How Do I Switch From Bank Fishing To Boat Fishing And Successfully Catch Fish?

[Colson Blackburn]

I mainly fish from the bank and have only had a few opportunities to fish from a boat. I would really like to transition from bank to boat and need help on how to catch fish from a boat. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

[slonezp]

Bank fishermen spend their lives casting as far away from shore as they can to catch fish. Boat fishermen spend their lives casting as close to the shore as possible to catch fish.

[The Young Gun]

Bank fishermen spend their lives casting as far away from shore as they can to catch fish. Boat fishermen spend their lives casting as close to the shore as possible to catch fish.

Love this !

[basshavoc]

Love this !

X2

[Mccallister25]

X2

X3. I like that alot.

[WRB]

Your best option is fish with an experienced bass angler who can teach you how to control the boat and this takes practice.when shore fishing you are stable standing on the ground, in a boat you are not as stable and must concentrate on fishing and stability.

Boats open up location areas you can't fish from shore, however bass are not everywhere. Locating bass is essential to catching them for both shore and boat anglers. A boat gives you more choices where and how to fish.

Tom

[SirSnookalot]

Not only can you cover areas with a boat that can't be done from shore, I think it's easier to land a fish from boat. Bass from a boat I'm pulling them out of cover and from shore I may be pulling them back into cover. 

Other species can be easier, if necessary they can be chased down with the boat.

[Chris]

Fishing is fishing for the most part. You do need to look out for others when casting more in a boat than shore and don't forget the lip of the boat when pitching depending on what kind of boat you will be fishing out of. Some people tend to mine their own business and forget about the other guy who might be skiing lures behind them instead of fishing so yell if your not able to fish the way you want. Tournaments you might have less wiggle room in that area. Electronics are a blessing in a boat and it is worth the effort to learn them because it will help in locating hidden cover or structure changes. Also a lure knocker would be a wise investment.

[JayKumar]

Get a god map and a good depth finder and your world will change forever...for the better!

[flechero]

At first you'll probably be more comfortable fishing the same stuff, just in the opposite direction.  As you get time and practice on the water, you'll be able to find and fish other things like humps, deeper points, brush/rockpiles, etc. that are't reachable/accessable from short. 

 

Make a commitment to yourself to explore something (either an area or feature) new each day out in the boat... at least for the first few months. It will help keep you from becoming dependent on the familiarity of the bank.

[FrogFreak]

I recently went from a shore angler to a boater. What I had to overcome was the endless options that were now at my feet. I like the advice earlier about just having fun. I will add to that the following:

 

Get a map of the lake and study it

Have a strategy before you get on the water but stay flexible

Use bassresource.com to learn about all the new ways you can now fish

Try to get some local knowledge of the lake but be wary of dock talk. I pay attention to talk of structure, not technique.

Explore and enjoy!

[Marty]

I can't help you make the transition, but I can offer up a quote from Kevin Van Dam's first book:

 

"In fact, show me a good shore fisherman and I'll show you an angler who will make a great boat fisherman should he ever decide to add a boat to his fishing arsenal."

[merc1997]

you are not any longer confined to what you can fish from the shore. one thing that you will need to work on is boat control while fishing. you can not catch the first one if the boat is never where it should be. also, learn the seasonal patterns of not only the bass, but the food sources. i would also suggest that you look up tom youngs cosmic clock. it will help you immensely in being able to eliminat unproductive water for the different times of the year.

bo

[bigbill]

Fishing from shore and fishing from a boat is the same only backwards. The bass are closer to shore ambushing prey.

I fish at the smaller ponds and at old man made dams for water power. Now what some shore fisherman don't realize is what works in your favorite hot spot will work at other places too. I use a hummingbird portable fish finder to learn the bottom structure. This tells me how to fish that area. I find the flats, deeper holes and channels. They do the same thing from a boat. With a boat we need to learn how to use all the electronics.

Plus the trolling motor and GPS. But your looking for fish.

We need to learn how to fish each new place. But the boat has all the equipment.

I think I have an advantage fishing from shore at the smaller places. I can gun and run faster because each places I fish are close to each other. If it's slow at one place it maybe better at the next place. We do hit all four bodies of water on each trip anyway. It's fun to have this advantage.

I fish at one place were we rent boats. But I have the knowledge on how to fish it.

I found all these new places while riding my dual sport dirtbike. By cruising the back roads.

