Shore Fishing

[Lindenau03]

I do almost all my fishing from the shore, so I was wondering if people had any tips for shore fishing. My fishing ranges from small ponds to large lakes.

[HeavyDluxe]

Another newbish, bank-bound angler here... But here's what I've learned.

1) When possible, take time to explore the body of water before you really intend to fish it. It helps to identify 'fishy' spots beforehand so you can plan how you'd fish them and from where you'd attack them. Several times early on I would walk along a trail and stumble on a nice spot around the corner only to see a splash and watch the fish I wanted retreating out of reach.

2) Don't underestimate the need to be as stealthy as possible when moving along the bank. The vibrations from your footsteps and the shadows you cast on the water (to say nothing of voices, etc) can have a much larger impact on your success than you'd expect. You don't need to be a ninja or anything, but move intentionally and quietly.

3) On a related note, learn to fish/cast parallel to the bank from your location or learn to cast out a good distance. If I cast further up the bank, down the bank, or out from where I am standing, I have had better success (likely because fish haven't been as aware of my presence).

4) Simplify, as much as you can, your tackle. The more moving you do, the more you have to haul the 35lbs of soft plastics and jigs that you've got in that bag you bought last Christmas. If you can do that, so be it. But I've found I'm more effective at getting around the water when I economize what I carry. This also helps if you intend to try to get off the beaten trails to some areas of the bank that are generally not accessible. The more stuff you're carrying, the more hang-ups in trees and brush you'll deal with.

5) Consider investing in slightly heavier tackle than you might otherwise think... especially if you're trying to work with a single rod/reel combo. See below.

Lastly, and take this with a huge grain of salt, but... Plan to simplify the tactics that you employ, too. Here's what I mean...

In the two bodies of water I frequent most, there is a fair bit of vegetation and the bass seem to hold along the outside edge - towards deeper water. In a boat, you'd pull up there and either cast in towards the weeds and retrieve back out over the down-slope or you would cast parallel to the weed edge and work. Both are hard to access, obviously, from the bank. You'll be casting out - either straight out or at an angle - and retrieving back *into* (through) the cover. Of course, this is fine but it will certainly mean that you leave most of the treble hooks at home. At least, it has to me.

Learn the body of water as much as you can, be patient, and setup so you are flexible and can make the most of the access to the water you do/can have from shore.

Can't wait to hear other replies so I can learn more, too.

[hooah212002]

To add on to HeavyDluxe's great post, I have went away from tackle box altogether. I have a speedbag for my plastics and some plano boxes for hardbaits. My plano boxes and everything else (pliers, gloves, scissors, etc) get put into a backpack. Bam, done. I carry a somewhat large backpack and my fishing poles and that is it. I always have one hand free to traverse rough-ish terrain. Now, I should mention that I have a heavy duty back pack that I bought while in the military and it is nearly as comfortable as a proper issue rucksack even when loaded down, so your standard school book bag likely isn't up to task. They do make fishing backpacks and most of them come with plano boxes already. This method also helps when I am invited to go with someone on a boat because ALL my gear is in one place and doesn't take up a lot of deckspace AND has the added benefit of being able to store drinks/food.

[ClackerBuzz]

great advice.

1-don't walk up to the waters edge and make a cast. stand 10ft back from the water and softly pitch a senko in the waters edge. that way you can catch the fishy sun tanning instead of spooking him.

2-in the spring and fall make distance casts as mentioned. long casts retrieved 45 deg or parallel to shore will keep you in the strike zone the longest when the fish are getting fat on bait fish.

3-find the coves with the most muck/algae/stagnant water in the summer. go back in the winter and cold spring day. those coves warm the fastest b/c there is no water flow or wind blowing. its usually great fishing after the rest of the lake is cold.

4-if/when you get hung up in a tree: don't pull on ur lure with the rod b/c it loads and sinks the lure deeper. point the rod tip directly at the lure and tug back. you have a 50% better chance of yanking it free.

5-always find the feeder stream and fish it (esp on hot summer days b/c its like a/c for them).

6-always find the exit stream and fish it.

7-at any given point, one side of the water/shore is better than the other. thats b/c the original stream flowed thru with a zig/zag effect from shore to shore. find out or imagine where the deep parts and under water stream banks are (if one side has heavy algae/weeds breaking surface or lily pads, the other side is usually clear deeper water).

8-commit to a cast ALL the way back and be prepared for a strike up until the last second. i can't tell you how many times a fish smashed my spinnerbait 5ft from shore after a 60ft cast. its the moment they need to make a decision and strike or let the bait go free up the shore. one time i was finished reeling and was lifting my spinnerbait up out of the water and a fish struck. i literally swung her up and out of the water. it was wild.

