc that's how they were taught to fish. i've literally caught 3 fish approaching a guy...walked around him...and caught 3 more bass as i hiked up shore. he finally came over to ask me what my magic lure was. i know it took alot for him to approach me to i explained the lure the bass like might be different each day but my hunting/hiking fish style will always be the same. hopefully it was the last time he used a lawn chair to fish.

6 if ur not catching fish change lures often. if i fan cast 3 different locations with a spinnerbait and don't catch a bass, it's time to change lures. ponds are small so it's easy to locate and/or draw fish in. i'm quick to change lures and go from reaction lure w/ vibration... to reaction w/ no vibration (swim jig/senko/swimbait etc)... to bottom bounding something like a t-rig, split shot, drop shot... to flipping wacky senkos... to dead sticking senkos, drop shot or bottom crawling jigs.

if i'm not catching bass in ponds i quickly change lures. and i'm quick to slow down my retrieves and be patient.

if i'm not catching bass on big water ie lakes, i'm quick to change location.

7 analyze what comes back on ur hook. the two best things are green vibrant weeds and/or clean leaves. these areas hold bass so if ur hook comes back with either you are in the right place. the worst thing to bring back is green slim algae=keep hiking up shore. fountains or aerators are also fish magnets b/c of the oxygen/food and cover. i fished a pond for years that had no weeds but i had an aerator. it created an underwater current system and fresh mulched leaves would gather in a nice pocket 30ft away. this is where i always caught the biggest bass. it took a 80ft cast to get out there. if i couldn't draw them back with a reaction bait i would just bombed a jig out and slowly worked it till they crushed it.

8 i hate frogs . no matter how stealth i am, they are better. a frog jumping into the water is like an alarm to bass that gives away my position. if i spook a frog into the water at a good location i wait a few minutes before casting. i just check my text messages, tie my shoe, put on new lure etc. let the spot settle until the bass drops his guard again.

9 use braid to copoly. i also carry 2 rods and use a fanny pack. One spinning and one casting rod. both have a braid (10lb and 30lb) with yo zuri leaders (6, 8, 12, 15 or 17 lb). i keep a bunch of 12ft leaders wrapped up with a piece of tape around each. it takes up virtually no room and weighs next to nothing yet i'm prepared to any situation. if the cover gets nasty i can even remove the leaders and fish straight braid.

10 skip buying ur next two rods and buy a kayak. it will get you off shore and open so many possibilities. so many angles, constant fresh water, access to deeper water, ultra stealth. spring is coming and every box store will have one for under $300. it will change ur fishing life.

Good article by Hank Parker on Pond fishing:

http://www.bassresource.com/hank-parker-fishing/pond-fishing-tactics.html

On 1/13/2014 at 2:15 AM, ClackerBuzz said:

11- do not ignore or downplay a bite. remember the location and always think of that spot as a fishy/big bass spot. it's easy to get down b/c u missed a fish but a bite is very important clue that reveals ur in a fish holding location. it's not as important on ponds. but very important when bank fishing lakes/reservoirs etc (and equally important when fishing from kayak or 18ft boat). if you got skunked that day but got 4 bites....go back to those 4 locations tomorrow and from that day forward. make them ur priority spots.

try to figure out the bite right then and there. cast back immediately with something different (something closely related to what you were doing when you got the bite

ie you gave up on ur dead sticking/slow dragging ur senko and just started reeling ur line in when a bass slammed it but he didn't commit. the 'fleeing' bait got a reaction out of the bass. tie on a similar color jig and cast back immediately. dead stick it for 60 sec to get his interest (like the senko did) and then go straight to reeling it back experimenting with slow to fast reaction retrieve, pops, rips etc.

bite locations are fish holding areas so think of them as good not bad

cabrela reply :

Great information ClackerBuzz, really great.

mitchwk reply :

Thank you so much for the tips Clacker! I can't wait to put them to use. I checked out my pond today to see if I could but its still mostly ice covered with a few holes.

nascar2428 reply :

If you guys get Jay Kumars bassblaster, you will notice that a guy in California landed a 16lber Friday from the bank. Bet ya never thought that could happen.

mitchwk reply :

Went fishing today, I had one on on but it spit it out right at the bank. I was using a tube. What is the best way to set a hook when using a plastic tube? My pole is short and pretty flexible.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 1/20/2014 at 11:15 AM, mitchwk said:
Went fishing today, I had one on on but it spit it out right at the bank. I was using a tube. What is the best way to set a hook when using a plastic tube? My pole is short and pretty flexible.

Probably want to see a doctor for that.

Well a different rod would help but if that not in the cards you can try braid for no stretch if you use mono or fluoro now. You try better sharper hooks.

Do you have the hook exposed or texas-rigged with hook skin hooked? The t-rig will mean a harder hookset needed to stick fish that your flexible rod might not be able to accomplish.

mitchwk reply :

T-rigged weedless. A new rod isn't in the budget at the moment. Do you think if I rigged it with the hook out that would help? What way should I bet setting the hook, up or sideways? To compensate for my cruddy rod.

BuffaloBass716 reply :

On 1/20/2014 at 12:04 PM, mitchwk said:
T-rigged weedless. A new rod isn't in the budget at the moment. Do you think if I rigged it with the hook out that would help? What way should I bet setting the hook, up or sideways? To compensate for my cruddy rod.

If it is not too weedy, try a tube jig head. just reel in the slack and set the hook upward (hard since your rod is flexible or set it multiple times to insure the fish is on)

SirSnookalot reply :

If a rod or even braided line is not in your budget at the present time, try adjusting your drag just a little tighter. Holding the spool with your hand on spinning or a thumb on the spool with a b/c will work too. If possible fish a moving bait with exposed hooks, a fish coming after a lure may strike hard enough to set the hook itself, as opposed to a weedless presentation where the strike isn't as hard.

mitchwk reply :

Thanks for the help. I will try setting the hook up, tightening the drag, and trying a plastic that the hook can get through easier like a worm.

OkeechobeeAngler reply :

Make sure your hooks are sharp. Good luck.

boostr reply :

Anybody see the latest episode of Facts of Fishing 1/30/14, Dave did some pond bank fishing. Holy crap He was pulling out some Hawgz. Also showed how finiky bass are at different points of the day. Started with a crank, and nothing. Next went to a worm started catching dinks. Then went to a swim jig with a Rage Craw and started reeling in the pigs, when that slowed down he went back to the Crank again... BOOM the pigs were smoking it even though they would'nt touch it when he started out with it. Good episode for us bank fisherman.

0119 reply :

Yup, wow what a laugh he's got! Contagious in person I bet

boostr reply :

You can tell he enjoys his bass fishing.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 2/3/2014 at 10:41 PM, boostr said:
Anybody see the latest episode of Facts of Fishing 1/30/14, Dave did some pond bank fishing. Holy crap He was pulling out some Hawgz. Also showed how finiky bass are at different points of the day. Started with a crank, and nothing. Next went to a worm started catching dinks. Then went to a swim jig with a Rage Craw and started reeling in the pigs, when that slowed down he went back to the Crank again... BOOM the pigs were smoking it even though they would'nt touch it when he started out with it. Good episode for us bank fisherman.

HaHa, a swim jg with a rage craw is what I use at my local pond...strangely enough though, the bass in there show a strict preference for hard plastic lures like rapalas.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

So how are yall dealing with cabin fever season, walking the banks of your ponds, wondering how long till she thaws yet?

0119 reply :

Nope! This is the fishing season for me. No winter here to speak of, mid 80's almost everyday with summer thick humidity. Bass are as confused as we are, bedding all but done. Come the time you guys fish full steam, it'll be the end of my season...just to darn hot to fish.

cabrela reply :

On 2/17/2014 at 10:31 AM, coryn h. fishowl said:
So how are yall dealing with cabin fever season, walking the banks of your ponds, wondering how long till she thaws yet?

Itching4fishing....

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 2/17/2014 at 7:56 PM, 119 said:
Nope! This is the fishing season for me. No winter here to speak of, mid 80's almost everyday with summer thick humidity. Bass are as confused as we are, bedding all but done. Come the time you guys fish full steam, it'll be the end of my season...just to darn hot to fish.

U enviable sonofabiscuit. I forgotten what the warmth of sunlight feels like

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 2/3/2014 at 10:41 PM, boostr said:
Anybody see the latest episode of Facts of Fishing 1/30/14, Dave did some pond bank fishing. Holy crap He was pulling out some Hawgz. Also showed how finiky bass are at different points of the day. Started with a crank, and nothing. Next went to a worm started catching dinks. Then went to a swim jig with a Rage Craw and started reeling in the pigs, when that slowed down he went back to the Crank again... BOOM the pigs were smoking it even though they would'nt touch it when he started out with it. Good episode for us bank fisherman.

where can i find this?

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

Cant wait to get out fishing!!! im getting very very very un- patient ...............

MarksHooked reply :

On 2/19/2014 at 12:23 AM, Grizzn N Bassin said:
Cant wait to get out fishing!!! im getting very very very un- patient ...............

I'm with you on that! I don't care how cold/windy/snowy it is, the moment the ice has thawed I will be out there beating the bank for SOMETHING!

Stlbob reply :

yep same here...going to drive by a cple of lakes today and see how much is clear...of all things it is going to be maybe 68/70 today..had an ice down less than 36 hours ago now this stuff..not complaining love it..

boostr reply :

On 2/19/2014 at 12:22 AM, Grizzn N Bassin said:
where can i find this?

Go to the Facts of Fishing website, and they should have the episode there.

gripnrip reply :

On 2/3/2014 at 10:41 PM, boostr said:
Anybody see the latest episode of Facts of Fishing 1/30/14, Dave did some pond bank fishing. Holy crap He was pulling out some Hawgz. Also showed how finiky bass are at different points of the day. Started with a crank, and nothing. Next went to a worm started catching dinks. Then went to a swim jig with a Rage Craw and started reeling in the pigs, when that slowed down he went back to the Crank again... BOOM the pigs were smoking it even though they would'nt touch it when he started out with it. Good episode for us bank fisherman.

A great episode for sure. How I missed this thread? Oh it's been a while since I've been on! I have recently gotten back on within the last week. I will do my best to contribute to this thread. I am going to be on 2nd shift for 12 weeks starting next Monday. Soooooo I will be getting out a bunch over that time frame....... My goal is to catch my first on some big swimbaits. Maybe even top my PB! I'll be throwing other baits as well.

Darin

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 2/19/2014 at 4:37 AM, boostr said:
Go to the Facts of Fishing website, and they should have the episode there.

Alright thanks I'll check it out

Cast_And_Blast reply :

On 2/19/2014 at 4:37 AM, boostr said:
Go to the Facts of Fishing website, and they should have the episode there.

I looked but couldn't find the full episode. Am I missing something?

boostr reply :

I thought it would be on there. I watched that episode on tv on the Outdoors channel. Go to the Outdoors channel website, and maybe you can get the full episode there

coryn h. fishowl reply :

Wow, it's pretty rare for somebody to do a bank-fishing episode. I guess, it's because they would catch fewer bass. Actually since we're on the subject. Do you guys catch more on a boat or on the bank in a typical outing.

Phauren reply :

I have a system for bank fishing.

I start with the rattle traps then move to the worms(trigged and senko) and then I usually hit up the one bait that never fails me..................my trusty chatterbait.

Nothing beats the feeling of walking to some out of reach pond and pulling in monster.

J Francho reply :

Lunkerville has several episodes featuring bank and shoreline fishing.

Cast_And_Blast reply :

On 2/22/2014 at 8:52 AM, J Francho said:
Lunkerville has several episodes featuring bank and shoreline fishing.

Do they have a website or would it be on youtube or something similar?

J Francho reply :

Click on the TV link.

http://www.lunkerville.com

TheSmilingSwordsman reply :

I finally made an account just because of this thread.

I am a dad with two small boys in an area where the nearest lake is over an hour away. (It's not known for being a good fishing lake.) We do have access to a couple of small lakes/large ponds where I plan to take my boys fishing as they get older. Time out on the lake can be a great parenting tool, but being a young family we can't afford a boat right now so the oldest, a 4 year old, and I walk around the banks looking for fish. I really appreciate the bank specific advice and will be frequenting this thread in the future.

michang5 reply :

I still primarily fish from the bank, but I've been renting a kayak every few weeks (going out tomorrow in fact). If I eliminate the one spot that I know I can catch dink after dink from a kayak, I would say I catch more from the bank.

Maybe it's because I've broken down the bank spots after repeat visits, or that I'm more likely to try more different spots from a kayak...

PB from a canoe = 5.75#

PB from the bank = 4.25#

0119 reply :

On 2/23/2014 at 9:25 AM, TheSmilingSwordsman said:

I finally made an account just because of this thread.

I am a dad with two small boys in an area where the nearest lake is over an hour away. (It's not known for being a good fishing lake.) We do have access to a couple of small lakes/large ponds where I plan to take my boys fishing as they get older. Time out on the lake can be a great parenting tool, but being a young family we can't afford a boat right now so the oldest, a 4 year old, and I walk around the banks looking for fish. I really appreciate the bank specific advice and will be frequenting this thread in the future.

Welcome the the forum Swordsman.

cabrela reply :

On 2/22/2014 at 10:06 AM, Cast_And_Blast said:
Do they have a website or would it be on youtube or something similar?

On 2/22/2014 at 12:35 PM, J Francho said:

Click on the TV link.

http://www.lunkerville.com

They also have an youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIrytI7nii5Zf5L2BJU17kw/feed

BuffaloBass716 reply :

On 2/23/2014 at 9:25 AM, TheSmilingSwordsman said:

I finally made an account just because of this thread.

I am a dad with two small boys in an area where the nearest lake is over an hour away. (It's not known for being a good fishing lake.) We do have access to a couple of small lakes/large ponds where I plan to take my boys fishing as they get older. Time out on the lake can be a great parenting tool, but being a young family we can't afford a boat right now so the oldest, a 4 year old, and I walk around the banks looking for fish. I really appreciate the bank specific advice and will be frequenting this thread in the future.

I would use something that is sure to work no matter what lake and what part of the country you're in, soft plastics and stick bait type lures are bass catching machines! (especially for beginners and kids) Texas rigs, wacky rigs, weightless flukes, and shaky heads are great ways to rig up some plastics. Colors should depend on water clarity, darker/black for muddy water and more natural for clearer water (Green Pumpkin, Watermelon seed), but try what you like. These are just bare bone tips that are sure to catch some fish. Bass fishing is a science to some people. There is plenty to learn, read other articles and forum posts on here and you start to find out what to use for your particular area. Welcome to the Forums, and have fun Fishing!

BuffaloBass716 reply :

Just checking in to the thread after a few months of starting it and I'm glad that people are still actively posting on this topic to help new comers and bank beaters! Keep up the good work and continue helping others that post for help and advice.

boostr reply :

Another thing that might help the shore crowd, is to check out your local fishing forum for your state or region. I went to Bassnj.com, and found a plethera of info on local lakes, and where to bank fish.

Wpcat6611 reply :

Caught 7 small ones from the bank today with this one being the bigest. Gotta love some golf course bassin!

