bank fisherman.... 2024

Red reply :

so do you guys cart around like 3 rod/reel setups while bank fishing? thats what i have been doing and it is starting to suck a little bit..or do you just bring one? i am thinking i may just stick to one...makes walking and casting much easier....if you do only carry one set up...what do you bring? something that can be used for all/most applications? or just one for what you plan to fish?

i was thinking about making each trip different...like one time i say ok i am going to only use cranks and spinnerbaits...so i bring my Med rod and only my cranks and spinnerbaits...leave everything else home and really focus on what i am using...or, ok today only jigs and t-rigs...then bring only the appropriate rod/reel/bait...the only problem with that is if the fish arent biting on such and such a bait....and thats all i brought....what do i do?

i mean if i have only my MH rod with braided line and nothing is biting and i decide to throw a crank....i dont think cranks and braid are a good combo, right? so now due to the one rod/reel combo i brought with me that particular day, i am limited to what i can fish

i have 3 set up...2 casting and 1 spinning...the spinning is a MH casting are MH and M...i use the M for cranks spinnerbaits....the spinning for weightless stuff and the MH casting for jigs/t-rigs....but i have to say, when your walking a golf course hitting several differnt ponds, hauling around 3 rods is a pain

your thoughts?

Cliff

grimlin reply :

I usally just bring 2 combos one baitcasting and one spinning.Casting i use for jigs and spinning i use for lighter lures or weightless lures.I have a small gander mountain bag and a plastic lure binder.That's all i carry.The more rods i'd bring the more i'll stay in one area of the lake,the less i bring the more i'm gonna be walking from spot to spot.

there are some rod holders out there that you can put 4-8 rods on and carry all of them like a suitcast like way...why i haven't picked one up is beyond me.I guess for some reason i don't trust it(i don't hear much about them).

David P reply :

I bring 1-2 combos, and a backpack with plastics and other baits.

wvwask reply :

I usually just bring my MH spinning rod with 8lb line.

It limits the size of baits I can throw, but can fish almost any application.

If Im fihsing close to the truck, I always keep two or three rods loaded. But if Im walking, I load my fishing vest with all of my favorites and pack the trusty spinning rod.

benpsut reply :

It takes a little more time to set up and probably best if you have a vest (was a poet and didnt know it) but instead of having your rods pre rigged ready "out of the truck", keep your line clipped (if you have that little triangle lookin thing on your reel) and have your rods disassembled (if its a 2/3 piece rod). I mean it sucks just a little but you can do that. I myself carry two (one for now because my 6 foot medium rod got ran over today). And i have my 7 foot medium heavy rod, all spinning outfits. They work just fine for worming and the 7 foot doubles as the cat rig set up for night. Whatever floats your boat

David P reply :

Taking two rods with a backpack is quite easy. That way you can carry a rod in each hand, and put one down to cast, OR carry two with one hand.

Have two totally different types of baits tied on though. That way you can fish every spot with two different techniques..

I walk around with a Zoom Superfluke on one, and a wacky rigged senko on the other.. Those are my two most productive baits. Put your two confidence baits on each rig, and you're set. That way you save re-tying your two fav baits over and over again.

moloch16 reply :

Usually I choose one technique for the outing and stick with it. This means one rod and a small selection of lures. I usually only bank fish for for an hour or two. If I'm blessed with enough time to go longer I rent a Jon boat and haul all my gear with me

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
Usually I choose one technique for the outing and stick with it. This means one rod and a small selection of lures. I usually only bank fish for for an hour or two.

Me, too! 8-)

bassbob08 reply :

when i was bank fishing i would bring two,i would carry one in a rod holder on my belt and all my stuff in a back pack.