9-get a topo map of ur larger bodies of water. you can rule out 80% of the water to fish b/c there is a 100ft+ flat. you will never be able to cast far enough out to effectively fish the area. focus on: the bends where the original creek flows against the bank, feeder streams, points and secondary points near deep water, weed beds near deep water, fallen trees near deep water (deep water theme!).

good luck!

[ClackerBuzz]

oh yea....get a kayak or canoe!!!

i fished heavy from the shore 2 full seasons. it was great b/c i really learned how to read a body of water. i can roll up to an unknown body now, w/o a map, and read it well. after awhile i just couldn't take being on shore anymore b/c i could literally see all the great spots i was missing out on (HeavyDulx:

you obviously feel the same pain looking at good weed bed you can't fish effectively!). It's been pure heaven getting better angles, better cover, deeper water access points from a kayak. i imagine its the same going from a bass boat with no electronics to buying a depth finder. opens a whole new world

[Glenn]

http://www.bassresource.com/hank-parker-fishing/fishing-from-shore.html

[Loop_Dad]

One tip I have is to go cheap with your lures (without compromising the performance, that is). I used to make my own jigs and the cost of one jig with trailer went down to something like $1.25 a piece. If you are not afraid of loosing your lure, you get more fish.

[HeavyDluxe]

oh yea....get a kayak or canoe!!!

I'm in the midst of following this advice myself.

HeavyDulx: you obviously feel the same pain looking at good weed bed you can't fish effectively!

At least not the way I would like to fish it... We have a very interesting little lake (spring fed, very small) in our town that - for its size - provides some truly excellent fishing. It is free from all the invasive species that afflict other bodies of water in our region and is even home to a very rare type of vegetation. That is the case because, when the land was given to our town, it was deeded with the proviso that there be no watercraft of any kind on it. So, the place I could fish the most is not going to get any of my kayak mileage, sadly.

[BassAssassin726]

Another newbish, bank-bound angler here... But here's what I've learned.

1) When possible, take time to explore the body of water before you really intend to fish it. It helps to identify 'fishy' spots beforehand so you can plan how you'd fish them and from where you'd attack them. Several times early on I would walk along a trail and stumble on a nice spot around the corner only to see a splash and watch the fish I wanted retreating out of reach.

2) Don't underestimate the need to be as stealthy as possible when moving along the bank. The vibrations from your footsteps and the shadows you cast on the water (to say nothing of voices, etc) can have a much larger impact on your success than you'd expect. You don't need to be a ninja or anything, but move intentionally and quietly.

3) On a related note, learn to fish/cast parallel to the bank from your location or learn to cast out a good distance. If I cast further up the bank, down the bank, or out from where I am standing, I have had better success (likely because fish haven't been as aware of my presence).

4) Simplify, as much as you can, your tackle. The more moving you do, the more you have to haul the 35lbs of soft plastics and jigs that you've got in that bag you bought last Christmas. If you can do that, so be it. But I've found I'm more effective at getting around the water when I economize what I carry. This also helps if you intend to try to get off the beaten trails to some areas of the bank that are generally not accessible. The more stuff you're carrying, the more hang-ups in trees and brush you'll deal with.

5) Consider investing in slightly heavier tackle than you might otherwise think... especially if you're trying to work with a single rod/reel combo. See below.

Lastly, and take this with a huge grain of salt, but... Plan to simplify the tactics that you employ, too. Here's what I mean...

In the two bodies of water I frequent most, there is a fair bit of vegetation and the bass seem to hold along the outside edge - towards deeper water. In a boat, you'd pull up there and either cast in towards the weeds and retrieve back out over the down-slope or you would cast parallel to the weed edge and work. Both are hard to access, obviously, from the bank. You'll be casting out - either straight out or at an angle - and retrieving back *into* (through) the cover. Of course, this is fine but it will certainly mean that you leave most of the treble hooks at home. At least, it has to me.

Learn the body of water as much as you can, be patient, and setup so you are flexible and can make the most of the access to the water you do/can have from shore.

Can't wait to hear other replies so I can learn more, too.

These are great tips right here. I highly agree with moving quietly, you would be surprised how much fish can feel and see. Also simplifying your tackle is paramount. I use a normal Jansport schoolbag. A jig/crankbait box, spinnerbait/jerkbait box, soft plastic/topwater box and a terminal tackle box. Those 3 boxes fit everything i need. Also you dont need every color of every lure. Stick with tried and true colors. Black/blue, green, green pumpkin, chartruese. You should be able to catch fish with just those 4 colors.