SirSnookalot reply :

On 2/25/2014 at 12:32 AM, boostr said:
Another thing that might help the shore crowd, is to check out your local fishing forum for your state or region. I went to Bassnj.com, and found a plethera of info on local lakes, and where to bank fish.

This is good advice.

I get my fair share of messages asking me about saltwater fishing, I know my areas and species but I'm not as familiar with other parts of the country. Checking a local forum is always a good idea, they have a better handle on the species that are running, type of equipment that works well, and places to go.

Wpcat6611 reply :

As if yesterday wasn't awesome enough I got this email today

0119 reply :

Wow, that does make an awesome day.

J Francho reply :

Local boards are a good way to find new fishing places, but don't go up looking to get spoon fed spots. A better tact would be to try to hook up with other locals for fishing trips. Share some of yours, learn new spots... Just going up to spot burn will get you tossed off a locals forum quick. It's about building a network of local fishing friends, not getting easy info.

George DeHaven reply :

On 10/28/2013 at 10:17 AM, coryn h. fishowl said:
It is long overdue my friend. I'm in the same boat as you. With the exception that my parents still dictate my fishing times for the next year haha. How's it feel to now be able to fish at will

I didn't get a chance to read all of the posts yet, so someone may have picked this out already but I thought it was funny that you said "in the same boat" while talking about bank fishing! No boats!

aquaholic reply :

a bank fishing section would be cool. Not sure how 1 more section could hurt. I saw a person post a quote on here that i really liked, went something like " If you show me a good bank fisher, ill show you a great boat fisherman"

AnglerNo.2112 reply :

Here in my part of western Washington there is almost no shore access. There's tons of lakes around here but all the shoreline is either private houses or full of thick brush and grasses. It's next to impossible trying to find a spot to stand and cast from. I've been spending my time lately browsing Google maps and making a list of some places to try and check out. Today I finally had a day off where it wasn't raining and I ran by four different lakes.

One of them was a private lake for neighborhood residents. One was so full of blackberry brambles and knee deep mud that it was impossible to get within 30 yards of the lake. Another had good shore access but was closed for fishing year round. Finally I found one spot on the last lake that looks like it could work! To get there I had to fight my way through a couple hundred yards of trees and stickerbushes but it was worth it!

It's a log that's stuck against the thick grass that makes up most of the shoreline. I almost didn't make it there because the lake didn't look promising from a distance but I slogged through the last 20 yards of muck and grass and stumbled right upon it. If I'd have been just a little bit further to either side I think I would have missed it. Here's a picture I took. It's pretty stable but I think I'm gonna leave my phone and backpack in the brush behind me just in case :-D

SirSnookalot reply :

There are forums, I happen to be a member of one, that are geared towards the shore fisherman.

Many people do protect their spots, I'm not one of them. For the most part I'll direct people, especially out of towners, to where they may have a good chance of catching fish.

Wpcat6611 reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 1:12 PM, AnglerNo.2112 said:

Here in my part of western Washington there is almost no shore access. There's tons of lakes around here but all the shoreline is either private houses or full of thick brush and grasses. It's next to impossible trying to find a spot to stand and cast from. I've been spending my time lately browsing Google maps and making a list of some places to try and check out. Today I finally had a day off where it wasn't raining and I ran by four different lakes.

One of them was a private lake for neighborhood residents. One was so full of blackberry brambles and knee deep mud that it was impossible to get within 30 yards of the lake. Another had good shore access but was closed for fishing year round. Finally I found one spot on the last lake that looks like it could work! To get there I had to fight my way through a couple hundred yards of trees and stickerbushes but it was worth it!

It's a log that's stuck against the thick grass that makes up most of the shoreline. I almost didn't make it there because the lake didn't look promising from a distance but I slogged through the last 20 yards of muck and grass and stumbled right upon it. If I'd have been just a little bit further to either side I think I would have missed it. Here's a picture I took. It's pretty stable but I think I'm gonna leave my phone and backpack in the brush behind me just in case :-D

If you have any golf course's near by try them out the lakes are usally not very presured and there easy to get to.

cabrela reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 7:09 AM, J Francho said:
A better tact would be to try to hook up with other locals for fishing trips. Share some of yours, learn new spots... Just going up to spot burn will get you tossed off a locals forum quick. It's about building a network of local fishing friends, not getting easy info.

That´s a good advice.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 3:52 PM, SirSnookalot said:

There are forums, I happen to be a member of one, that are geared towards the shore fisherman.

Many people do protect their spots, I'm not one of them. For the most part I'll direct people, especially out of towners, to where they may have a good chance of catching fish.

If you are saying that you will give away your secret honey-hole, then....CONGRATULATIONS, you have just become eligible for free mental-health counseling.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 2/24/2014 at 6:33 AM, BuffaloBass716 said:
I would use something that is sure to work no matter what lake and what part of the country you're in, soft plastics and stick bait type lures are bass catching machines! (especially for beginners and kids) Texas rigs, wacky rigs, weightless flukes, and shaky heads are great ways to rig up some plastics. Colors should depend on water clarity, darker/black for muddy water and more natural for clearer water (Green Pumpkin, Watermelon seed), but try what you like. These are just bare bone tips that are sure to catch some fish. Bass fishing is a science to some people. There is plenty to learn, read other articles and forum posts on here and you start to find out what to use for your particular area. Welcome to the Forums, and have fun Fishing!

You must be talking about me

coryn h. fishowl reply :

coryn h. fishowl, on 27 Oct 2013 - 20:17, said:

On 10/28/2013 at 10:17 AM, coryn h. fishowl said:

It is long overdue my friend. I'm in the same boat as you. With the exception that my parents still dictate my fishing times for the next year haha. How's it feel to now be able to fish at will

On 2/26/2014 at 8:32 AM, George DeHaven said:
I didn't get a chance to read all of the posts yet, so someone may have picked this out already but I thought it was funny that you said "in the same boat" while talking about bank fishing! No boats!

Unintentional hilarity!

boostr reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 1:12 PM, AnglerNo.2112 said:

Here in my part of western Washington there is almost no shore access. There's tons of lakes around here but all the shoreline is either private houses or full of thick brush and grasses. It's next to impossible trying to find a spot to stand and cast from. I've been spending my time lately browsing Google maps and making a list of some places to try and check out. Today I finally had a day off where it wasn't raining and I ran by four different lakes.

One of them was a private lake for neighborhood residents. One was so full of blackberry brambles and knee deep mud that it was impossible to get within 30 yards of the lake. Another had good shore access but was closed for fishing year round. Finally I found one spot on the last lake that looks like it could work! To get there I had to fight my way through a couple hundred yards of trees and stickerbushes but it was worth it!

It's a log that's stuck against the thick grass that makes up most of the shoreline. I almost didn't make it there because the lake didn't look promising from a distance but I slogged through the last 20 yards of muck and grass and stumbled right upon it. If I'd have been just a little bit further to either side I think I would have missed it. Here's a picture I took. It's pretty stable but I think I'm gonna leave my phone and backpack in the brush behind me just in case :-D

Sometimes you have to do a little work to find that spot. I've done plenty of bushwhacking to get to a spot. I'm thinking about carrying a machete.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

Ill let them in on some over fished ponds if i kinda know them. But for the most part. Ill tell then about 2 lakes and 1 creek. Thats where theyll,have the best luck. Only bring a few people to my honey holes.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 10:11 PM, boostr said:
Sometimes you have to do a little work to find that spot. I've done plenty of bushwhacking to get to a spot. I'm thinking about carrying a machete.

Im always stomping thru the woods looking for another honey hole. To me thats one of the great things about pond hopping. Great exercise and great fishing = Win Win

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

Any of you guys or gals put your own cover into a pond? Ive dropped a few xmas trees in there.

boostr reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 11:06 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:
Im always stomping thru the woods looking for another honey hole. To me thats one of the great things about pond hopping. Great exercise and great fishing = Win Win

Just watch out for bears and ticks.

On 2/26/2014 at 11:08 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:
Any of you guys or gals put your own cover into a pond? Ive dropped a few xmas trees in there.

I don't know if its legal here to dump stuff not native to the area ie: the pond or lake I'm fishing on, but if I'm trudging thru the woods going to a honey hole, and there happen to be something substantial laying around and not a pollutant I'll dump it in there.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 11:13 PM, boostr said:

Just watch out for bears and ticks.

Last yeat i had one tick on me and fished pretty much everyday. I was suprised but i,do check everyday more than once.

I don't know if its legal here to dump stuff not native to the area ie: the pond or lake I'm fishing on, but if I'm trudging thru the woods going to a honey hole, and there happen to be something substantial laying around and not a pollutant I'll dump it in there.

I dont dump pollutants into,the water. Famik6 freind owns a tree farm i,can,have a few when ever i want and submerge them.dont be throwing garbage in there! And,be sure to check. Most of,the ponds i,fish,are,private or,litterally in the middle,of woods where nobody is going walk or ride a quad to no trails other then mine

SirSnookalot reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 9:45 PM, coryn h. fishowl said:
If you are saying that you will give away your secret honey-hole, then....CONGRATULATIONS, you have just become eligible for free mental-health counseling.

You mean to say you don't help people, especially new to the area or just on on vacation?

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 11:32 PM, SirSnookalot said:
You mean to say you don't help people, especially new to the area or just on on vacation?

I wouldnt give me sercert honey holes, id,tell them of,local,spots on the river or creek. No way im telling them about the one,spot i weeded out of hours and hours of time spent to find it , walk to it and determine if its good or not. The creek i tell them about is a great small mouth fishery.

bigbill reply :

My favorite fishing spots and lure training ground is fishing from the roads were man made dams were built over 200 years ago for water power. It's like standing up in a boat I have a view of the whole place. I wear polarized glasses so I see the short strike flashes behind my lures. I love testing new patterns with different lures. Seeing the weeds and the submerged pockets is we're I stop my cranks and do a river dance with my rod tip to call the bass up for din-din. This is how I seen the hogs hit my lure and go deep in the weeds. I lost a few new state records this way too along with some lures. Sometimes my long casts are my downfall with losses. But now my rod setups are longer and stronger plus my line test for topwater lures is stronger too. I should be able to turn there heads much faster and stronger now.

I have learned through the last decade+ fishing from shore can be successful if we fish it right. Where we cast and how we cast is very important. Most of my smaller places are brush free so I can cast 180 degrees. I cast parallel to the shoreline too. I stay 2 to 3' from shore. My PB of 10# was caught 2' from shore as I casted parallel to the shoreline off a low bridge and brought my lure from the shoreline into the open channel she hit it. I find the channel areas along side the weedlines rock in any body of water.

But it's being stealthy that matters the most, no noise. If you stand still and listen that's all the noise you should hear. My whole trip is libruary/church QUIET. I make no noise walking up to my spot, putting my rods and tackle boxes down. I clear my throat on the way there in the car. I seen a big wake from a big bass going away one morning as I cleared my throat. Make no noise, keep your noise footprint at zero minus. Nada, nothing. Just the birds chirping. In the dark as the sky starts to light up when we do it right we will see freshwater otters first. Then the deer will show up with their fawns to get a drink.

If your quiet you will see wild America at its finest right in your own back yard.

bigbill reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 11:38 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:
I wouldnt give me sercert honey holes, id,tell them of,local,spots on the river or creek. No way im telling them about the one,spot i weeded out of hours and,houra of time spent to find it , walk to it and determine if its good or not. And,the creek,i tell then about,is a great small mouth fishery

I made the mistake of taking two of my buddies, so called friends to one of my favorite honey holes now it's crowded.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 10:11 PM, boostr said:
Sometimes you have to do a little work to find that spot. I've done plenty of bushwhacking to get to a spot. I'm thinking about carrying a machete.

Did it myself....no and wish I'd done it earlier

AnglerNo.2112 reply :

On 2/26/2014 at 10:11 PM, boostr said:
Sometimes you have to do a little work to find that spot. I've done plenty of bushwhacking to get to a spot. I'm thinking about carrying a machete.

Next time I go back there I'm bringing a machete with me to help clear a trail. I just gotta try to hide it on my way from my car to the treeline, the spot I found is right behind a middle school and the last thing I want is an overzealous teacher seeing me and calling in a swat team!

bigbill reply :

I do find most of the other places I fish at aren't fished right. I see guys constantly throwing one spinnerbaits over and over with no success but a well soaked and drowned spinnerbaits.

I know my bass are safe for sure. Most fisherman locally fish the same way. I see the same ones over and over all the time leave empty handed. They pick one lure and stay with it for hours. Sometimes I try to help them with a shot of scent. But there set in there ways. I have to laugh but it's sad that I know the bass are right in front of them looking for the correct lure and presentation. Either we fool the fish or the fish makes a fool out of us.

Trust me when I see these guys I know our secret honey holes are safe.

One hot spot I fish at I fish it 24/7 and I see new fisherman there try and never return. They tell me there's no fish there.

I just say yup it's fished out the past few years. The next morning I'm popping the bass out like popcorn when no one is there and it's quiet.

Wpcat6611 reply :

Getting bigger, caught about 15 total this was the bigest one.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 3/3/2014 at 5:58 AM, Wpcat6611 said:
Getting bigger, caught about 15 total this was the bigest one.

what are you throwing?

Wpcat6611 reply :

On 3/3/2014 at 9:37 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:
what are you throwing?

Zoom finese worms don't know what zize but there smaller in the watermelon seed color, and 7 inch zoom trick worms. In the green pumpkin color both wacky rigged on 2 ought red octopus hooks.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 3/4/2014 at 12:33 AM, Wpcat6611 said:
Zoom finese worms don't know what zize but there smaller in the watermelon seed color, and 7 inch zoom trick worms. In the green pumpkin color both wacky rigged on 2 ought red octopus hooks.

nice!i do the same thing after the ice thaws.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

How do you guys break down a new pond that you go to? sunken holes , rock piles , sunken logs, brush piles etc. also find some difference in the pond structure? for me its a jig but it takes me awhile from shore.

ClackerBuzz reply :

I searched high and low for a video for 3 months to post on this thread (it was in a MikeyBalzz youtube vid; impossible to find b/c he has over 1,800 vids).

its not gonna happen so i'm just gonna describe the technique and let others chime in to add to it.

in one of his vid's he was burning a buzzbait thru a lily pad field. normally very hard to do but his advice was to drop your rod tip and point it directly at the buzzbait. it takes all the pressure off the rod and prevents the rod from 'loading'. ur reeling a lure on line only which makes it easily deflect off everything ie lily stalks without loading or burring a hook into them.

it works amazing for bank fishing b/c how many times do you have to cast over 20 ft of weeds, cover, timber muck etc to access open water. only problem is after ur finished fishing the productive water you still need to drag ur lure back thru the 20 ft of muck. you can save many lures by pointing ur rod tip directly at ur lure and reeling. DON'T be tempted to use ur rod even if you get hung up. Just keep reeling with more pressure and ur lure will pop free. Using ur reel and line only prevents the rod load that slowly buries hook point into objects.

This works amazing for getting lures out of trees too

(and for fly fishing).

last season i switched to beavers as my jig trailer while shore fishing. you can use this technique while dragging a beaver jig thru tons of weeds/cover without losing claws every 5 min.

