Official Bank Walkers Topic!

[IDUTBass]

Glad I'm not the only one. I just picked up some dt6s to try. Any other shallow crank models you guys would suggest? I picked up some arashis, river 2 sea biggies and some kvd 1.5s but haven had much luck with square bills. I'm gonna try em on the rip rap around the dams here this year and hopefully my luck will change.

[Cgrinder]

Glad I'm not the only one. I just picked up some dt6s to try. Any other shallow crank models you guys would suggest? I picked up some arashis, river 2 sea biggies and some kvd 1.5s but haven had much luck with square bills. I'm gonna try em on the rip rap around the dams here this year and hopefully my luck will change.

 

The Arashi Wake is on my short list. 

[Paul Roberts]

Do any of you guys throw crankbaits from the shore? I haven't seen anyone mention them much. That produced pretty well for me last year. Mainly shad raps, lipless cranks as well as a few live target baits.

Definitely. I've thrown every type at one time or another. As in boat fishing, positioning yourself can be key. The shore is more limiting but when you see the possibility, go for it. Cranks are just fun to fish.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Glad I'm not the only one. I just picked up some dt6s to try. Any other shallow crank models you guys would suggest? I picked up some arashis, river 2 sea biggies and some kvd 1.5s but haven had much luck with square bills. I'm gonna try em on the rip rap around the dams here this year and hopefully my luck will change.

 

Here is my 1st crankbait fish this year. Square 5 Arashi Hot Blue Shad. Fish hit very hard for its size I also was using braid so that increases the feel of strikes.

 

[wytstang]

I bank fish all the time and use mostly crankbaits (DT6 and or FAT03's  mostly [using Arashi's more and more though]) with chatterbaits being my back up when the grass is grown to much (like it is right now).

[Mossyoak88]

I rarely get out on a boat and I'm pretty young (so not much experience). I've gone out 3 times this year and I haven't caught a thing. Are there any tips that you guys want to give?

[kingmotorboat]

I rarely get out on a boat and I'm pretty young (so not much experience). I've gone out 3 times this year and I haven't caught a thing. Are there any tips that you guys want to give?

I was the same way a year ago. I just had tons of patience and in my downtime watched flukemastrers videos. I finally put it all together this season and had a few great trips I'm finally confident. Just don't give up. You will get it

[lectricbassman]

I rarely get out on a boat and I'm pretty young (so not much experience). I've gone out 3 times this year and I haven't caught a thing. Are there any tips that you guys want to give?

Be patient and spend as much time on the water (on the shore of course) as you can! Watch lots of videos and read lots of articles in the mean time. Dont let the skunk get you down or play games with your head. Finding, fishing for, and catching bass is a skill that has to be developed and it just takes time. I was in the same position last year. One season on the water and i can tell a huge difference in my ability to catch fish.

[lectricbassman]

One more thing, if you arent catching fish try something different even if youve had success with that lure or technique before. I got into a bad funk last year because i was stuck on buzzbaits. I still love fishing them but i realize theres a pretty small window of time in which they work.

[Bruce424]

Try somthing simple like a shakey head worm or wacky rigged worm

[Catt]

I rarely get out on a boat and I'm pretty young (so not much experience). I've gone out 3 times this year and I haven't caught a thing. Are there any tips that you guys want to give?

Goto wwwbassresource.com

And keep chunkin-n-reelin!

[kingmotorboat]

Be patient and spend as much time on the water (on the shore of course) as you can! Watch lots of videos and read lots of articles in the mean time. Dont let the skunk get you down or play games with your head. Finding, fishing for, and catching bass is a skill that has to be developed and it just takes time. I was in the same position last year. One season on the water and i can tell a huge difference in my ability to catch fish.