[roadwarrior]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/13845-guaranteed-to-catch-bass/

[SirSnookalot]

All my bass fishing is done from shore, most of my SW fishing too. I take 1 rod and 2 or 3 lures, my choices are based on the kind of water I'm fishing. I'm always walking but work an area pretty thorough fan casting, but the emphasis is right off the shore line near the drop off. If I have open water it's common for me to use nothing but a top water lure, I find that to be the most fun for me, not always the best producer. I'm there strictly for the enjoyment.

[Bankbeater]

Watch your step. The last thing you want to do is walk down on some rip rap and have a rock fall into the water right where you want to cast.

[BassinLou]

Awesome advice from everyone. Columbia sports has a small/medium pack that you clip on your waist. It holds a fair amount of tackle. On the sides it has netting/pouches to hold two water bottles. I have a water bottle on one side, and carry my digital scale on the other. I like to pack it light however I stay versatile. I carry one rod which allows me to fish in several ways. Keep your eyes open and keep aware at all times. Terrain can get "iffy" sometimes. I almost fell completely in an urban canal once when the entire face of the canal where I was standing collapsed. Also, keep an eye on wildlife. Gators, snakes, raccoons. Yes, racoons. They are curious creatures sometimes.

[fishking247]

i strictly fish from shore. most of the places i fish are small ponds with an average depth of 3-4'. keep it simple. a couple bags of plastics, crankbait, spinnerbait, and topwater with some hooks and sinker

[wademaster1]

i do tons of shore fishing as well as lots of boat fishing; simply put: backpack for all gear; extra everything in case something breaks, gets lost etc., be quiet, look for structure and active fish in the water; be careful; bring water; dont be afraid to cast into "iffy" places so buy cheaper priced lures because you'll lose some for sure but when you land that hawg that was under that log or whatever you'll forget all about the lures that you've lost; work an area thouroughly before moving on; lots of bass can watch your bait go right by several times before it will commit; good luck

[BassAssassin726]

To add on to HeavyDluxe's great post, I have went away from tackle box altogether. I have a speedbag for my plastics and some plano boxes for hardbaits. My plano boxes and everything else (pliers, gloves, scissors, etc) get put into a backpack. Bam, done. I carry a somewhat large backpack and my fishing poles and that is it. I always have one hand free to traverse rough-ish terrain. Now, I should mention that I have a heavy duty back pack that I bought while in the military and it is nearly as comfortable as a proper issue rucksack even when loaded down, so your standard school book bag likely isn't up to task. They do make fishing backpacks and most of them come with plano boxes already. This method also helps when I am invited to go with someone on a boat because ALL my gear is in one place and doesn't take up a lot of deckspace AND has the added benefit of being able to store drinks/food.

Believe it or not regular schoolbags are pretty tough. Ive been using the same Jansport schoolbag for 2 years now and the thing is solid. 3 plano boxes for plastics and hard baits, a small plano box for terminal tackle and stuff like pliers, scissors etc go in the front pouch and im set.

[Curved]

Great advice here. I'll echo the part about being stealthy. Casting past obstacles and down bank is where I get a lot of my best surprises. I store my tackle in a small fanny pack that's barely long enough for my pliers/multitool. In it I'll keep 2 or 3 different rig loadouts that I'll switch depending on what I'm fishing for. I'll bring only one rod. Casting across body with the rod tip pointed down or twirling the lure around the rod can help in tight spots and make the lure land more silently.

[Clint C.]

For me the best thing I've learned while shore fishing is down size and use something different, especially in areas of the lake that get a lot of fishing pressure.

[Bair]

Carry only what you will realistically use. This lightens up your pack and helps when covering large bodies of water.Cover water, take lots of casts and just keep casting.There are fish.

[0119]

The other day at the book store I found that Bassin' magazine has put out a special issue called "Pond Hopper" . All kinds of info on shore bound fishing and fishing small waters. Plus none of the tournament garbage! I recommend you find that magazine for tips too.

[LgMouthGambler]

I used to carry a backpack type thing by Spiderwire with all sorts of stuff in it. Now I just carry a small soft plastic wallet type deal with a zipper front pocket that I put pliers, hooks, and weights in. The inside has zipp plastic binder that I put soft frogs in one, soft lizards and trick worms that are watermelon colors in another, and dark colored ultravibe worms in the 3rd. Its all I ever use now. Hooked a carabiner to it to hook to a belt loop and be done with it. Got this thing from NAFC.