TheycallmeBob reply :

I just really started fishing last year, and am stuck on the bank too. My biggest issue with it is that during the summer, all the boaters on the reservoir I'm on kind of ruin the fun. Huge reservoir, and only about 400 yards of public access shore to fish from, and of course all the boaters gravitate towards it. If there is anyone in the Westfield/Noblesville Indiana area that has some better suggestions than Morse, I would love to hear them.

Robert Coggins reply :

HJi new guy here, as many of you are aware most bass fishing in Japan is from the bank. Been finding many shore fishing vids by searching Utube with Japanes Bass fishing., These guys catch 5 6 pounders from ditches.

coryn h. fishowl reply :

On 3/6/2014 at 8:17 PM, Robert Coggins said:
HJi new guy here, as many of you are aware most bass fishing in Japan is from the bank. Been finding many shore fishing vids by searching Utube with Japanes Bass fishing., These guys catch 5 6 pounders from ditches.

They have perfected finesse fishing, turning an art into a science. They are just so precise it's incredible....sometimes a custom swimbait will fetch up to $200 there.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 3/6/2014 at 3:20 PM, TheycallmeBob said:
I just really started fishing last year, and am stuck on the bank too. My biggest issue with it is that during the summer, all the boaters on the reservoir I'm on kind of ruin the fun. Huge reservoir, and only about 400 yards of public access shore to fish from, and of course all the boaters gravitate towards it. If there is anyone in the Westfield/Noblesville Indiana area that has some better suggestions than Morse, I would love to hear them.

Do a google map search of you area and I'm sure you'll be able to find some better spots. If your just starting out i would suggest finding ponds to fish and learn a few techniques. Make sure there not private and if they are ask permission to fish it.

Robert Coggins reply :

The one thing I have leared from watching Jackall stations vids on youtube is that bass can be anywhere. Those guys pitch frogs into bushes and into floating junk anf then catch fish from that start. They fish alot of jigs with creatures, drop and wacky rigging is the strong suite. I have been catching them by using 65lb braid and pitching into the junk.

gripnrip reply :

I went out yesterday. Winds were out to the south, blowing 20 to 30 mph. I used a jerkbait, swim jig, and a spinnerbait. I hauled a bunch of water! I fished for 3 hours from 11:30 to about 2:30. Water temp was unknown. Other than that it was a beautiful day to fish. NO complaints here! LOL

MO_LMB reply :

Caught two on a chatterbait about this size the day the ice melted, but I have been skunked since!

Wpcat6611 reply :

Got skunked today had muddy water plus the weather has been crazy here lately. I guess im gonna have to find some small spinner baits or something for situations like this didn't ever get a hit on the wacky rigged worm. All I had was a few small crappie spins an they short striked it everytime...

fishva reply :

I went out bank fishing yesterday. I hit up a pond I hadn't been to before, and saw that the bass were on the grassy stuff in one particularly shallow area. My regular casts were spooking them, so I tied up a weedless rig and started casting onto the far bank and slowly pulling it into the water.

Some guy happened to walk by and saw me casting into the grass. He yelled out 'looks like you need some practice,' apparently thinking I was missing the water on accident. Gave me a good laugh, thinking about what it must have looked like.

GaterB reply :

Absolutely smashed em in South Carolina at a family friend's pond. Pulled in over 20 in about 2 hours, with a 3lb kicker. First time this year I had caught more than 2 in one outing. I have to admit, the pond we were fishing is like cheating--I've never had a bad day there.

redux reply :

Please, post more like this. I love this post. Awesome on many levels.

On 10/28/2013 at 12:08 PM, bigbill said:

I mainly fish from shore. Knowing the bottom structure and layout does tell us how and where to fish it. Using a cast out hummingbird fish finder with a wrist watch reader is a big help in the smaller places were I fish with no tool maps. Once I know we're the flats, the deeper holes, the channels and points are I'm good to pick out my lure selection to fish it.

Fishing from shore is only fishing it backwards from a boat. We just need to figure when the fish are closer to the shoreline. Understanding there movements and low light conditions is the key to success, well two of them anyway. I prefer to stand in one spot and fan cast the whole area. I do not cast my casts close to each other when fan casting. I skip around with my casts not to disturb too much water in one area so I don't spook the fish. I try to make soft casts too I don't let my lure crash the water.

When walking up to the shoreline walking softly is the key. Do not step on any rocks. It sends vibrations into the water alarming the fish. Be very stealthy, handle your tackle very quietly. Put your tackle box down very softly. Do not make any noise at all.

If your fishing in the dark make sure you organize your tackle box. Use a small lite.

I like to use locking snap swivels to change lures out very quickly too. In the dark I use five rods with five lures on them. I usually don't switch lures if the sky is starting to light up to twilite as it approaches.

I'm so stealthy and quiet it's like I'm not even there. My PB of 10#lbs. Was caught two feet from shore at a drop off when I casted parallel to the shoreline. She hit my lure as it ripped out from the weeds into the open channel. She was there the whole time I was fishing there. I didn't spook her. In the dark I'm extra quiet and stealthy.

I fish at one spot that has a low bridge on top of a man made dam on both sides of it. I have rocky points, a channel with slow moving water. Flats, submerged weeds.surface weeds at one spot, Lilly pads if I cast far enough. All on one side of the low bridge. The other side were limited to a short channel that's surrounded by thick weeds at the end if it. Making short casts to the weeds edge does catch bass. But the other side has different ways to approach fishing it. The channel is 10' deep in front of me. I have a thick weedline parallel to the channel on my right with submerged weeds going into the flats. On the left side of the channel there is surface weeds but the area is deeper. The 10' deep channel goes out as far as I can cast. It stays at the 10' depth it averages. My point is the portable fish finder maps the area.

It tells me I can throw my 10' depth lures parallel to the weedline on my right.

Every body of water in this area where I fish at has a man made dam on it.

My point is I have everything you would find fishing from a boat when fishing from shore. Knowing the exact bottom structure tells us how to fish it. Bb

fishva reply :

From what I can tell, those portable depth readers have been discontinued -- which worries me, because it seems the replacement batteries aren't available either. Please someone tell me I'm wrong...

gulfcaptain reply :

I bank fish, and if you pay attention to details just walking along you can learn a lot as well as catch quite a few fish. Also, look into a float tube if the waters you fish allow this, it can give you the access to waters and structure/cover you couldn't fish from shore. Most lakes in S. Cal don't allow this for me, but the few that do and the few times I've gotten to do it you can get right up on areas and if the water is deep enough the fish don't spook. The rush of catching a 5-6lb bass from a tube is a rush as you get spun around and pulled. This might give you a way to get off the shore and try something new.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

what kind of tacklebag do yo guys use? I'm looking for a back this year that can fit a good amount of stuff into. like 4 planos, plastics, scales,pliers etc. Im really debating this

http://www.***.com/Wild_River_TT_Nomad_Lighted_Backpack_With_Boxes_/descpage-WRN.html

redux reply :

I bank fish with these:

http://www.simmsfishing.com/shop/vests-packs/dry-creek-day-pack.html

http://www.simmsfishing.com/shop/accessories/headwaters-tackle-wallet.html - For plastics, spinner/buzz baits, and terminal tackle

http://www.basspro.com/Plano-Double-Side-StowAway-Utility-Boxes/product/74077/ - For my few hard lures and frogs.

I have plenty of room, but I tend to carry as little as possible without limiting myself. If I wanted I could get 3 (maybe just 2) 3700 Planos in the bag, but they'd be vertical and I'm worried the plastics would get messed up. With the wallet everything lays horizontal.

On 3/26/2014 at 8:46 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:

what kind of tacklebag do yo guys use? I'm looking for a back this year that can fit a good amount of stuff into. like 4 planos, plastics, scales,pliers etc. Im really debating this

http://www.***.com/Wild_River_TT_Nomad_Lighted_Backpack_With_Boxes_/descpage-WRN.html

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 3/26/2014 at 9:04 PM, redux said:

I bank fish with these:

http://www.simmsfishing.com/shop/vests-packs/dry-creek-day-pack.html

http://www.simmsfishing.com/shop/accessories/headwaters-tackle-wallet.html - For plastics, spinner/buzz baits, and terminal tackle

http://www.basspro.com/Plano-Double-Side-StowAway-Utility-Boxes/product/74077/ - For my few hard lures and frogs.

I have plenty of room, but I tend to carry as little as possible without limiting myself. If I wanted I could get 3 (maybe just 2) 3700 Planos in the bag, but they'd be vertical and I'm worried the plastics would get messed up. With the wallet everything lays horizontal.

Yeah i like but its 130 . And that bag i can get for 140 and it hold like 4 planos and 3 on top. With a bunch. How much room do,you have for scales , pliers etc?

fishva reply :

On 3/26/2014 at 8:46 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:

what kind of tacklebag do yo guys use? I'm looking for a back this year that can fit a good amount of stuff into. like 4 planos, plastics, scales,pliers etc. Im really debating this

http://www.***.com/Wild_River_TT_Nomad_Lighted_Backpack_With_Boxes_/descpage-WRN.html

This is probably a lot smaller than what you're looking for, but it's what I use (I like to travel really light). It has one big pocket that can hold plastics and a few (small) Plano cases, and one small pocket that fits my clippers / scissors / pliers. http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/atom-sling-pack?p=48259-0

Again, not something you want to use if you like to carry a lot of stuff around, but I like it because it's light and I don't have to take it off to access what's inside.

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 3/26/2014 at 9:10 PM, fishva said:

This is probably a lot smaller than what you're looking for, but it's what I use (I like to travel really light). It has one big pocket that can hold plastics and a few (small) Plano cases, and one small pocket that fits my clippers / scissors / pliers. http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/atom-sling-pack?p=48259-0

Again, not something you want to use if you like to carry a lot of stuff around, but I like it because it's light and I don't have to take it off to access what's inside.

I like that. My buddy has one like that he can fit two trays and few bags of plastics.

Yeah im looking for a bigger one. I do have a small,bag i carry im im going night fishing. In looking for something bigger just because my kvd bag is a hassel to carry

nascar2428 reply :

1-3700 plano spinnerbait box

3-3600 plano boxs

1- six pack soft sided cooler(contains 23 bags of plastic

1- hook remover

1- fish gripper with scale

All of that is in the first compartment of my backpack. Works just fine for me. Oh and as a bonus I picked it up at the Goodwill, $2.99

gripnrip reply :

On 3/26/2014 at 8:46 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:

what kind of tacklebag do yo guys use? I'm looking for a back this year that can fit a good amount of stuff into. like 4 planos, plastics, scales,pliers etc. Im really debating this

http://www.***.com/Wild_River_TT_Nomad_Lighted_Backpack_With_Boxes_/descpage-WRN.html

Dang! That's pretty high for a bag! If you aren't worried about looks, BPS has one for 30 bucks. Boxes aren't included.

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Extreme-Qualifier-360-Backpack-or-System/product/10204414/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT

I purchased this one for 60 without boxes. I fish as a co-angler and it will double for my bank fishing.

http://www.basspro.com/XPSStalker-Tackle-Bag-or-System/product/10221672/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT

Although some of the reviews aren't good, I haven't had any problems yet.

redux reply :

It is a little pricey, but it is bullet proof. Simms is originally a fly fishing company, but has moved strongly into the world of bass fishing.

I keep my scale and scent in the little side pockets that are meant as rod holders. I'll also stick a couple rods on there if I'm walking far and not around trees. I wear my pliers, scissors, and knife on my belt.

http://www.basspro.com/Rapala-Pliers-and-Super-Line-Scissors-Combo-Pack/product/10203349/ - They come with a belt clip.

In the back pocket I keep my head lamp and extra line. There are also 4 internal pockets - 2 long ones that can hold 2 tall boys each and 2 square ones that can hold whatever you don't need fast access to. Gloves, first aid, etc.

On 3/26/2014 at 9:10 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:
Yeah i like but its 130 . And that bag i can get for 140 and it hold like 4 planos and 3 on top. With a bunch. How much room do,you have for scales , pliers etc?

fishva reply :

While we're on the subject of bags, have any of you guys found something good to carry extra rods in? I've seen rod holders built into the bigger fishing backpacks, but I don't want to carry anything that big around.

0119 reply :

William Joseph's Mag series is great. No zippers quick in and out, one handed. Cheaper than many elitist fly manufacturers and you can buy direct from their web site. Fly fishing bags are excellent for shore based fishing, thats what they're designed for.

redux reply :

I don't own one but these look good.

https://vedavoo.com

kcdinkerz reply :

always have a map chart of water depths gives me an idea of what to throw

cabrela reply :

I just bought this one:

http://store.lowepro.com/sling-bags/slingshot-202-aw

I know it´s not a fishing bag but it does the job, it´s similar to the snowbee slingbag, but cheaper.

I can access the inside without taking it of me.

cabrela reply :

On 3/27/2014 at 4:17 AM, fishva said:
While we're on the subject of bags, have any of you guys found something good to carry extra rods in? I've seen rod holders built into the bigger fishing backpacks, but I don't want to carry anything that big around.

this one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SAVAGE-GEAR-ROAD-RUNNER-GEAR-BAG-LUGGAGE-LURE-FISHING-/310910459094?pt=UK_SportingGoods_FishingAcces_RL&hash=item4863b51cd6

Or maybe just this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281090541652?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

redux reply :

Found this rod tote video for the DIY guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4d_jrjRPZc

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

On 3/26/2014 at 11:27 PM, gripnrip said:

Dang! That's pretty high for a bag! If you aren't worried about looks, BPS has one for 30 bucks. Boxes aren't included.

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Extreme-Qualifier-360-Backpack-or-System/product/10204414/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT

I purchased this one for 60 without boxes. I fish as a co-angler and it will double for my bank fishing.

http://www.basspro.com/XPSStalker-Tackle-Bag-or-System/product/10221672/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT

Although some of the reviews aren't good, I haven't had any problems yet.

Ive seen that bag before i might end of doing that instead. I just liked,the idea of a built in flash light, and sunglasses holder. But then i got thinking i have 4 head lamps. And 3 mag lites so i guess i dont need one on my bag.

Boomer_bassin reply :

I use a H2O express backpack that my wife got me for Christmas. it comes with four boxes, zip off cooler (xtra storage if desired) and several other pockets. Also has dedicated places for tools such as pliers. And a pouch on waist belt for sunglasses. I think it runs around $50-$60

gripnrip reply :

She caught this one on a LFT 4" ring fry in Junebug.

The rest, about 15 in all, were caught on a 5.8 Flick shake and 4" Zoom finesse in green pumpkin.

cabrela reply :

On 4/1/2014 at 2:56 AM, gripnrip said:

She caught this one on a LFT 4" ring fry in Junebug.

The rest, about 15 in all, were caught on a 5.8 Flick shake and 4" Zoom finesse in green pumpkin.

Great fisherwoman!!!

Congrats!!!!

Montanaro reply :

Went out today on a small local lake...probably 15 to 20 people and three boats in water. All trout fishing.