[BridgerM]

I recently went from a shore angler to a boater. What I had to overcome was the endless options that were now at my feet. I like the advice earlier about just having fun. I will add to that the following:

 

Get a map of the lake and study it

Have a strategy before you get on the water but stay flexible

Use bassresource.com to learn about all the new ways you can now fish

Try to get some local knowledge of the lake but be wary of dock talk. I pay attention to talk of structure, not technique.

Explore and enjoy!

I'm in the same boat, so to speak. There is definitely a learning curve, especially if you are learning the ins and outs of boating in addition to the change from bank to boat. Then add in electronics.

 

It can be overwhelming trying to figure where to fish at first. There are so many options you feel like you have to move to the next spot before thoroughly working over an area.

 

Find what you think is a good spot if you were shore fishing and fish there from the boat. A good contour map will help and increase your confidence with that spot. Really spend time working the area over with different lures to find structure changes. Just because you have a boat doesn't mean you have to keep moving constantly like the pros.

[Sam]

Fish as much as you can out of the boat.

Read and follow all state laws about the equipment and licenses you need to have on the boat to be legal.

Be sure to check motor's oil before each outing.

Keep batteries plugged into the charger when boat is stored.

Learn where the fuse box is located.

Learn the controls.

Keep duplicate motor key on boat when fishing. You get the extra keys from the motor manufacturer.

Check out where your bilge and live well pumps are located and write down their GPS and manufacturer.

Practice using the trolling motor. Go slow and go fast and hold on if you go fast as the initial thrust can jolt you.

Know the sound of the motor. If it changes you have a problem.

Always know where you are in the boat s you don't fall out. Not kidding. Watch the sides so you don't forget and take a step out of the boat.

Practice backing up so you will know how to back up to launch the boat properly.

Equip the boat away from the ramp and only use the ramp to launch and trailer the boat.

Always check the trailer wheels for grease and bearings each year and the trailer itself to make sure it is in good condition.

Always check the trailer's lights. They can be a pain.

Know where  you store your tackle and equipment on the boat. You can go nuts trying to find that one crankbait or plastic that you know you have on the boat but can't find it. And be quiet as possible.

Then go out as much as you can and fish, fish, fish.

You will have a 360* base as compared to bank fishing's 180*.

Don't be afraid to walk from the front to the middle and back of the boat to fish. 

Throw to the bank and retrieve back to you.

Learn your electronics so you can find the submerged cover and structure and be able to fish those. When you watch the Saturday and Sunday fishing shows you will note the pros fishing in the middle of nowhere. Their electronics tell them what is under them that is holding fish and you will learn to do this in a few years.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THE PLUG. IF IT IS NOT RAINING INSTALL THE PLUG BEFORE  YOU LEAVE HOME. OTHERWISE, YOU PUT THE PLUG IN THE BOAT AS THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU HIT THE RAMP.  LET US KNOW WHEN YOU FORGET TO DO THIS SO WE CAN MAKE FUN OF YOU.

If you forget to put in the plug go as fast as you can to drain the water and head for the ramp to trailer the boat and put in the plug.

 

Now quit reading all of this baloney and go out and do some fishing and post pics and let us know of your adventures.

 

[Nitrofreak]

It's all up to you as to how successful you wish to be , invest in good quality electronics that will help you navigate as well as show some fish , your season starts in the dead of winter, depending on your location , use that time to get a good grasp of maps and what to look for , if you primarily fish lakes , your map studies should be all about looking for migration routes in the very beginning , looking for more vertical type structure that's gonna feed back to flats as a general rule , take your boat out and go over the whole area you have chosen as a starting point with a back and fourth motion , scan every bit of that area you can, you will find fish , mark those locations on a map , if at all possible get out there as much as you possibly can and do this for each part of your lake , make greatly detailed notes of everything , soon enough you will start to put a lot pieces of the great puzzle together , do not expect this to be a big success anytime soon , patience , patience , patience , is going to be key , use your boat for what it's intended , get out there and find what you want to see , experience everything with an open mind , the more you explore , the more you will learn !

Good luck and be safe !!!

[Felix77]

Fishing from any kind of vessel (boat, canoe, kayak etc.) it seems to come down to one thing IMO and that is boat control.  

 

Managing how you are going into your areas, avoid overrunning your spot, drift control etc.  I found myself working more on those things than fishing when I first got out there.

 

Once this became 2nd nature it began feeling like bank fishing again.  Focused on structure, the presentation etc.

 

Still working on the fishfinder thing to take it to another level.  

[Colson Blackburn]

So I've recently got a boat and have been fishing in it alot. I usually get hung on one bait and stick with it forever. How do I know what bait to use when?