Red reply :

Quote
Usually I choose one technique for the outing and stick with it. This means one rod and a small selection of lures. I usually only bank fish for for an hour or two. If I'm blessed with enough time to go longer I rent a Jon boat and haul all my gear with me

yeah like i said i am thinking about doing this..not only would i be traveling light, i could really focus on one or two techniques rather then a whole bunch of different stuff...we have been having good luck lately with watermelon tiki sticks....so maybe i will leave them at home next time and try something else... ;D i have only caught one fish on a jig....so i think i will focus on that and only bring my jig box..or jusy my cranks/spinnerbaits.

thanks for the info guys, much appreciated

Cliff

Hop reply :

I take 7 rods each loaded with for different applications along with my tackle boxes. If I am close to the truck I work out of it. If I need to hike around I fill a backpack with the lures I think I need based on conditions. I carry a 6'6" medium spinning rod with 8 lb test and a 6'6" medium heavy baitcating rod loaded with 14 lb test. Sometimes I will just take the spinning rig if I am climbing through alot of brush. These handle most of the situations I came across. In fact if I ever had to choose just 2 set-ups they would be it.

Good luck

Taliesin reply :

My bank fishing is usually for an hour or less (I fish during my lunch hour).

I only take one rod for bank fishing, with a small variety of baits in my pockets. I pick which rod (and lures) I want to use after I arrive and go from there.

For a long time I just used one. The bass in my quick-fishng spot are on the smaller side, so a M baitcast setup was what I carried. I usually carried spinners and plastic worms (t-rig). Those are my "go to" baits that won't poke holes in my pockets or kill my hands too often when I dig for another lure.

I spent a lot of my life fishing from shore and usually went with t-rigs while carrying one rod. However, I would often have a topwater or spinner tied on when I started and the big tacklebox wan't more than a quarter of a mile away. If the bass REALLY wanted something I didn't have with me, walking back to the car/truck wan't much of a hassle.

Lately I have been doing this deliberately too. Limit myself to a technique I am not as familiar with and get better at it.

guest reply :

Bank fishing for me is "just for fun".

I'm not looking to catch bigguns, I just want to catch some bass.

so I always go with my medium light spinning rod. Some topwaters, jerkbaits, and small worms/senko's

and shakey heads..

I carry a small soft sided cooler with a shoulder strap and a couple of small uitlity boxes for lures, a bottle of ice water. and the most important item of all -- BUG SPRAY

skeeter944 reply :

i bank fish alot. i carry a backpack with 2 plano boxes in one side and like 30 bags of plastics in another. i take up to 5 rods, but i will make a base camp and leave 3 or 4 of them there with my backpack. if i could take only two rods, they would be a 6'm spinning with 8lb line for floating worms and finesse stuff and a 6'6''mh baitcaster with 12lb-15lb line for all the heavier stuff. i have been catching alot latlely on a natural blue zoom trick worm fished weightless over weeds, it got me a 3lber yesterday.

FatBoy reply :

I only carry one rod when I'm beating the bank (which is most of the time). It's usually a 6-6 M action with a Shimano Stradic spinning reel. The reel came with two spools and I always have one spooled with braid and one with yozuri hybrid. That way if I REALLY need to change lines I can. But I'll fish every bait in by tackle bag, from cranks to senkos to frogs, with the same set up.

There's definitely a reason the pros have a dozen rods layed out on the deck of their boats. Sometimes those very subtle differences in rod length or line test make the difference for them. And if I had a 6 figure paycheck riding on my gear, I'd do the same thing. There's a big difference between a 90% chance of catching a bass and a 99% chance when you're talking about that much money.

That said, though, I don't think you NEED all those different set ups to catch fish (and have a good time). If I had my choice, I'd always go froggin with a MH/baitcast combo spooled with braid. But can you catch bass with a horny toad on a M action spinning set up spooled with mono? HECK YEAH! Can you catch bass on a crankbait when you're using braid? NO PROBLEM! Will a bass hit a subtle little drop shot rig even if you've holding a baitcast reel? I actually don't know cause I've never done it, but I'd bet you a steak dinner they would.