Best bass spots taken. People looked at me funny when I said I was bass fishing. Probably won't go back until May when trout stocking insanity dies down.

boostr reply :

On 4/1/2014 at 2:56 AM, gripnrip said:

She caught this one on a LFT 4" ring fry in Junebug.

The rest, about 15 in all, were caught on a 5.8 Flick shake and 4" Zoom finesse in green pumpkin.

I think I'm gonna get this Fishing backpack.

That was a total topic change.

Congrats, It feels great when your kid catch thier own fish and your there to see it. Happened to my 3yr old son last week in Florida, caught his first fish a massive pin fish on his spiderman fishing rod... thought that thing was gonna snap... Was that her first fish?

gripnrip reply :

The smaller one was her first fish. For the most part I casted out and work the bait until I hooked the fish. Then I'd let her reel it in. After some of those she says "I want to catch a fish all by myself." She picked the bait. I casted out the she'd just reel it back in. The 2nd cast I handed her the pole. I pulled out my phone and thought that I'd video her "actually" fishing all by herself. Then boom the fish hit and I thought she was hung up at first. I was dumbfounded because there isn't anything in that pond to get hung up on. I took the pole and knew she had a NICE fish.

I posted the video here. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/134263-princess-pole-success/

The Fisher reply :

I use the H2O Express Magnum worm bag since I fish mostly plastics. There is room on the side for 2 small Plano boxes for terminal tackle and small crankbaits. Academy Sports sells it and you can order over the Web.

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/h2o-xpress-magnum-worm-binder/pid-516652?color=Blue&N=272574547

Grizzn N Bassin reply :

Nice variety of bags. Ill be making my choice soon. I wish i could straps on the corner of my kvd plano box, i would,use that thing as a backpack haha

Bruce424 reply :

On 3/26/2014 at 8:46 PM, Grizzn N Bassin said:

what kind of tacklebag do yo guys use? I'm looking for a back this year that can fit a good amount of stuff into. like 4 planos, plastics, scales,pliers etc. Im really debating this

http://www.***.com/Wild_River_TT_Nomad_Lighted_Backpack_With_Boxes_/descpage-WRN.html

Bruce424 reply :

Dont know if you bought one yet but have you looked at the bps stalker bag?? The red backpack. Just got it a couple months ago. Used to use a shoulder strap bag. So its taking time to get use to the backback idea. Has alot of storage for me. I like it. Have to get better organizing skills. Haha

bigbill reply :

Get up at 3:30am and hit the water by 4/4:30am in the dark.

Before the wacky boaters are water up and tearing up the water.

Be very, very quiet, very, very stealthy. So quiet like you in a tree stand looking at a 20or buck. Walk very softly as you walk to your spot. Don't step on rocks or tree roots sticking out of the ground. They send vibration noises into the ground. They set off the alarm your there. The bigger bass know this well. My PB of 10# was caught while casting two feet parallel to the shoreline. Remember I'm fishing a man made dam and roadway. It's the dams drop off I'm at.

I been using the rebel BIG CLAW D74 or D76 crawfish crankbait in chartruese that dives 10'. I cast it out as far as I can and do a sweep back with the rod to make it dive quickly. Then I slow reel it. This is one very effective bass catching lure. I start off with this one in my ritual of baits I throw.

Here's exactly what I do. I use my topwater bps topnocker soaked with a bass scent casted out as far as I can throw it. Then;

1. Topnocker soaked with bass scent(baitmate)

2. Rebel BIG CLAW crawfish crank soaked with a yum craw scent

3. Bomber crankbait redapplecraw size 05 fat A or model A(craw scent again) shallow running.

4. Mepps inline Anglia #3 spinner silver/Gray tail

5. 1/4oz Mann's classic spinnerbaits Colorado gold blade in white with a 4" mister twister split double tail grub trailer with a trailer hook. Any smaller white spinnerbaits will do too

6. Bomber crankbait baby bass with the Orange bottom.

7. Mann's crankbait baby 1 minus in browncraw.

8. Mann's 1/4oz spinnerbaits in chartruese with a mister twister split double tail chartreuse grub trailer with a trailer hook.

9 mepps Anglia #3 inline spinner gold blade Brown tail.

10. 1/8 oz carolina rig with a brass weight and a brass bead knockers. With a senko, a brushog.

11. Rapala size f7 in blue

12. Bomber fat A or model A size o5 in citrus

I throw these in any order from shore till I get action. My color choice and lure may vary too this is an example. Don't be afraid to use brighter colors in low light conditions.

The basses eyes change to the different lighting conditions first before the baitfish eyes change. This first light is the basses ambush feeding time. There near the shoreline feeding.

This feeding time happens early in the morning, at noon and In the evening. I find the bass are bigger in the mornings. In the evenings the numbers of bass caught are higher but nothing over 4/5#. They range from many dinks to 3#. Maybe one bigger.

You need to find the fish. Find the drop off or channels, Rocky points, submerged weeds. A hummingbird portable cast out fish finder will tell you the bottom structure too. I use a setup with braided line for it.

Beaware of float tubes with snapping turtles and snakes too. I have some mean turtles were I fish there like 30" to 48" round.

To raise the bar on your PB we must raise your skills first. It's not luck that catches bass it's your skill.

I try to raise my number of bass caught on each outing.

bigbill reply :

Now your going to have good days and slow times too. I use the slow times to practice different presentations with every lure raising the bar on my skills. Try different speeds with your lures. Pay attention on how you turn the crank on your reel. You need to make a perfect even circle on your crank handle. You need an even lure speed not a fast and slow speed. Why do you ask? If your lure has a rattle the noise won't be even and steady. I try to make the lure speed perfect on every turn of the reel handle just stay focused till it comes natural on every cast.

Remember to lube your reel too. So it's quiet. If your reel is worn out and noisy get a new one for using lures and use the noisy one for live bait or Carolina rigs. The noisy reel can send funky noises/ vibrations down your fishing line into the water. I learned this one day as a sunfish was listening to my line exactly we're it entered the water using a worn out reel.

Again it's a part of being stealthy. A shot of line lube on your rod eyes and on your spool doesn't hurt too. Like reel magic.

Every thing we learn it's another tooth on a gear it all works together when we put it together.

When I go fishing I want to be the best I can be on the top of my game and skills. You can be too if you stay focused and motivated. Read and watch all the videos here these guys are the best here listen to them.

bigbill reply :

Don't day dream it, learn it and live it, go fishing. Nothing beats the time on the water fishing or practicing the skills you have learned here. Fish and fish hard. Stay positive.

If your going to be negative stay home. Get out there and become one with nature.

CDobber reply :

Oh, its been a LONG winter and opening day is coming on Saturday!

I've been scouting out the local quarry with bluegill and carp setups, and finally got to cast out the stradic I bought off the flea market here last fall. Can't wait to try this bassy looking side of the quarry with the new stuff!

As for the recent bag question, this is similar to what I have: http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Gander-Mtn-Soft-Tackle-Bag-400ST-Blue&i=709208

Mine fits 4 plano style boxes vertically and have had no issues with plastics or odd shifting. I only have 3 in use currently as I want more room for soft plastics, but I may purchase a small soft sided lunch box to clip onto the handle of the tackle box to increase the volume.

And for portable rod carrying: http://www.lakeside.com/Toys-%2B-Sports/Sports%2B%252B%2BOutdoor/Fishing-Rod-Case/prod320425.jmp. Mine has only 4 compartments but everything else is the same. I didn't see any available right now but you get the concept of something that can be carried easily, tangle free and compact (if I roll the poles into each other, its quite small).

Ern reply :

I know this gets said a lot. But I am going to let some in on a little secret that my just help your bank fishing.

I have been wading trout and smallmouth fishing for the last many years and off and on bank fishing for what ever. Stealth has become an important part of any of it. Especially since I am a LARGE guy. At 6'3 and 330lbs I have learned to be a little sneaker than the next guy. Especially since my partner for most of my fishing was half my size. slow and stealth can be our friend.

So what is the big secret? What is the one thing that I see everyone making a mistake? I am blessed with small stream with plenty of smallmouth and a pond with a lot of hungry largemouth within walking distance of my house. Even a world class brown trout fishery within 3 miles. I get to see kids and their parent out enjoying all. This simplest thing could change their hookup count.

Before you go plowing to the water edge, Stop. I mean stop walking and approaching the water edge. Even crouch down if need be. I usually stay back a minimum of about 15' to start. Make your first cast from here. This approach keeps your foot step vibration and any shadow or the view of you from the fish or to a reduced level. This first cast can be the best of the day. I usually work an entire trip like this, especially if bass or trout are the target. They both tend to hand around the shore line structure and are very shy.

I know everyone is looking for a magic lure. But try this approach and make your first cast before get to the water. Hope this helps someone.

Ern

WVbassin87 reply :

Great tip. Thanks

Kevin Beachy reply :

my trouble is i dont think about that when i fish

mcgreggor57 reply :

+1 I've gotten more first cast hook ups when casting from well off the waters edge.

kfelton0002 reply :

True. I can't count the times I've seen fish high tail it out of the area when they spot me. Wearing neutral and natural colors helps a lot too. Nothing loud colored or bright.

FrogTosser88 reply :

Hold in those farts too

Paul Roberts reply :

Excellent tip.

When introducing friends to pond fishing I used to take them to a pond and challenge them to sneak up to water's edge without spooking a fish -without causing a single ripple from the near shore fish. It's virtually impossible to do, esp over damp soil causing pressure wakes. Stealth is an advantage few anglers are hip to, and makes a bigger difference than even the stealthy ones often realize.

Jolly Green reply :

Truth. My son and I had a head-slapper moment two years ago when we went to fish off of a local pier. The walk is stationary but the pier floats, and as soon as we stepped onto it, it moved under our weight and there was a virtual explosion of V-shaped wakes blasting off away from us in every direction. We both kind of looked at each other and said, "Ohhhhhhh...." Since that day, we always cast our way to the water's edge.

Mike L reply :

You're exactly right.

When taking the grandkids to a local pond they get so excited they run down the bank to the water and start yelling..Hey Papa hurry up!!

I told them the story of the 2 bulls standing on the hill top looking down at the cows in the valley....

But change it up....

"When grandma comes home from food shopping and you see the package of cookies sitting there, don't run up and try to take 1 right away....

Walk up, duck behind a chair, crawl to the counter and grap the whole box!!

Now they understand

Mike

BuffaloBass716 reply :

There's been a lot of talk of bank fishing on the forums lately. Maybe its time to revive this topic?

Fish_Whisperer reply :

To the guys interested in backpacks for tackle carry....

Just because a backpack isn't labeled a "fishing" backpack, doesn't mean it wouldn't be suitable for tackle. I use a backpack (forget the name), it holds 4 medium utility boxes, a gallon bag slam full with worm bags, and various pouches for the other essentials.

Come to terms with yourself on whether you need to carry everything you have to the water, or if you are comfortable with selecting certain items that will work well for the conditions.

BassKing226 reply :

I think it would be a great idea! They're no chance of me getting on a boat anytime soon:/ So bank fishing has become my way of getting my fix! But, with bank fishing it become really tough sometimes to figure out what lure, rag and bait I should use at times. Especially for people like me just starting off. A forum like this could really be a perfect way for bank fisherman to get better.

nascar2428 reply :

On 6/20/2014 at 3:00 PM, Fish_Whisperer said:

To the guys interested in backpacks for tackle carry....

Just because a backpack isn't labeled a "fishing" backpack, doesn't mean it wouldn't be suitable for tackle. I use a backpack (forget the name), it holds 4 medium utility boxes, a gallon bag slam full with worm bags, and various pouches for the other essentials.

Come to terms with yourself on whether you need to carry everything you have to the water, or if you are comfortable with selecting certain items that will work well for the conditions.

Couldn't agree more. When it comes to bank fishing, less is more. Do you guys really think that boaters use every piece of tackle they have on their boats to catch fish every time they go out? Once I started following the pros and realized a lot of them come to the weigh in with less than a five fish limit, I quit worrying about what I didn't bring and started concentrating on what I did bring to use for the conditions.

On 6/20/2014 at 11:49 PM, BassKing226 said:
I think it would be a great idea! They're no chance of me getting on a boat anytime soon:/ So bank fishing has become my way of getting my fix! But, with bank fishing it become really tough sometimes to figure out what lure, rag and bait I should use at times. Especially for people like me just starting off. A forum like this could really be a perfect way for bank fisherman to get better.

Plenty of articles on this website to help you with what to use in various conditions. To get the most out of bank fishing you need a positive attitude and develop a few confidence baits and styles that can carry you through out the day. This all comes with time spent on the bank. Welcome to the forum.

Fish_Whisperer reply :

On 6/21/2014 at 12:49 AM, nascar2428 said:

Couldn't agree more. When it comes to bank fishing, less is more. Do you guys really think that boaters use every piece of tackle they have on their boats to catch fish every time they go out? Once I started following the pros and realized a lot of them come to the weigh in with less than a five fish limit, I quit worrying about what I didn't bring and started concentrating on what I did bring to use for the conditions.

Plenty of articles on this website to help you with what to use in various conditions. To get the most out of bank fishing you need a positive attitude and develop a few confidence baits and styles that can carry you through out the day. This all comes with time spent on the bank. Welcome to the forum.

There you go folks.... The biggest step you can take to go from fishing to catching is doing your homework, at the water AND away from it.

Fish_Whisperer reply :

Sorry for the double post, but since backpack discussion is still fresh in the mind, I figured I would share my setup...

This is the backpack, with its contents inside.... the brand is Fieldline Tactical...nicely padded straps for comfortability. Probably 30 bucks at walmart. (EDIT: little more description of the pack... has one large space for the boxes, the front has two zippered openings, I use one for the plastics and the other for a scale. Both of the front openings have zippered pockets within them for added storage. The top (near the handle) has a soft microfiber like zippered space I put my shades and headlamp in. On the side there is a stretchy space for a fluid bottle, and all throughout the outside are velcro strips that are sewed in a way that you could tie on things to them AKA space adding attachments.)

A picture with a long ulility box to show scale...

The current contents minus a headlamp,scale, some sunglasses, and some knickknacks that I didn't take out of the small pouches.

As you can see, I use a gallon size ziploc bag to hold my bags of plastics, just so if the zipper opens on the pack, the contents wont pour out.

My boxes are messes inside, and if I took the time to reorganize everything again, I could get away with not bringing the larger utility box.

The contents of the boxes change periodically depending on the locations I plan on fishing.

The plastics bag contains some jig plastics(chunks, creatures), various worms and flukes, soft swimbait bodies, and some finesse worms and berkley minnows for drop shot rigging.

The Plano waterproof box (my newest addition which I LOVE) contains my terminal tackle. I like the waterproof box for the times when I may have to wade through water to get to a location and the chance arises that my backpack may get wet. Nothing worse than opening a box and finding rusty hooks.

Forgot to mention that I use braid with a fluoro leader, and I keep a spool of fluoro in case I have to tie a new leader on.

Cannot stress enough the importance of a headlamp for the folks who night fish or who hit the banks early in the morning!