I'm in the same boat. No pun intended

[ClackerBuzz]

I rarely get out on a boat and I'm pretty young (so not much experience). I've gone out 3 times this year and I haven't caught a thing. Are there any tips that you guys want to give?

this is something i just learned this year and posted on another thread:

 

I made a decision this year to only fish pre-spawn from the bank 25% of the time.  everyone knows the fish don't move shallow b/c of water temps but there is another major factor: lack of cover.  the banks are barren lands with no weeds for them to hide in.  i have been catching all my kayak/boat bass out of dead deep weed patches where they still have cover.  i just can't cast to them from shore.  all my shore fish have come from water that has deep water access. it actually makes it easier b/c i get to skip 90% of the shoreline and only fish near the creek channel or spillway.  looking forward to them coming closer to shore.

 

so my advice to you is to always fish near the deepest water in ur fishery. if you have to fish shallow early in the year try to fish around wood, docks, lay downs etc.  later in the season just make sure you're around weeds. if you want to know how big the bass in ur fishery are fish at: dusk, dawn and night.

[livemusic]

during the spawn (which is where much of the country is right now), i believe that in many ways bank bound anglers hold a distinct advantage over guys in a boat regardless of what type of water you're talking about.  the two biggest bass i have ever caught off beds, 12-0 and 12-2, both came while fishing from the bank.  in the case of the 12-2, i was about to put the boat in the water when i just happened to notice that big fish rolling around on a bed.  i knew that it would be almost impossible to catch that fish from a boat the way she was positioned.  so i just left the boat alone and fished her from the bank (for 6 hours in the pouring rain).

 

the only time that i feel like it's a disadvantage to be on the bank is during the summer and winter when offshore fishing is the way to go (and only then if you are talking larger bodies of water).

 

You fished one fish for six hours? Can you elaborate?

[kingmotorboat]

You fished one fish for six hours? Can you elaborate?

Indeed. Me personally I would rather put a few 2 and 3 lbers on the boat. Not bashing I think spending 2 hours on 1 fish is crazy unless money was involved

[J Francho]

Said no one that caught a 12-2 largemouth.

[NoahWatts]

Just a week ago I spent 7.5 hours on a 9.75. And it was worth every second

[kingmotorboat]

Said no one that caught a 12-2 largemouth.

Was my *** showing that much lol

[paul.]

You fished one fish for six hours? Can you elaborate?

sure.  at the time i was a complete novice at sight fishing and very, very bad at it.  also, that fish was "in the act" of spawning for a LONG time that day.  sometimes they can be very difficult to catch while they are actually in the act.  third, i think by nature that was a very stubborn fish.  fourth, the nest was covered in lily pads, so i just had to work through a tedious process of elimination (again with a very limited knowledge base) and "learn as i went" rather than being able to make the appropriate adjustments based on visual cues.  and last, you tend to lose track of time when you're intensely focused on something.  hours literally seemed like minutes at the time.

 

but i knew that i could not come back the next day.  it was then or never.  and this was the biggest fish i had ever laid eyes on at the time.  i just mentally prepared myself that i was in it for the long haul - win, lose, or draw.  ironically, that was the catch that really made me fall in love with sight fishing.  to this day, it's still my very favorite way to catch fish.  had i not caught that fish, i would have probably hated it for the rest of my life.

 

6 hours is nothing.  at that point in my life i had waited 36 years for that fish.  what's another 6 hours?

[kingmotorboat]

sure. at the time i was a complete novice at sight fishing and very, very bad at it. also, that fish was "in the act" of spawning for a LONG time that day. sometimes they can be very difficult to catch while they are actually in the act. third, i think by nature that was a very stubborn fish. fourth, the nest was covered in lily pads, so i just had to work through a tedious process of elimination (again with a very limited knowledge base) and "learn as i went" rather than being able to make the appropriate adjustments based on visual cues. and last, you tend to lose track of time when you're intensely focused on something. hours literally seemed like minutes at the time.

but i knew that i could not come back the next day. it was then or never. and this was the biggest fish i had ever laid eyes on at the time. i just mentally prepared myself that i was in it for the long haul - win, lose, or draw. ironically, that was the catch that really made me fall in love with sight fishing. to this day, it's still my very favorite way to catch fish. had i not caught that fish, i would have probably hated it for the rest of my life.

6 hours is nothing. at that point in my life i had waited 36 years for that fish. what's another 6 hours?