K-I-S-S

jaskoh reply :

I use to carry 3 setups with me everytime I was fishing from the bank. One day I was tired of carrying all the crap so I decided to just bring my worm/jig setup and some hooks sinkers and plastics. I fished the entire lake way faster than I could of if I was carrying 3 poles as well as I feel I concentrated more. From now on I am going to concentrate on one technigue/setup per pass then I will grab a new pole/setup need be.

Grug reply :

All I do is bank fish, never owned a boat nor have any desire to get one. I hit the local ponds within say 30 min. drive of my home (many waters to choose from) and bass fish 12 months a year. 1-2 hours is average and I try to get a 4 hour weekend timeslot between family activities.

I use one outfit solely, a med. power fast action rod, 6.6ft where I am now toying and committed to using baitcast gear. I throw following:

-1/4 & 3/8 spinnerbaits (best bass lure out there)

-3/8 buzzbait

-Topwaters (spittn image worked great yesterday morning!)

-LC Pointers (78's), 1/4 oz. Rattle Traps

-5" Senko bag, 4" Super Fluke Bag

-Some bottom bouncers-T-Rigged (pig your favorite plastic)

The hardbaits fit in one plano box, the soft baits with hooks/wts. fit in another, and all this fits very nicely in a Plano Hip "fanny" pack I wrap around my waist. Perfect setup for "power fishing" from the bank, and now that its warm time to wade out into the water and be "one with the bass."

Been doing this 30 years, catch tons of bass (120+ so far in 2007) and 4-4lb+ plus this year.

Work the water efficiently, start shallow and cast out to deeper water, slow to fast retrieves till you find them and their preference that day. Any laydowns/cover (my waters have few) hit hard with a t-rigged plastic as those are very reliable targets.

Maybe when I retire will get a boat but for me, being knee deep in muck and bass is most fun..

Enjoy and tight lines...

bpm2000 reply :

one setup - 7'mh spinning outfit. I do carry multiple spools tho so i can change from mono/braid. backpack with plano boxes, water/food, etc, good to go!

SDoolittle reply :

I was strictly a bank fisherman for many years. I tried carrying a lot of poles and tackle, but it was a hassle. If I went with only one set up the fish always seemed to want something else. I finally narrowed it down to two rods- a med action spinning rod and a MH baitcaster. I carried a small tackle bag stocked with a couple packs of plastic worms, some hooks and sinkers and a couple of spinnerbaits. I would walk along throwing a spinnerbait and trying to get a reaction strike, then backtrack with the plastic worms. I guess I could have done that with one rod, but it would have involved a lot more tying and retying than I like to do.

msmonroe reply :

I usually fish from a boat, however, I occasionally hit the bank during the week after work when it is too much hassle to fool with the boat. I used to cart several rods and my tackle box along but I got tired of that noise pretty quick. Now what I do is grab my favorite spinning reel and load up my cargo shorts with senkos and a small box with spare hooks, sinkers and a few cranks and jigs. I like this setup cause I'm not carrying anything around except my rod and it allows me to focus on just a few techniques.

- Matt

cpvenom reply :

I carry 3-5 rods and have water and small tacklebox in a backpack.

FivePoundBluegill reply :

It realy depends on situations. Sometimes I only bring one rod and a couple lures or plastics. Some days i bring both rods and have ne rigged for plastics one with a lure.

eastkybass reply :

I carry 3-4 rods with me, 2 baitcasters and 2 spinning reels. I have one baitcaster rigged with a spinnerbait at all times and the other for texas rigged or jigs. One spinning reel is used for drop-shot the other I use for weightless or small split shot presentations. I never fish far from my car so all of my tackle is in the back seat so I don't have to go far to get anything.

galv reply :

i usually bring 2 rods but really only need 1 because i lazily throw soft plastics the whole time :-[

depends on where you're fishing, but i like just bringing a 6 foot rod, so you're not walking through the woods getting all caught up on trees and crap getting all ticked off because you felt the need to bring all your gear including your 9 foot saltwater trolling rod.

also the bug spray is a must and i like a small radio with headphones because i can get kinda bored when the fish aren't biting.