That's all folks. By no means is this all my tackle, but I'm rarely at the bank thinking that I didn't bring enough, or forgot something.

jtharris3 reply :

On 10/29/2013 at 11:16 AM, DocBar said:
LMAO!!! You're really trying to sell me on this. I'll consider rigging ONE reel with it and see how it does. I'll be sending you a bill when I lose my 1st lure and/or fish due to the knot coming undone.

The Palomar and Double Palomar knots are your friends!

jtharris3 reply :

On 12/7/2013 at 1:07 AM, 119 said:
There have been some kayak specific rods in the recent past. Okuma thought kayak rods needed even longer rear grips and double foregrips to prevent high sticking. Maybe they work for So. Ca. yakkers jigging kelp beds but not anyone else. Quantum tried it too but you never found them on a rack anywhere. American Rodsmith's did a yakkers series a few years back that really fit the bill with shorter rear grips and pre drilled holes in the real seats to attach a leash to. No retailers around here carried them except Bass Pro, but only for a year. St. Croix has been quoted in magazines as stating there is no market to support kayak specific rods. Kayaking is slowing down a lot here. Everyone is jumping on the SUP bandwagon. Standing so there is no need for special rods any more. And that seems to suit the yak shops, now they only stock ultra high end St Croix and Loomis rods in cater to the high dollar customer. SUP's just doesn't fit bass fishing in waters stuffed with gators though.

SUP??

everythingthatswims reply :

I think a lot of the bank fishermen should invest in a kayak...My alternative to bank fishing is my kayak, it is by no means a fishing 'yak, only 10' long and room for 2-3 rods max. But it gets the job done and is easy to handle, I even have a fishfinder for it. In many cases I can reach fish that people fishing from boats can't, because I only need about 4" of water to paddle through comfortably, and I can get out and drag it if I need to. Many bass get conditioned to the sound of a trolling motor too and will stop feeding when they hear one (I smallmouth fish with someone who uses oars for his jon boat on the river, he absolutely will not use a trolling motor) so a kayak will put you right on top of the big ones without spooking them.

J Francho reply :

SUP = Stand Up Paddleboard

cabrela reply :

On 6/20/2014 at 3:00 PM, Fish_Whisperer said:

Just because a backpack isn't labeled a "fishing" backpack, doesn't mean it wouldn't be suitable for tackle. I use a backpack (forget the name), it holds 4 medium utility boxes, a gallon bag slam full with worm bags, and various pouches for the other essentials.

Come to terms with yourself on whether you need to carry everything you have to the water, or if you are comfortable with selecting certain items that will work well for the conditions.

I did just that... I bought a Lowepro Slingshot 202SW (camera bag), It´s a "small" sling shot bag but very handy when bank fishing because it doesn´t weight much, it´s small and heasy to carry.

It holds at least a couple of planos´ 3601 (you can put more in), another small plano box for terminal tackle, a small box for spinnerbaits and some (a bunch) soft baits bags, and in the front pockets I can put pliers, sunglasses, hat and more small stuff like bug repelent....at least this is what I carry in it.

Fish_Whisperer reply :

On 6/23/2014 at 3:38 AM, cabrela said:

I did just that... I bought a Lowepro Slingshot 202SW (camera bag), It´s a "small" sling shot bag but very handy when bank fishing because it doesn´t weight much, it´s small and heasy to carry.

It holds at least a couple of planos´ 3601 (you can put more in), another small plano box for terminal tackle, a small box for spinnerbaits and some (a bunch) soft baits bags, and in the front pockets I can put pliers, sunglasses, hat and more small stuff like bug repelent....at least this is what I carry in it.

Nice. I used a shimano soft tackle bag for a while, but found my backpack superior in terms of distributing the load amongst both shoulders resulting in a more comfortable haul. I carry rod/s in one hand while having a free hand to move brush or to use as a steady rest when crossing over downed trees.

cabrela reply :

I´m using a sling bag because when wading I find easier and safer to just sling the bag in front of me when changing hooks or lures (I don´t need to take the bag of my back ). It´s true that I can´t take tons of stuff with me, but I can take what I really need .

Fish_Whisperer reply :

You are right, I have that problem. Most of the places I wade, I am not to far away from my backpack (50 yds max). There is one area I visit that you MUST wade as the bank area is unpassable. Probably a 300 yd trip in knee deep to chest deep water. When I go there, I use a large ziploc bag to hold some tackle and put it in my cargo shorts pocket. I am currently looking for a small waterproof bag specifically for that area.

einscodek reply :

Listen bank fishing is perfectly fine and you can do it all year round given bank access to the best areas of a body of water.

Summer is the only issue imo and that can be solved by night fishing in the summer.

You dont need a kayak and I dunno bout u but I cannot do everything I need to do strapped in a reclining chair.. I need to stand up to work my lures right.

Balshy Fishing reply :

i always have my old plano box with me loaded with all my stuff. I've been bank fishing since my old man taught me when I was younger and that's all we do.

We work our way through the "jungle"(heavy trees and brush) to get a ways up the river then start climbing over SUV sized boulders to get out to the fast water and start slaying smallies & walleye. It's fun but when the water gets up it's impossible to get out there and fishing from shore is pointless because you're getting snagged every other cast.

Fish_Whisperer reply :

On 6/23/2014 at 12:37 AM, everythingthatswims said:
I think a lot of the bank fishermen should invest in a kayak...My alternative to bank fishing is my kayak, it is by no means a fishing 'yak, only 10' long and room for 2-3 rods max. But it gets the job done and is easy to handle, I even have a fishfinder for it. In many cases I can reach fish that people fishing from boats can't, because I only need about 4" of water to paddle through comfortably, and I can get out and drag it if I need to. Many bass get conditioned to the sound of a trolling motor too and will stop feeding when they hear one (I smallmouth fish with someone who uses oars for his jon boat on the river, he absolutely will not use a trolling motor) so a kayak will put you right on top of the big ones without spooking them.

Some folks can't afford a boat or kayak. Also, some people are perfectly fine with bank fishing. Would I like to have access to all structure in a lake/river/pond ? Sure. At this time, it is just not in the cards for me. So I do the best with what I have.

One day I will have my bassmobile though!

everythingthatswims reply :

On 6/23/2014 at 10:04 AM, einscodek said:

Listen bank fishing is perfectly fine and you can do it all year round given bank access to the best areas of a body of water.

Summer is the only issue imo and that can be solved by night fishing in the summer.

You dont need a kayak and I dunno bout u but I cannot do everything I need to do strapped in a reclining chair.. I need to stand up to work my lures right.

Definitely didn't mean to come across as saying bank fishing isn't ok. I bank fish a lot but most bodies of water where I live don't have any public access other than the boat ramp. My 10' kayak was $200, a little more than what I would spend on a rod/reel (or a lot less for some), just food for thought. I can stand in my kayak, so working lures is not a problem, but you would be surprised how quickly you can adapt to fishing from a sitting position.

SirSnookalot reply :

I've been the route with boat ownership, nothing negative about as I really enjoyed it. Had a pleasure boat docked at a marina on Lake St Clair. Once we moved to an inland lake the boat was at my own dock, had a rowboat there too and that's what I did much of my fishing from. I wouldn't mind having a kayak but I do not want to drag it out and mount it on my car. I could easily launch it in the ICW but using it in the ocean would mean I would have to drag quite a ways to the beach, then back when I'm, a lot of people do it. Even using it in freshwater canals here still means I have to drag it, I just don't want to that any more, there are some brackish canals that kayak would be super.

I prefer bank fishing now, travel very light with only 1 rod, my method for both freshwater and saltwater is pretty much the same. Nothing I love better than fishing a beach.

I do like my boating options, have several friends that I go out with plus I joined a boat club about 7 years ago. I joined with 2 other guys, one passed away, initial membership was very reasonable and the monthly dues are only $100. It's gas and go, I do have to make a reservation several days in advance. There are quite a few center console boats available from 21' to over 30', we like a 28' Sailfish with twin engines, we may take a smaller one if not available. I still like fishing the beach better.

cabrela reply :

On 6/23/2014 at 10:04 AM, einscodek said:
... I dunno bout u but I cannot do everything I need to do strapped in a reclining chair.. I need to stand up to work my lures right.

Me neither...

cabrela reply :

On 6/23/2014 at 12:37 AM, everythingthatswims said:
I think a lot of the bank fishermen should invest in a kayak...My alternative to bank fishing is my kayak, it is by no means a fishing 'yak, only 10' long and room for 2-3 rods max. But it gets the job done and is easy to handle, I even have a fishfinder for it. In many cases I can reach fish that people fishing from boats can't, because I only need about 4" of water to paddle through comfortably, and I can get out and drag it if I need to. Many bass get conditioned to the sound of a trolling motor too and will stop feeding when they hear one (I smallmouth fish with someone who uses oars for his jon boat on the river, he absolutely will not use a trolling motor) so a kayak will put you right on top of the big ones without spooking them.

On 6/23/2014 at 11:21 AM, Fish_Whisperer said:

Some folks can't afford a boat or kayak. Also, some people are perfectly fine with bank fishing. Would I like to have access to all structure in a lake/river/pond ? Sure. At this time, it is just not in the cards for me. So I do the best with what I have.

One day I will have my bassmobile though!

Or don´t have the room to store one...

mattkelley77 reply :

Hey guys, im matt im 17 and i live on cape cod, i just started fishing and im using an old rod and reel and i was wondering if any one had any suggestions for a new rod, i currently have a spinning reel, i dont know wether i should be using that or a bait caster, any suggestions would be a huge help! i was also wondering whatto buy for lures, i have been using shiners but i dont want to keep spending money on live bait every time i decide to go fishing, which will be quite often this summer! again, any information is helpful! thanks!

Fish_Whisperer reply :

On 6/28/2014 at 12:36 PM, mattkelley77 said:
Hey guys, im matt im 17 and i live on cape cod, i just started fishing and im using an old rod and reel and i was wondering if any one had any suggestions for a new rod, i currently have a spinning reel, i dont know wether i should be using that or a bait caster, any suggestions would be a huge help! i was also wondering whatto buy for lures, i have been using shiners but i dont want to keep spending money on live bait every time i decide to go fishing, which will be quite often this summer! again, any information is helpful! thanks!

I'll help you out best I can...

Rod: While I am not going into rod brands in this post, I will break down some elements into choosing A rod for you. If you are proficient with a baitcast reel, then go with a baitcast rod, if not then a spinning rod. Length.... You have to take into account the waters you fish. Are the banks open areas, or small pockets opened up between trees and brush? A longer rod will be harder to cast with if you are crowded by trees and such. A good length, if conditions allow, is about 7'. A medium heavy, fast action blank is pretty versatile in that it works with a variety of applications, mostly texas rigged plastics. As far as quality, do your research. You will want a lightweight rod to prevent fatigue on long days. Hold a prospective rod in your hand. Find its balance point (lay it across a finger and move it until it begins to balance) . You want it fairly close to where the reel attaches to the rod (reel seat) or a inch or two higher. Handle materials and types are your preference, some like full grips, others like split grips. I have both, no preference for me. Same goes for cork or eva foam.

reel: Make up a budget, and look online for reels in that range. Gotta do your homework and sort through non biased reviews. This applies for spinning reels and baitcast. Higher number of bearings is usually a good thing, makes a reel much smoother (usually). Go to the store and hold a few of them, turn the handles, flip bails. A good reel should have instant anti reverse(some cranking reels don't as part of their functionality) meaning no backplay in the reel handle. Frame materials are important on both types of reels. Nothing sucks more than to be fighting a big fish and feel a spinning reels frame flexing and gears grinding because everythings out of alignment.

As far as lure selection goes... The best advice anyone on here can give you, unless they live in your area, is to find the most popular tackle store around you, and I don't mean walmart or academy and the like, I mean a mom and pop store. Go there and ask them what most of their customers are buying that fish around there. My experience has been that the true tackle stores are going to have more local knowledge and really be tuned in to their customer base. Call your local DNR and gather information on the waters you plan to fish. They can provide forage information, meaning what the bass are eating. Making your lure selection based off this knowledge is called "matching the hatch".

It's late, thats all I got for now...

1099gl reply :

I think a bank fishing forum would be awesome also!!!

cabrela reply :

On 6/28/2014 at 12:36 PM, mattkelley77 said:
Hey guys, im matt im 17 and i live on cape cod, i just started fishing and im using an old rod and reel and i was wondering if any one had any suggestions for a new rod, i currently have a spinning reel, i dont know wether i should be using that or a bait caster, any suggestions would be a huge help! i was also wondering whatto buy for lures, i have been using shiners but i dont want to keep spending money on live bait every time i decide to go fishing, which will be quite often this summer! again, any information is helpful! thanks!

Hi Matt

Using a baitcaster or a spinning reel is a matter of preference, but if you´re just starting maybe a spinning reel (and rod) will be easier for you.

Regarding lures, I don´t know how your waters are (lots of wood/ weeds or open water, color, etc...) but for general use and purpose I would recomend some spinnerbaits and some soft baits. With those you can cover a lot of water and pick apart some structures or weeds that you may have over there.

Zero113 reply :

if anyone is still on the backpack topic its the only way i carry my tackle, soft plastics in one zipper and some filled up planos in another, but i tend to have to ride my bike to many of my fishing spots since i dont have my licence yet so i use an old baseball bag/ backpack with the bat holders on each side and throw a rod in each one and boom a hands free setup!

BuffaloBass716 reply :

On 7/1/2014 at 10:03 AM, Zero113 said:
if anyone is still on the backpack topic its the only way i carry my tackle, soft plastics in one zipper and some filled up planos in another, but i tend to have to ride my bike to many of my fishing spots since i dont have my licence yet so i use an old baseball bag/ backpack with the bat holders on each side and throw a rod in each one and boom a hands free setup!

I do the same thing with a regular backpack. I have some Plano boxes and a small soft plastic bag inside, then I use the water bottle holders on the sides for my rods. I tie them to the middle near the handle at the top and I can ride anywhere! It's a really good set up for us younger fisherman without cars yet.

John V reply :

In my opinion, I'd have to say that one of THE BEST tools that have helped me catch more fish from the bank than ANYTHING ELSE (other than a rod and reel, lol.) has got to be either a gas powered weed eater or a cheap machete (well sharpened).

think about that one...

Fish_Whisperer reply :

On 7/2/2014 at 2:47 AM, John V said:

In my opinion, I'd have to say that one of THE BEST tools that have helped me catch more fish from the bank than ANYTHING ELSE (other than a rod and reel, lol.) has got to be either a gas powered weed eater or a cheap machete (well sharpened).

think about that one...

A big part of my success in getting access to the multiple private ponds i'm allowed to fish, has been offering to do regular weedeating and trash pickup around the banks.

Steven Dauster reply :

On 7/2/2014 at 4:08 AM, Fish_Whisperer said:
A big part of my success in getting access to the multiple private ponds i'm allowed to fish, has been offering to do regular weedeating and trash pickup around the banks.

Yup everyone wants to fish the easy banks with no weeds/grass/trees etc. Well if its open land by the bank what do you think is right there in the water? No vegetation for the bass to hide in. When I started really hiking and making my own way and own spot to stand on the bank is when I started having luck from shore....then I got a jon boat lol

fishingreel reply :

I just sold my boat due to health prolems, and gone back to bank fishing and I feel lost .

