Bank Fishing Forum

[coryn h. fishowl]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.]

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]

Now unpinned?

 

 

that was quick lol

[ClackerBuzz]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

 

Any tactics besides just flinging the fish over your shoulder?

 

Use a net.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

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]

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

[coryn h. fishowl]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[michang5]

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]

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