MendotaBassMaster reply :

Well I have one spinning rod 6' rigged with a t-rigged senko that is very productive on my lake here and I also have a little longer spinning rod 6'6" that I t-rig worms with. I am just learning my baitcaster and I am not as apt at setting the hook on senkos, worms with it as i am with the spinning reels but I can and have caught with the zoom flukes. I keep all my plastics in a tupperware container that I bought at the local dollar store and have no problem getting around the lake with three poles and my baits. As you can see the fish are getting a little bigger.

ksdog reply :

There is a product called 3rd grip rod holder that I use. It straps around your waist and holds the rod at an angle that is out of the way and doesn't impede casting with the rod in your hand. I have a small plastic tackle box in my back pocket. I'll only wear a backpack when I'm walk/wading a long way from my vehicle. In the backpack I'll have water, snacks, spare spools, etc.

Senko4life reply :

I carry 1 rod, a 6'6 medium action spinning rod. I have 1 lure box in my backpack with cranks, jigs, spinnerbaits, top waters ect... and about 30 bags of various soft plastics. When fishing soft plastics, which is most of the time, Ill carry 3 or 4 colors and few different styles in a bag in my pocket so i can change my rig quick for different water I may come across.

BassHunter69 reply :

i bank fish alot i'll carry my med size ugly stik bag which has everything i need as top waters med level cranks, jigs and plastics, such as worms,tubes,lizards,and flukes i'll bring 2 rods one casting and one spinning, i'll just sling that ugly stik bag over my should and carry my rods easy to move from place to place, ive made bank fishing an all day event if i can, also having this assortament of lures allows me to be ready for nearly every and any situation at hand i may come across. theres not a peice of tackle i have that i haven't used, although i need more jig practice, and zara spook practice.

brgbassmaster reply :

i only have a huge plano tackle box loaded with spinnerbaits buzzbaits cranks tons of plastics topwater and it sucks carrying that 20lb thing around so any ideas for a smaller tackle box for shore walking.in my boat back at home i had a tackle storage box

Davis reply :

Quote
Taking two rods with a backpack is quite easy. That way you can carry a rod in each hand, and put one down to cast, OR carry two with one hand.
Have two totally different types of baits tied on though. That way you can fish every spot with two different techniques..

I walk around with a Zoom Superfluke on one, and a wacky rigged senko on the other.. Those are my two most productive baits. Put your two confidence baits on each rig, and you're set. That way you save re-tying your two fav baits over and over again.

I have a pretty good sized tacklebag that I walk around with. Next year I'm going to do what your doing. Just pick up a backpack and throw the tackle that I need in there. There is no reason that I need to bring my whole tacklebag along when I know that I'm not going to be throwing my hard baits. Makes sense to just toss some bags of plastics, hooks, pliers, and some split shot in a knapsack and go from there. For some reason I have always tugged along my tackle for some stupid reason.

32251 reply :

I am always refining my bank fishing set up. I carry a small shoulder bag that has a small two sided plastic box for small things and a single plastic box for longer lures. The soft plastics are in a zip lock bag and a set of needle noses for hook removal. That and a rod are all I take mostly. I am trying to get away from taking two rods.

I just got a couple of fishing vests off Ebay and these will hold a heck of a lot of stuff!! Going to put them to use soon.

I picked up at a yard sale some neat little pouches that clip on to a belt loop. One holds the cell phone and the other holds a bottle of water. That gets the bottle of water and the cell phone out of the pocket of my pants which gets uncomfortable. My folding knife is on a belt pouch. I would not ever go walking around a lake without a good knife that you can get to real fast. You never know what might come out of the woods or bushes! I have a carry permit, but have yet to start carrying a small pistol, but if I go to a wooded lake I am unfamiliar with I just might take it for obvious reasons until I can scope the situation out. Check the firearm laws out first in regards to the lake your fishing.