It was bank fishing or no fishing and I just can not give it up.

jtharris3 reply :

On 7/5/2014 at 2:04 AM, fishingreel said:

I just sold my boat due to health prolems, and gone back to bank fishing and I feel lost .

It was bank fishing or no fishing and I just can not give it up.

Hang in there man!

Jtrout reply :

My PB from last year didn't have a scale but it was 20 inches. I caught it on a white chatterbait I bought a scale after that. Any ideas on the weight

nascar2428 reply :

On 7/5/2014 at 9:03 PM, Jtrout said:
My PB from last year didn't have a scale but it was 20 inches. I caught it on a white chatterbait I bought a scale after that. Any ideas on the weightimage.jpg

5 to 6 lbs

Bruce424 reply :

On 7/5/2014 at 9:03 PM, Jtrout said:
My PB from last year didn't have a scale but it was 20 inches. I caught it on a white chatterbait I bought a scale after that. Any ideas on the weightimage.jpg

Dude nice chunk!!

CDobber reply :

Spot I hadn't been to in about a year....same lake that I've fished (largely unsuccessfully all weekend) from the boat.....nice 16", 2 lb (fat) LMB, a few casts later in the same area, 21" northern. Both with 1/2 oz black buzzbait with 4" Berkley Havoc Pit Boss in Green Pumpkin/Purple fleck. Also had a first today....after reading a thread in the tackle section last night (pinned, using bobbers with senkos), I thought I'd sort of give it a try today...I only used the garden variety round bobber, and it was setup with my normal drop shot rig. Water had a little chop to it, and so far have only had success with the drop shot if I use live crawlers. I had multiple little nibbles in the 30 min of attempting from different spots, probably small gills, that didn't like the senko. On the last cast of the day under a tree, had something (probably a 12" LMB or so) hit the 4" white senko, weedless, and take the whole worm off. I expect that with a worn out plastic or a real crawler/red wiggler, but not with a fairly new senko.

Jtrout reply :

2.66 18 Inches texas rigged culprit 7.5 curly tail worm tomato color. It has a white eye

Brock Grigsby67 reply :

Do any of y'all fish a swim jig from the shore and had any luck?

gripnrip reply :

On 7/9/2014 at 9:41 AM, Brock Grigsby67 said:
Do any of y'all fish a swim jig from the shore and had any luck?

Yes sir. Feather it like Ike talks about and you'll catch a bunch of fish. My favorite from shore is Siebert's swim jig in bluegill. Mike has the best bluegill skirt IMO.

BIGPAP72 reply :

I fish boat and banks. Grew up fishing banks. Main thing is the waters eco system. Knowing what food source and vegetation habitats are down there. Once you understand the bottom structure you can develop apattern and better your bait selection. I have taken some nice bass of the bank from canals, lakes and ponds.

Here are a couple

cabrela reply :

On 7/9/2014 at 9:41 AM, Brock Grigsby67 said:
Do any of y'all fish a swim jig from the shore and had any luck?

As a matter of fact I´ve caught my first swimjig bass from shore yesterday...a 3 pounder....

Jtrout reply :

Caught this little guy today and when I threw him back in the water he spit out a crayfish right on top of a rock. I was like I don't understand so I looked at it and it was grayish color. So il be getting some gray baits from the store

gripnrip reply :

On 7/11/2014 at 5:41 AM, Jtrout said:
Caught this little guy today and when I threw him back in the water he spit out a crayfish right on top of a rock. I was like I don't understand so I looked at it and it was grayish color. So il be getting some gray baits from the store image.jpg

Crayfish molt multiple times a year. Bass Times had an excellent article on this subject. I would suspect that the color of crayfish varies from different parts of the country.

Jtrout reply :

On 7/11/2014 at 8:17 AM, gripnrip said:
Crayfish molt multiple times a year. Bass Times had an excellent article on this subject. I would suspect that the color of crayfish varies from different parts of the country.
[/quote

Yeah around here they vary from ponds and lakes I've seen grey brown and red ones In the same county

ClackerBuzz reply :

hardcore bank angler tactics..

Wpcat6611 reply :

video from todays trip

boostr reply :

On 7/13/2014 at 9:56 AM, Wpcat6611 said:

video from todays trip

Pigs!

boostr reply :

On 7/12/2014 at 11:27 AM, ClackerBuzz said:

hardcore bank angler tactics..

With all the money he spent on that get up He could have bought a Kayak with a fish finder.

jtharris3 reply :

On 7/13/2014 at 10:53 AM, boostr said:
With all the money he spent on that get up He could have bought a Kayak with a fish finder.

My question is WHY????

cabrela reply :

On 7/13/2014 at 9:56 AM, Wpcat6611 said:

video from todays trip

Nice! Keep them coming...

predator reply :

Hello, I'am new in this forum. I'm italian and my english is not perfect. sorry!

I noticed this interesting forum videos and photos of "black bass" ( so they come in our country).

i would like know your principal technics of capture. thank

Nuffsaid23 reply :

On 7/16/2014 at 11:18 PM, predator said:

Hello, I'am new in this forum. I'm italian and my english is not perfect. sorry!

I noticed this interesting forum videos and photos of "black bass" ( so they come in our country).

i would like know your principal technics of capture. thank

Well black bass are what most of us call largemouth bass or the most popular species. Pretty much crankbaits and spinnerbaits are two great methods to catch them. Using a bait casting rod and reel if you have experience with them. If not then a spinning rod and reel are your best bet. You want to fish these lures in open water and when you get really good you can cast them close to cover (such as milfoil, lili pads, docks) and reel from there.

Hope this helps,

Talk soon

predator reply :

Thank for you help. however i'm a fishing man of largemouth, specially in artificial sport lakes.

My curiosity is unit from fact that species is introduced in the our lakes, and in many cases is difficult catch them. They are astute. I used little artificial fish or earthworm of silicon. Maybe my rod fishing is witched.

There are periods wherein the capture is best?

thank for your councils and sorry for my english ugly

ClackerBuzz reply :

On 7/17/2014 at 4:45 PM, predator said:

Thank for you help. however i'm a fishing man of largemouth, specially in artificial sport lakes.

My curiosity is unit from fact that species is introduced in the our lakes, and in many cases is difficult catch them. They are astute. I used little artificial fish or earthworm of silicon. Maybe my rod fishing is witched.

There are periods wherein the capture is best?

thank for your councils and sorry for my english ugly

welcome to the forums predator. slow dragging a weightless soft plastic lure on the bottom is v-e-r-y productive for catching bass. use any plastic you want with this technique: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/13845-guaranteed-to-catch-bass/

bass are more aggressive at dusk, dawn and at night. many lures work this time b/c they will chase them but topwater is the most fun b/c they explode on them. if the bite is good they will chase a buzzbait. but if it's slow use a lure that you can stall ie add pauses like a Pop-R. you can basically break lures down into horizontal, vertical and bottom contact. one lure can be worked many ways. be creative and experiment during each retrieve to find out what instigates the strike. often bass hold tight to cover (weeds, rocks, wood etc) and won't chase a lure. but they will still bite if you bounce the lure off the cover. my biggest bass come from slow dragging a soft plastic on the bottom or from slamming a reaction lure off a piece of cover. also rain and wind are your friend b/c the bass become more aggressive and roam. good luck and let us know how you make out

predator reply :

thank for your councils. The technic of earthworm of silicon i many used. However many fishing men in our zone they used one technic of catch with one floating and lures live (bigattino or prawn of lake). But there is not a specific technic that it we permit of take many bass.

are there misure from respect in your zone?

In one of this days, i renovate my licence of fishing, and i will let you know if there is a good capture.

i wait new councils thank

Brock Grigsby67 reply :

Have any of yall tried fishing flutter spoons from the bank?

Fish_Whisperer reply :

On 7/18/2014 at 11:08 AM, Brock Grigsby67 said:
Have any of yall tried fishing flutter spoons from the bank?

I personally haven't, but have seen it used from the bank with success.

Bruce424 reply :

I see a lot of snags happening just because of usually the shallowness of the waters. But then again if you find a steep enough drop. Probably would work then.

greentrout reply :

You might be surprised the bass fishing that is done in big urban areas...good fishing...

boostr reply :

On 7/20/2014 at 9:49 AM, greentrout said:

You might be surprised the bass fishing that is done in big urban areas...good fishing...

They are almost in every sustainable body of fresh water. I do cringe whenever I see those fish on the ground. I know some of us do it to take pictures for size comparison, and thats fine. These guys ar just doing it way to much for no reason.

greentrout reply :

On 7/21/2014 at 9:21 AM, boostr said:
They are almost in every sustainable body of fresh water. I do cringe whenever I see those fish on the ground. I know some of us do it to take pictures for size comparison, and thats fine. These guys ar just doing it way to much for no reason.

This clip is from downtown Houston in the Galleria area which is an upscale well to do area with intense urban business activity. Makes a point. I don't like the craze of taking pictures at all. I don't do it and they go back in the water as quick as I can get them there regardless of size.

Good fishin...

hawgenvy reply :

Question for greentrout: Is the term "green trout" (for LMB) common in east Texas? I thought that was strictly a south Louisiana peculiarity.

mikekurinka reply :

I only fish from bank right now as well, and I study every night and advanced techniques do not apply to bank Fisherman. I agree that some advanced techniques would be nice. I feel fish are Less likely to go after presentation that runs to the bank more than once. I still have good days but good post, this is my first reply

einscodek reply :

What do you consider an advanced technique? All techniques are fairly simple and have a time and place.. from the bank you can do alot but you may need to adjust some technique a bit.. others you may not be able to do.

I bank fish but have a boat and wont break it out until the weeds have choked the shorelines.. but until then much of the techniques are available to me even from the bank.

greentrout reply :

On 7/21/2014 at 10:23 PM, hawgenvy said:
Question for greentrout: Is the term "green trout" (for LMB) common in east Texas? I thought that was strictly a south Louisiana peculiarity.

Lived in New Orleans, La for 10 years and traveled to towns like Lafayette, La and heard the term Green Trout used

for the magnificent LMB many a time. In my time in Texas, never heard the term used.

Good fishin...

hawgenvy reply :

On 7/22/2014 at 9:16 AM, greentrout said:

Lived in New Orleans, La for 10 years and traveled to towns like Lafayette, La and heard the term Green Trout used

for the magnificent LMB many a time. In my time in Texas, never heard the term used.

Good fishin...

Thanks for the info. I, too, lived in NOLA (8 years) and fished for green trout as well as numerous other species, several of which have unique Louisiana names (crappie are sac-a-lait, for another example). Calling largemouth bass "green trout" is as legitimate as calling them "bass." Though of course not a trout, the LMB is likewise not a true bass; it is in the sunfish family. Enjoyed your posts. Happy catching!

Wpcat6611 reply :

Tried out the Baby Brush hog today let it fall then went with the stop an go method rigged it on a texas rig.

fishballer06 reply :

On 7/21/2014 at 10:23 PM, hawgenvy said:
Question for greentrout: Is the term "green trout" (for LMB) common in east Texas? I thought that was strictly a south Louisiana peculiarity.

They use that term here in Pennsylvania too

cabrela reply :

On 7/23/2014 at 2:21 PM, Wpcat6611 said:

Tried out the Baby Brush hog today let it fall then went with the stop an go method rigged it on a texas rig.

Love the baby brush hog!

Violinguy reply :

Hitting the banks tomorrow morning with two setups; light spinning with plastics and casting with a new crank I just bought. Looking forward to trying the crank - square billed Academy in house model. Will let you all know what happens.

hawgenvy reply :

On 7/23/2014 at 11:53 PM, fishballer06 said:
They use that term here in Pennsylvania too

So LMB can be called "green trout" in Louisiana and Pennsylvania! Anywhere else, I wonder?

hawgenvy reply :

From: THE AMUSEMENTS OF NEW ORLEANS. By B. E. Forman Jr. [From: Standard History of New Orleans, Louisiana] Edited by Henry Rightor, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900:

"The sportsmen's stores in New Orleans keep in stock all sorts of rods and tackle and flies, where fishermen's outfits and paraphernalia can be had, and the trade is very considerable, as many men in New Orleans are enthusiastic fishermen, and some of them very expert. Green trout are usually caught with live bait, shrimp being used, though some believe in a bit of red flannel to attract the trout. There is always doubt about the red flannel, but it is supposed to appeal to the picturesque taste of the fish. There is no doubt about the shrimp. They will bite at shrimp, and the Radian fishermen, who are always experts in all sorts of fishing, always employ shrimp."

This is, to me anyway, an interesting bit of fishing and New Orleans history. Live shrimp is an unusual bait for green trout (LM bass), but perhaps not in southern Louisiana, where bass are quite tolerant of mild salinity. I personally have cought largemouth bass in the Gulf of Mexico at the Mississippi river delta, where one cast lands a bass, the next might catch a flounder or a red drum. The bit of red flannel is analogous to the red plastic beads sometimes used today. Apparently, it appeals to their "picturesque taste!" So, anyway, who are the "Radian fishermen?" Would love to know! Cajun? Perhaps one of you guys can figure it out. (Google turned up nothing so far on Radians.)

PS: "Radian" is a misspelling of "Cadian," which is a once common misspelling of "Acadian," which then became "Cadjian" and is now the misspelled and mispronounced (but currently accepted) "Cajun."

Wpcat6611 reply :

On 7/24/2014 at 7:57 AM, cabrela said:
Love the baby brush hog!

Ya I will be getting more a sams is opening in my town tomorrow hopefully they sell them in bulk!

cabrela reply :

On 7/24/2014 at 7:57 AM, cabrela said:
Love the baby brush hog!

On 7/24/2014 at 12:30 PM, Wpcat6611 said:
Ya I will be getting more a sams is opening in my town tomorrow hopefully they sell them in bulk!

Just wish they were more durable....

boostr reply :

On 7/24/2014 at 10:20 AM, hawgenvy said:
So LMB can be called "green trout" in Louisiana and Pennsylvania! Anywhere else, I wonder?

Here in Jersey they use the term "Trouser Trout" ;-)

Violinguy reply :

On 7/24/2014 at 9:50 AM, Violinguy said:
Hitting the banks tomorrow morning with two setups; light spinning with plastics and casting with a new crank I just bought. Looking forward to trying the crank - square billed Academy in house model. Will let you all know what happens.

So I never did get out the other day, but did get out this afternoon for a few hours. The fishing was not great, but the new crank caught a fish on the first cast, then about an hour later it caught the largest bass I've caught at that lake, about 2 pounds. I also tried out Big Bite Baits trick stick and it caught (and lost) two fish. Got a couple more small ones on senkos also.

I followed some advice I read a long time ago which was to fish the shadow lines, and that seemed to work. The larger fish hit that crank about 3 feet from shore just inside the shadow line.

TingTingEightSix reply :

I do not have access to a boat, so my options are significantly limited than if I did have boat access.

Ive always been primarily a brim hook qnd live bait (Canadian night crawlers 90% of the time, live minnows the other 10%), basically content to catch a few decent bluegill, but hopeful to run into a bass or two in the process, much like I just recently did.