I completely retract everything I said. It completely makes sense waiting for that once on a lifetime anglers dream. What did you catch her on

[SirSnookalot]

There are certain times of the year when I can catch some pretty hefty fish almost everyday, right they are not bass.  I personally would not spend hours to catch 1 specific fish.  I do fish for bass nearly every day too, I do it because I enjoy it and it gives me pleasure.  For me it's the strike and the fight, the species is irrelevant.  There is no scale or goal except to have fun.  Don't think for second I'm cavalier, when I'm out there I'm intense and focused.  

[Joedodge]

Been sick all week so haven't been out to fish at all. But I agree with snook. I fish for enjoyment but I'm pretty dang focused on what's going on when I'm on the bank. If anything I'm more relaxed and leisurely when I'm in my canoe because there's more to look at lol.

[paul.]

I completely retract everything I said. It completely makes sense waiting for that once on a lifetime anglers dream. What did you catch her on

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=zetabait+deadly+swamp+rat&view=detailv2&&&id=C9DB307880843F3CD4BB99881F92739FBC4F3AA5&selectedIndex=1&ccid=zi9cILYW&simid=608037794785984707&thid=JN.dvJu8xC1LVb8gWAepmOlDQ&ajaxhist=0

 

being dead serious.  one of the most deadly bed fishing baits ever if used correctly.

[bigbill]

I fish from shore, I'm alone. Plus I can gun and run.

Fishing from shore is like fishing from a boat only backwards.

Be very, very, very quiet, stealthy. Don't step on roots or rocks sticking out of the ground. They send vibrations into the water. It's natures alarm system.

Fishing pressured places are ok, most of them aren't catching anything anyway. I don't have a clue as to what there doing nor do they. I see salt water rigs being casted out with 2oz sinkers. Scary. Example, With there surf casting rods what are they thinking. This is why I switched from evening fishing to early mornings 4/5am.

The bass are close to shore feeding before first light.(in the dark) be very quiet so you don't spook them. Don't coff, blow your nose, no tackle box noises. I use spinning reels so I can close the bail softly. NO NOISE AT ALL BE 100%++++ stealthy.

Knowing the bottom structure is the key. The depths, the holes, Drop offs, flats, rocky points, weed lines, transistion changes, currents, channels is also usable knowledge on how to fish it. A cast out portable fish finder will tell you some of this. I fish the smaller bodies of water where no topo maps are available. The depth tells us which crank bait to use.

My PB OF 10lbs was caught two feet from shore while casting parallel to the shoreline at a drop off. The fish was about 8ft away from me and I never spooked her. Stealth. These bass didn't get that big being dumb.

Example,

When there's action in the pads how do you fish it? I cast parallel to the edge of the pads past the area were I want my lure to be at. I walk the dog to the near the area not on top of it. I draw out the bass just incase there's more than one. I've seen bass leave the cover of the pads, swim out 8' to 10' to strike my lure. Focus on where you need to cast and make your presentation Oscar winning perfect. My point is knowing how to fish it. I work the weed lines along side an open channel. The channel runs 9'/10' deep, I use my 10' diving cranks, my Carolina rig, spinnerbait in a slow mode. On top of the submerged weeds I use a bomber fat A that floats and I stop it over the open weed pockets. Twitching the rod tip a little the crank rattles ringing the dinner bell.

The rocky points I cast down them with a jig/pig or skip fan cast across them with a spinnerbait or inline spinner.

Ok my point is be stealthy,

[RSM789]

Said no one that caught a 12-2 largemouth.

 

There are anglers who used to fish Lake Mission Viejo (before the yellow algae fish kill) who would pass up 12 lb fish on beds.  They were hunting a world record and would not spend any time on anything that looked smaller than 15 lbs.  So they qualify as someone who caught at least a 12-2, but would not spend six hours fishing for one that size.  They would spend six hours fish for one that went 22-2, but not one that most of us would call the fish of a lifetime.  In other words, it is all relative to what you consider to be the largest fish you could ever catch.

 

I wonder if Tom (WRB) would spend six hours trying to catch a 12-2 bedding fish?  Based on his accomplishments, I would think not.