I also bought a pair of cargo pants at the great Wall of china Mart. They have some nice extra pockets for stuff.

Ballpark Frank reply :

I bank fish alot when I am working off of midnights. My route home has several accesses to Wheeler Lake/TN river. I usually do not fish far from my car, so my big Cabelas tackle bag is in the back. I usually carry 2 rods; a 7' M spinning with a swimbait or plastic(I am not very successful with plastics) and my 6'6" MH baitcaster with a spinnerbait. I do not venture far from the beaten path, due to an abundance of Cottonmouths in my area.

jwo1124 reply :

I find myself bank fishing more than on my boat. I have a small 12' aluminum which I load in/out of the back of my Ford Explorer. It needs two people to load/umload. So if no ones around, I'm stuck casting from shore.

I usually bring the majority of my rods and leaver them in my truck. I'll take 2-3 rods and a backpack with some plano clear boxes.

I should cut down to 1 or 2 rods. Just remember the words "pattern fishing" this means fishing a specific way(presentation/location) at a given time based on weather/season/time of day/ fish's biological needs)

Say I was to fish today, right now. Its 8:53 am Eastern time, 8/28 about 80 degrees and sunny, its been 80 and sunny the past couple weeks on average. Its summer its hot

I will know that since the surface temp is going to be hot from all the sunny hot days we have had. The bass will most likely be off shore in deeper water 10-15 feet near grassbeds for cover, camoflauge, oxygen. Since its hot and bright bass that remain in shallows will be in thick vegetation. Since its bright and sunny, shallow water bass will be on high alert and jumpy today since on bright days they feel vulnerable to predators since they can be seen easier.

So if I was fishing today from the bank, I would say, I probably am not going to be able to reach the deeper bass holding in cooler water on shore, so I'd focus on shallow vegetation and/boat docks or anywhere a fish can hide and be safe. If the shallow water temps were getting in the 80's I may slow down, plus since its sunny and bass are spooky I would use jigs/plastics natural presentations, maybe a topwater frog.

So for today all I need is a plastic/jig rod, and maybe a pitch/froggin rod. This will eliminate excess baggage I'll have to carry around on the lake.

If you know where the fish will most likely be, and what's the few best presentations to get them to bite, you'll know the gear you need. This will make choosing your bank fishing gear much easier and leave you a lot more comfortable walking around the shore of you rlocal lake or pond.

FishTank reply :

I usually bring 3 rods, 2 baitcasters and one spinning reel but this changes if it's windy outside. If that's the case I bring 2 spinning rods and 1 baitcaster. The baitcasters are setup one for crankbait and the other for softplastic. For the spinning out fit I use a shorter rod 6' or 6'3" for casting in either tight places along the bank or into the wind. For tackle I pack tons of stuff into a Jansport 2 day backpack including food and water.

Spini Boys reply :

1 baitcasting combo with a spinnerbait, packet of black worms and a couple bullet weights and worm hooks. Spinnerbait is my search bait, if the bite is slow I tie on the worm. I fish fast and furiouse from the bank, if I'm not in my boat, I dont have much time or i'm at a pond.

guest reply :

Sorry I didnt see this earlier I bank fish all the time Here is a picture of the Bank I fish from

BassHunter69 reply :

Quote
Sorry I didnt see this earlier I bank fish all the time Here is a picture of the Bank I fish from

dadgummit Muddy ;D

Bankbeater reply :

I carry one baitcaster with a jig and one spinning reel for plastics. I don't like to throw crankbaits or spinners from the bank because its way too easy to hang them up.

iminsanenutz reply :

i have one main box, depending on where im going and what time of day ill be there, i put certain things in a little 2 sided disc man carry bag. everyone says it looks like a purse so i gues i call it my fishing purse. but ill bring 2 rods with me and i can walk where ever, stop and tie something on then sling it back around to my back.

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