I want to become a little more specific for largemouth/smallmouth/spotted bass. I want to learn different lure set ups for bass fishing off the bank. What would be a good lure for me to get started with, keep in mind tjat I am limited to the bank?

It's been said fishing with live bait is great, but one needs to become adept at artificial baits to have more success(bass in particular) and to be a better angler overall.

We have a public lake that has produced aome small nass for me on le bait, a couple 12 inches here ans there on buzzbaits, and numerous brim and shellcracker. Unfortunately, this place is being shut down for renovation and wont reopen till 26016, and thats a shame aince it is only 3 miles from me.

That leaves me with fishing the riverbank of the Tennessee river, and a couple places in a creek that runs within 10 miles of me. In one place that creek is located near a reservoir woth a axillary that helps supply water to the creek, and it has a bit of a current towards the first spot, and slower, calmer water down the line a few yards. The other location is under and around a bridge, can see a log sticking up on the left side of the bridge and the water gets deeper the closer to the Bridget it gets and stays that way for a few yards. The water in the creek ia typically greenish to slightly murky.

In regards to the r iverbanks I fish? Water clarity can be more variable, depending on rain or lack of rain. Normally its semi clear, but not just crystal clear.

I always look for brush, fell tree, rocks, and other structures in the water bass may be attracted too. Many of the r iverbanks have a good amount of shade to them, and water depth runs from about 1 foot deep near the bank, to perhaps 10-12 foot deep where my line is cast as far as I can cast it.

People claim watermelon seed swimsuits and worms are some of the most productive baits to use for bass from rhe bank. And by swimsuit, I meant swimbait, dagger auto correct!!!. I certainly sont expect to have immediate success, bit I hope I can become adept enough to catch some good bass on a pretty decent regularity.

Spinning reels are my reels of choice, and my S himano RX2000 paired with a medium action Shakespeare ugly stick have caught its share of bluegill, crappie, catfish, and a few small bass. I hate this is a long post, but I like it here and you guys seem like pretty good folk and are happy to help fellow anglers out.

Sam reply :

Suggestions to consider for bank fishing:

1. Always bring a needle nose pliers.

2. Trick worms on a 1/16 jig head on 8 pound fluorocarbon line.

3. Senkos fished wacky.

4. Crankbaits of your choice and color.

5. Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Pop-R's, Cavitrons, flukes and creature baits.

6. Throw Pop-r's on spinning rig.

7. Walk 50-feet from bank when moving from place to place.

8. No shadows from your body with the sun at your back onto the water.

9. Good polarized sunglasses to see into the water.

10. Cap with flap on back to protect your neck and ears from the sun.

11. Wear sunscreen.

12. Use MegaStrike or JJ's Magic as your scent of choice.

13. Always look around when casting to avoid over hanging trees, bushes and tall grass.

14. Medium Heavy 7-foot fast action tip rod of your choice. View the rod's specifications to make sure it can handle the baits and line test you are throwing.

15. Flip and Pitch to everywhere you are fishing in a "fan" pattern left to right and then back right to left.

16. Cast out plastics and let them sit for 10 to 15 seconds and then hop back to you slowly.

17. Watch your line when throwing Senkos and plastics.

18. Keep a finger on the line coming off your spinning reel at all times to feel for strikes. You will feel "bumps" and then the line may or may not move. Any unusual line movement or weight on the line you SET THE HOOK! No charge for setting hooks so go to it.

19. Wear sunscreen and long sleeve shirts to keep sun off of you. Long pants with the cuff area and your socks sprayed with bug spray to keep bugs and ticks off of you. Check yourself closely when you get home for ticks.

20. Always leave a note at home telling folks where you will be and what time you will be home.

21. NEVER FISH IN A THUNDER STORM. If you hear thunder go home immediately. Lightning can strike five miles out from the storm, even if you cannot see the storm clouds, if you hear thunder get out of there fast.

22. Always watch where you are walking. You don't want to bother a snake or get into poison ivy or oak.

23. Have your cell phone with you in case of an emergency and to take photos of what you catch.

You do not have to pack 25 pounds of tackle and bring 20 rods. Think what you want to throw into two categories: Hard Baits and Plastics. Bring a package of each kind and color of plastic you want to throw, limiting yourself to these colors for a start:

Green Pumpkin - Stained water

Watermelon - Clear water

June Bug - Stained and dirty water

Cherry Seed - All water

Variations of Black - Stained and dirty water

Hard baits can be wake baits, Bandit 100 square bill crankbaits, 1/4 Cavitrons, 1/4 spinnerbaits. Anything you can throw on a spinning rig. You will graduate to a baitcaster soon but master the spinning gear first and have some fun.

Using your 1/16 jig head with a 3/0 hook rig up some Zoom Trick Worms in the color of your choice and flip and pitch that bait all over the place. Look for grass lines, drop offs into deep water, any wood in the water, over hanging brush and anything in the water such as a submerged log or tire.

Try for soft and quiet water entries if possible. However, in the summer the bass will turn to see what made the splash so don't be too concerned about how your bait enters the water. Just get it in the water and fish it.

Check out the articles on this Forum and then expand your horizons with the drop shot and jigs.

Good luck. Be careful. Have some fun. And let us know how you do.

massrob reply :

This was a really helpful post. Everything I've learned about bass fishing has been learned on this website. Thank you to everyone that posts.I just caught a 6 lbs smallmouth because of tips from here.

lmbfisherman reply :

On 7/30/2014 at 7:02 PM, Sam said:

Suggestions to consider for bank fishing:

1. Always bring a needle nose pliers.

2. Trick worms on a 1/16 jig head on 8 pound fluorocarbon line.

3. Senkos fished wacky.

4. Crankbaits of your choice and color.

5. Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Pop-R's, Cavitrons, flukes and creature baits.

6. Throw Pop-r's on spinning rig.

7. Walk 50-feet from bank when moving from place to place.

8. No shadows from your body with the sun at your back onto the water.

9. Good polarized sunglasses to see into the water.

10. Cap with flap on back to protect your neck and ears from the sun.

11. Wear sunscreen.

12. Use MegaStrike or JJ's Magic as your scent of choice.

13. Always look around when casting to avoid over hanging trees, bushes and tall grass.

14. Medium Heavy 7-foot fast action tip rod of your choice. View the rod's specifications to make sure it can handle the baits and line test you are throwing.

15. Flip and Pitch to everywhere you are fishing in a "fan" pattern left to right and then back right to left.

16. Cast out plastics and let them sit for 10 to 15 seconds and then hop back to you slowly.

17. Watch your line when throwing Senkos and plastics.

18. Keep a finger on the line coming off your spinning reel at all times to feel for strikes. You will feel "bumps" and then the line may or may not move. Any unusual line movement or weight on the line you SET THE HOOK! No charge for setting hooks so go to it.

19. Wear sunscreen and long sleeve shirts to keep sun off of you. Long pants with the cuff area and your socks sprayed with bug spray to keep bugs and ticks off of you. Check yourself closely when you get home for ticks.

20. Always leave a note at home telling folks where you will be and what time you will be home.

21. NEVER FISH IN A THUNDER STORM. If you hear thunder go home immediately. Lightning can strike five miles out from the storm, even if you cannot see the storm clouds, if you hear thunder get out of there fast.

22. Always watch where you are walking. You don't want to bother a snake or get into poison ivy or oak.

23. Have your cell phone with you in case of an emergency and to take photos of what you catch.

You do not have to pack 25 pounds of tackle and bring 20 rods. Think what you want to throw into two categories: Hard Baits and Plastics. Bring a package of each kind and color of plastic you want to throw, limiting yourself to these colors for a start:

Green Pumpkin - Stained water

Watermelon - Clear water

June Bug - Stained and dirty water

Cherry Seed - All water

Variations of Black - Stained and dirty water

Hard baits can be wake baits, Bandit 100 square bill crankbaits, 1/4 Cavitrons, 1/4 spinnerbaits. Anything you can throw on a spinning rig. You will graduate to a baitcaster soon but master the spinning gear first and have some fun.

Using your 1/16 jig head with a 3/0 hook rig up some Zoom Trick Worms in the color of your choice and flip and pitch that bait all over the place. Look for grass lines, drop offs into deep water, any wood in the water, over hanging brush and anything in the water such as a submerged log or tire.

Try for soft and quiet water entries if possible. However, in the summer the bass will turn to see what made the splash so don't be too concerned about how your bait enters the water. Just get it in the water and fish it.

Check out the articles on this Forum and then expand your horizons with the drop shot and jigs.

Good luck. Be careful. Have some fun. And let us know how you do.

To add...wait I can't think of anything.

Seriously what I would add, for river fishing inline spinners are awesome, #4 Mepps. I would also get a white/cht double willow 3/8 oz spinnerbait.

Wpcat6611 reply :

TingTingEightSix reply :

Thanks guys!!! I think out of tbose options the soft baits would be the best for me to start with. I think I could probably learn spinnerbaits fairly decently too. Crankbaits and jigs would probably be a big challenge for me.

geo g reply :

That is years of experience bank fishing in that post. Great job guys, I enjoyed the read!

Jordan50 reply :

I personally love to throw Spinnerbaits, Shallow Cranks, and Plastics from the Bank. Awesome tips, Sam. I even learned a few things and all I do is Bank fish.

BassWhole! reply :

On 7/30/2014 at 5:54 PM, TingTingEightSix said:
It's been said fishing with live bait is great, but one needs to become adept at artificial baits to have more success(bass in particular) and to be a better angler overall.

Ah, NO! You can catch fish after fish with a minnow or shiner when artificials do nothing. That being said, There are different skills required for each. Since you will be fishing from the bank, and a limited number of places, to boot, the most important thing to do is locate fish. There are places that will not hold fish, places that sometimes will hold fish, and places that will nearly always hold fish. Once you locate these places, the structure, cover and conditions will dictate what lure(s) are best suited. I would thing a spinnerbait, crankbait, and some soft plastics are a good place to start, but again, it depends on the particulars. Fishing from shore isn't much different than fishing from a boat. I do a lot of both, and don't really do many different things.

Violinguy reply :

On 7/30/2014 at 7:02 PM, Sam said:

Suggestions to consider for bank fishing:

1. Always bring a needle nose pliers.

2. Trick worms on a 1/16 jig head on 8 pound fluorocarbon line.

3. Senkos fished wacky.

4. Crankbaits of your choice and color.

5. Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Pop-R's, Cavitrons, flukes and creature baits.

6. Throw Pop-r's on spinning rig.

7. Walk 50-feet from bank when moving from place to place.

8. No shadows from your body with the sun at your back onto the water.

9. Good polarized sunglasses to see into the water.

10. Cap with flap on back to protect your neck and ears from the sun.

11. Wear sunscreen.

12. Use MegaStrike or JJ's Magic as your scent of choice.

13. Always look around when casting to avoid over hanging trees, bushes and tall grass.

14. Medium Heavy 7-foot fast action tip rod of your choice. View the rod's specifications to make sure it can handle the baits and line test you are throwing.

15. Flip and Pitch to everywhere you are fishing in a "fan" pattern left to right and then back right to left.

16. Cast out plastics and let them sit for 10 to 15 seconds and then hop back to you slowly.

17. Watch your line when throwing Senkos and plastics.

18. Keep a finger on the line coming off your spinning reel at all times to feel for strikes. You will feel "bumps" and then the line may or may not move. Any unusual line movement or weight on the line you SET THE HOOK! No charge for setting hooks so go to it.

19. Wear sunscreen and long sleeve shirts to keep sun off of you. Long pants with the cuff area and your socks sprayed with bug spray to keep bugs and ticks off of you. Check yourself closely when you get home for ticks.

20. Always leave a note at home telling folks where you will be and what time you will be home.

21. NEVER FISH IN A THUNDER STORM. If you hear thunder go home immediately. Lightning can strike five miles out from the storm, even if you cannot see the storm clouds, if you hear thunder get out of there fast.

22. Always watch where you are walking. You don't want to bother a snake or get into poison ivy or oak.

23. Have your cell phone with you in case of an emergency and to take photos of what you catch.

Number 11/19. Number 11/19 is probably the most important because a bad sunburn will ruin your day no matter how many fish you catch. And over time, a bad sunburn will kill you.

hoosierbass07 reply :

I would focus on Texas rigged soft plastics because they are mostly weedless. When fishing from the bank you might get crankbaits hung up and can't get them back. Texas rigged plastic worms is my favorite way to fish from

the bank. Also, if you want to get out on the water, have you checked out low cost sit inside kayaks?

OroBass reply :

Get a float tube guys.

hawgenvy reply :

Catching some lately from the banks in S Florida on Zoom Super Flukes, usuallly on watermelon red. Some are three to four pounders. Most are much smaller. The fluke is clearly a more subtle bait than what I usually use (salt-laden toads, big swim baits, grotesque creature baits.) So the 5" fluke is more appealling, it seems, to finicky summer bass. Eventually, I'm successful, and when I grab a bass to twist out the hook, his body is suprisingly hot, and the angry fish smells of pungent steamed algae. I'm dying to look in his stomach to see what he's stuffed himself with but I can't figure out how to do that without killing him. I see here and there in the evenings schooling bass busting frantic schools of what I thought might be shad -- but the few times the bait got chased to shore where I could see them, they looked like little dark green minnows -- a lot like my green fluke bait. Maybe they are green just from the top and are shiny silver gems from the side. Who knows. Last evening at seven I caught a few bass by tossing my fluke into the boiling mix, and though full of energy, the bass, unfortunately, were little quarter pounders. I was able to throw five or ten times a white and yellow spinner bait with golden willows beyond and then through the school. With that I finally caught one little bass, no longer than my nose. I miss those big easy pigs from the post spawn days of early June. Where are those glorious pigs now? Gone, or lazy? Or are their stomachs already full, or are they off in some hidden, secret deep spot? Someone please tell me!

FrogTosser88 reply :

I fish from shore.. I will list the baits I use and in order of how successful they have been

1. Zoom super fluke.

Has landed me more fish than anything else this year.

Rigged with a 2/0 offset worm hook.. weightless most of the time.. in heavu current I will use a belly weighted hook...

One of the most versatile baits out there I believe.

2. Lunker hunt topwater frog.

Only #2 because it landed me the biggest bass of the year at 6lb.

3. Bass pro shops "sassy sally" paddletail swimbaits.

I use the white one mostly but also the black with silver flake.. bass love these things.

Largemouth, smallmouth and even croppies will eat them.

4. Jig and craw trailer...

Sometimes all they want is a jig..... you gotta learn them.

5. Senko

Motor oil with red flake has been pretty good lately..... wacky rigged seems to work best. I use the

Rubber bands to hold the hook on "O rings" with gamakatsu !wack hooks..

6. Small strike king buzzbait

The small white one right as the sun is going down has been slaying them lately..... Last few nights I have been having a blast with this thing....

Good luck dude..

And good luck findinv that swimsuit..... although I dont know how that will help

Slipknot_Fan666 reply :

I didn't read everything, but I didn't see this mentioned. If you plan to buy new equipment (rods, reels, line, etc), buy higher end. I'm not saying blow $250 on a reel, but get at least a $100 in the rod and $100 in the reel. It is definitely worth it. Trust me, I'm a "budget" fisherman and thought my Black Max was awesome until I got a $100 reel and now I wish I had a $200 reel. I'm fixing to start saving up for a $200 spinning setup to try out.

As far as baits, T-rigs, jigs, and spinners. That is the three that I have the most luck on. Try to fish near boat ramps, especially ones with rock piles or debris from storms. We get a lot of tornadoes here so there is always a fair amount of floating logs near the boat ramps here and there's always bass lurking in them. Don't be afraid to cast into open water, I've caught some bass in open water at times that I would never expect.

FrogTosser88 reply :

One thing i did not mention... get rid of the tackle box for a backpack..

Invest in a descent backpack with a few front zipper pockets..

If you buy one of the kvd speed bags.. it comes with 3 plano boxes.

I remove them and put all my soft plastics in the bag.. I use one box for hooks, weights amd swivels etc.. one for hard baits... one for jigs and misc stuff.

Having a backpack is better than using a hand carrying

A tackle box in my opinion.

You can instead carry 1-2 rods and a beer....

Good luck

Wpcat6611 reply :

On 8/1/2014 at 9:17 PM, FrogTosser88 said:

One thing i did not mention... get rid of the tackle box for a backpack..

Invest in a descent backpack with a few front zipper pockets..

If you buy one of the kvd speed bags.. it comes with 3 plano boxes.

I remove them and put all my soft plastics in the bag.. I use one box for hooks, weights amd swivels etc.. one for hard baits... one for jigs and misc stuff.

Having a backpack is better than using a hand carrying

A tackle box in my opinion.

You can instead carry 1-2 rods and a beer....

Good luck

I like the way you think 2 rods an a beer haha!

Wpcat6611 reply :

On 7/30/2014 at 7:02 PM, Sam said:

Suggestions to consider for bank fishing:

1. Always bring a needle nose pliers.

2. Trick worms on a 1/16 jig head on 8 pound fluorocarbon line.

3. Senkos fished wacky.

4. Crankbaits of your choice and color.

5. Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Pop-R's, Cavitrons, flukes and creature baits.

6. Throw Pop-r's on spinning rig.

7. Walk 50-feet from bank when moving from place to place.

8. No shadows from your body with the sun at your back onto the water.

9. Good polarized sunglasses to see into the water.

10. Cap with flap on back to protect your neck and ears from the sun.

11. Wear sunscreen.

12. Use MegaStrike or JJ's Magic as your scent of choice.

13. Always look around when casting to avoid over hanging trees, bushes and tall grass.

14. Medium Heavy 7-foot fast action tip rod of your choice. View the rod's specifications to make sure it can handle the baits and line test you are throwing.

15. Flip and Pitch to everywhere you are fishing in a "fan" pattern left to right and then back right to left.

16. Cast out plastics and let them sit for 10 to 15 seconds and then hop back to you slowly.

17. Watch your line when throwing Senkos and plastics.

18. Keep a finger on the line coming off your spinning reel at all times to feel for strikes. You will feel "bumps" and then the line may or may not move. Any unusual line movement or weight on the line you SET THE HOOK! No charge for setting hooks so go to it.

19. Wear sunscreen and long sleeve shirts to keep sun off of you. Long pants with the cuff area and your socks sprayed with bug spray to keep bugs and ticks off of you. Check yourself closely when you get home for ticks.

20. Always leave a note at home telling folks where you will be and what time you will be home.

21. NEVER FISH IN A THUNDER STORM. If you hear thunder go home immediately. Lightning can strike five miles out from the storm, even if you cannot see the storm clouds, if you hear thunder get out of there fast.

22. Always watch where you are walking. You don't want to bother a snake or get into poison ivy or oak.

23. Have your cell phone with you in case of an emergency and to take photos of what you catch.

You do not have to pack 25 pounds of tackle and bring 20 rods. Think what you want to throw into two categories: Hard Baits and Plastics. Bring a package of each kind and color of plastic you want to throw, limiting yourself to these colors for a start:

Green Pumpkin - Stained water

Watermelon - Clear water

June Bug - Stained and dirty water

Cherry Seed - All water

Variations of Black - Stained and dirty water

Hard baits can be wake baits, Bandit 100 square bill crankbaits, 1/4 Cavitrons, 1/4 spinnerbaits. Anything you can throw on a spinning rig. You will graduate to a baitcaster soon but master the spinning gear first and have some fun.

Using your 1/16 jig head with a 3/0 hook rig up some Zoom Trick Worms in the color of your choice and flip and pitch that bait all over the place. Look for grass lines, drop offs into deep water, any wood in the water, over hanging brush and anything in the water such as a submerged log or tire.

Try for soft and quiet water entries if possible. However, in the summer the bass will turn to see what made the splash so don't be too concerned about how your bait enters the water. Just get it in the water and fish it.

Check out the articles on this Forum and then expand your horizons with the drop shot and jigs.

Good luck. Be careful. Have some fun. And let us know how you do.

#24 get a go pro camera so we can watch you catch fish!

BassinLou reply :

On 8/1/2014 at 12:18 PM, hawgenvy said:
Catching some lately from the banks in S Florida on Zoom Super Flukes, usuallly on watermelon red. Some are three to four pounders. Most are much smaller. The fluke is clearly a more subtle bait than what I usually use (salt-laden toads, big swim baits, grotesque creature baits.) So the 5" fluke is more appealling, it seems, to finicky summer bass. Eventually, I'm successful, and when I grab a bass to twist out the hook, his body is suprisingly hot, and the angry fish smells of pungent steamed algae. I'm dying to look in his stomach to see what he's stuffed himself with but I can't figure out how to do that without killing him. I see here and there in the evenings schooling bass busting frantic schools of what I thought might be shad -- but the few times the bait got chased to shore where I could see them, they looked like little dark green minnows -- a lot like my green fluke bait. Maybe they are green just from the top and are shiny silver gems from the side. Who knows. Last evening at seven I caught a few bass by tossing my fluke into the boiling mix, and though full of energy, the bass, unfortunately, were little quarter pounders. I was able to throw five or ten times a white and yellow spinner bait with golden willows beyond and then through the school. With that I finally caught one little bass, no longer than my nose. I miss those big easy pigs from the post spawn days of early June. Where are those glorious pigs now? Gone, or lazy? Or are their stomachs already full, or are they off in some hidden, secret deep spot? Someone please tell me!

Hawgenvy this time of year in South Florida is tough especially for bank fishing. I was consistently catching nice fish in the canals until June. July came and lights out. Are the big fish gone? Not really, I see them in the canal deep in the trenches. They are just chilling out and inactive. When they feed is what leaves me scratching my head.

hawgenvy reply :

On 8/2/2014 at 12:31 AM, BassinLou said:
Hawgenvy this time of year in South Florida is tough especially for bank fishing. I was consistently catching nice fish in the canals until June. July came and lights out. Are the big fish gone? Not really, I see them in the canal deep in the trenches. They are just chilling out and inactive. When they feed is what leaves me scratching my head.

A couple of times over the past month I've tossed some plastics at midnight. I got bit -- by bugs. Maybe one night I'll try 2-3 AM? I suppose I'll have better luck staying in bed and dreaming about catching bass.

redneck3233 reply :

Anyone fish Springfield lake up at the boat ramp we been fishing there couple times have caught few smaller catfish anyone know bank areas for bigger catfish

BassinLou reply :

On 8/2/2014 at 5:58 AM, hawgenvy said:
A couple of times over the past month I've tossed some plastics at midnight. I got bit -- by bugs. Maybe one night I'll try 2-3 AM? I suppose I'll have better luck staying in bed and dreaming about catching bass.

Yeah.... staying in bed gets my vote too. LOL!!!

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 8/1/2014 at 4:39 PM, Demonic Forrest said:

I didn't read everything, but I didn't see this mentioned. If you plan to buy new equipment (rods, reels, line, etc), buy higher end. I'm not saying blow $250 on a reel, but get at least a $100 in the rod and $100 in the reel. It is definitely worth it. Trust me, I'm a "budget" fisherman and thought my Black Max was awesome until I got a $100 reel and now I wish I had a $200 reel. I'm fixing to start saving up for a $200 spinning setup to try out.

As far as baits, T-rigs, jigs, and spinners. That is the three that I have the most luck on. Try to fish near boat ramps, especially ones with rock piles or debris from storms. We get a lot of tornadoes here so there is always a fair amount of floating logs near the boat ramps here and there's always bass lurking in them. Don't be afraid to cast into open water, I've caught some bass in open water at times that I would never expect.

I agree. Ive caught some nice ones on far random throws to nowhere.

jtharris3 reply :

Had a pretty good day today doing some urban bassin'. Fished a couple of new spots (small ponds) with my BIL. All fish were caught on topwater with the exception of one fish which hit a Super Fluke and one fish which hit a Terminator spinner bait. I was throwing my trusty Booyah Pad Crashers and spinner bait and my BIL was throwing Buzz bait and the Super Fluke. The fish hit top waters all day, much to my surprise. I threw some worms but had no luck with them. Not all of the fish we caught are pictured.

OroBass reply :

Nice fish!!!!

cabrela reply :

On 8/3/2014 at 12:47 PM, jtharris3 said:

Had a pretty good day today doing some urban bassin'. Fished a couple of new spots (small ponds) with my BIL. All fish were caught on topwater with the exception of one fish which hit a Super Fluke and one fish which hit a Terminator spinner bait. I was throwing my trusty Booyah Pad Crashers and spinner bait and my BIL was throwing Buzz bait and the Super Fluke. The fish hit top waters all day, much to my surprise. I threw some worms but had no luck with them. Not all of the fish we caught are pictured.

Nice!!!

hookset on 3 reply :

I even go so far as to wearing Fishouflage Camo shirts or sweat shirts. It really pays to be stealthy in your approach. Use the shrubs, tall grass and trees to help conceal yourself whenever you can.

The Bass are using cover for the purpose of concealment, so should You.

einscodek reply :

My friend you gave away one of my bank secrets as well ..

Cast from bank approach if the clearance allows

The fish near the bank can detect if you come too close so this tip will bag you several more bank fish per outing

Enjoy guys he did u a favor

and yes absolutely wear green and brown if your backdrop is the woods

and silence is of the essense.. dunno how many kids ask me for tips and I say.. first stop yappin so loud

gotta think and act like hunters.. approach like hunters

Crestliner2008 reply :

Great tip! To carry it a bit further, some boating anglers should take notes as well. More times than I care to think about I see these high powered bass boats roar into a cove or shoreline section and start fishing right away. Unbelievable! They could use a little stealth themselves.

Squirmin Wormin reply :

I've been doing lots of pond fishing and thought of that but never tried it, so will take and try it next outing.

200racing reply :

"if you can see the fish....he can see you"

Sam reply :

Thanks.

I have been doing this for years.

Also, when you move from one place to another walk at least 50-feet from the bank to the next spot.

And you are so right about your shadow. Watch for it during the day to avoid throwing it on the water.

Good tips. Thanks for sharing.

Wpcat6611 reply :

DogBone_384 reply :

On 8/1/2014 at 9:17 PM, FrogTosser88 said:

One thing i did not mention... get rid of the tackle box for a backpack..

Invest in a descent backpack with a few front zipper pockets..

If you buy one of the kvd speed bags.. it comes with 3 plano boxes.

I remove them and put all my soft plastics in the bag.. I use one box for hooks, weights amd swivels etc.. one for hard baits... one for jigs and misc stuff.

Having a backpack is better than using a hand carrying

A tackle box in my opinion.

You can instead carry 1-2 rods and a beer....

Good luck

X2 - I bought a Spiderwire fishing backpack and use it on the bank and in my kayaks. It'll hold two rods, comes with three plastic boxes, and has a separator for the top portion where I keep a sweatshirt or rain jacket. I can't verify where it's build, but it's held up great for my during the two years I've owned it.

Racerx reply :

362 posts in this thread, and there's supposedly not enough demand for a bank subforum?

quanjig reply :

On 2/17/2016 at 9:04 AM, Racerx said:

362 posts in this thread, and there's supposedly not enough demand for a bank subforum?

You just made it new again! Congrats!

Why make it a point of contention when Glenn has made a decision???

It's a nice thread, contribute to it rather than "look at me and what I found" about the bank fishing forum denial. Counterproductive at best!

flyfisher reply :

On 2/17/2016 at 9:04 AM, Racerx said:

362 posts in this thread, and there's supposedly not enough demand for a bank subforum?

Exactly....362 posts in over two years so that means 1 post every two days.....that is next to no traffic....

Raul reply :

WHATDAHELL ?!?!?

GLENN SAID ---------> NO !!!

no point in bringing back a thread that's two friggin years old !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Racerx reply :

1 - Glenn made a decision. I just happen to think he made the wrong decision.

2 - "It's a nice thread, contribute to it rather than "look at me and what I found" about the bank fishing forum denial. Counterproductive at best!" - First, someone (I think Glenn, himself) mentioned that if we were interested in this topic, that this was out there, and to go and find it... so I DID. Just cause I'm here, doesn't mean I have answers (regarding your "contribute" comment.). In fact, I am here FOR answers. So are plenty others. Many of them are young and new to fishing, in general. And, guess what? Most of them aren't able to afford a boat. We talk about getting younger generations into the sport. How can they relate, when the discussions are geared toward fishing from a boat? I think it does a disservice.

3 - "Exactly....362 posts in over two years so that means 1 post every two days.....that is next to no traffic.... " - Please. We all know once a thread gets buried, it gets harder to find. I resurrected it, just so other interested, like me, could find and read it.

4 - "no point in bringing back a thread that's two friggin years old !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" - So, are we to believe that any info on an old thread is no longer accurate or relevant?

Come on, guys. Why the pile-on? If you don't like it, don't read it. Sheez!

flyfisher reply :

If you want to complain about pile on then why bring up a thread and it's number of posts? that seems like piling on more than anything to me. Bottom line is the traffic isn't there and while you may not agree with it, the facts are the facts. We see this about food related posts once or twice a year too and lo and behold, no food forum and we still have food posts as they see fit.

and for the record, i pond fish and wade fish quite a bit but i find more value on other threads than in ones dedicated to pond fishing.

quanjig reply :

No reason for the rash buddy, I just pointed out there is no reason to try and rub the fact that there is some semblance of interest in a bank fishing forum in anyone's face. I have no problem with a post that's relevant to the topic at hand, don't air your greavence there!

If you want to have a pleasant conversation with Glenn, he will be more than happy to answer your PM! I've done it, lots of folks here have as well with great results. You won't earn any respect by trying to thumb your nose to the man!!

nascar2428 reply :

Up until a little over an hour ago, this thread was dead. Now to get back on topic, If the weather people are correct, I hope to find some soft water this weekend and toss a line or two just for the heck of it. Also because it's now perfectly legal in the great state of Michigan.

Racerx reply :

Who's thumbing their nose?! Oh my GAWD!, heaven forbid if someone has a different opinion than you, or even GLENN for that matter! I simply brought two posts back to the forefront, and you are acting like I just kicked somebody's DOG. Lighten the hell up!

Glenn reply :

Kids can't leave the cookie jar alone.

And scene.

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