Any Tips On Fishing From A Boat Cant Seem To Have The Best Luck

[MANNY04]

I currently purchased a boat i have trolling motor and the fish tracker i have its not the best but it works, i haven't had the best luck catching bass. I've been fishing for most of my life but never from a boat is there something different i need to do?. Any help would be appreciated

[scaleface]

Try to eliminate water. You have a fish finder , that should show you the thermocline in the summer. Water deeper than that , eliminated.   

[MANNY04]

Thank you for the tip i'll try it. Hopefully i start getting some fish. Its been really hot here in Kansas i figure that might be why i haven't had the best of luck.

[falcon104]

Best thing to do is look into upgrading your electronics. The Hummingbird Helix 5 is a good place to start looking. Great 2D sonar and GPS is great. http://www.basspro.com/Humminbird-Helix-5-Sonar-GPS/product/1409251012/

Good Luck

[MANNY04]

Yes, i been looking at buying a new one the newer ones look allot more high tech then the one i have. Well thanks for the tip, im hoping to get something soon patience is a key when fishing so hopefully i have plenty of it.

[Raul]

Fish the same places that have produced fish for you when fishing from the bank and think the opposite way around because the place that produces fish when fishing from the bank will produce when you fish from the boat.

 

A boat offers you mobility and the opportunity of reaching places you could´t reach from the shore.

 

You need all the fancy stuff ( like depth finders ) to catch fish from a boat ? not really, or at least not in my eyes you "must" have them, they help but they are not an absolute must, I caught thousands of fish without the need of a depth finder because where I live and when I began fishing there were no such thing as depth finders ( heck not even paper graphs ). Electronics, if used and interpreted properly can make you a more efficient "fish locator" which not necessarily means you´ll catch more fish.

[Wayne P.]

Remember how far you cast when fishing from shore and caught fish?

Well that is where the fish are. 

I see so many boaters casting right up against the shore and the fish are either under the boat or behind them a majority of the year.

[MANNY04]

Thanks for the help!!..well i wont be purchasing any new gadgets just yet because i did get the boat not to long ago..yeah i will be hitting different spots that i use to hit when fishing from the shore hopefully i have some luck!

[BassinLou]

There is learning curve when you transition from the bank to a boat. Fishing mechanics are obviously the same however the difficulty of casting can change. For example, casting under docks or trees. That takes some practice. Look for places that look fishy that are not accessible from the bank. For example, pad fields, timber and grass. As far as electronics. That's your call. I have electronics, but the water's i fish are shallow, using electronics the majority of the time is not necessary. 

[Neil McCauley]

You do not need electronics. Forget the fish finder. You need to start with the basics...what type of lake, what structure and cover is available, seasonal movements of bass, etc. You will never do well no matter how fancy your electronics unless you understand these things.

[MANNY04]

i feel just a bit like an idiot but i honestly dont understand what you mean by structure and cover could you explain it to me?

[deep]

i feel just a bit like an idiot but i honestly dont understand what you mean by structure and cover could you explain it to me?

 

For a start,

 

(Hard) Structure: the bottom of the reservoir. More accurately, a distinguishable part of the bottom (a piece of structure starts somewhere and ends somewhere).

Cover: anything that has settled on or grows on the bottom etc.

 

Cover doesn't have to be on the bottom, and structure doesn't need to be related to depth changes always (soft structures).

[scaleface]

Go to fishing articles at the top of the page . The first choice in the pop downs is fishing for beginners . Read those . All us guys will just confuse you because we all have different suggestions .

[the reel ess]

If you're fishing a big lake, you might not find them for a while. They're likely on offshore structure during the day this time of year.

[poisonokie]

excellent topic.

[senko_77]

This is a relatively easy problem to solve. It's best since you're in your early boating career to stick to shallow fishing. Boat control and positioning is IMPERATIVE when fishing offshore, so keep it simple. Before the sun gets over the tree lines, pull into small pockets and throw topwater. This time of year I really have success with a spook style bait or a buzz bait. Try different shoreline cover like grass, docks, rocks, lay downs, etc until you find where you are catching more fish. This will help a ton later in the day.

Basically, you're gonna stay shallow all day. As sun gets up, usually you experience a small lull in the bite as the fish adjust to the brighter conditions. Since the fish aren't crazy about being exposed in the bright light, it's a no brainier on what to attack the rest of the day.....shade. Fish the shady side of docks, bridge pilings, laydowns. Basically anything that casts a shadow, no matter how small. Bass sit in the shade pockets and ambush prey as it comes by. Bring your bait right next to the shade line or flip a jig or weighted soft plastic right into into the shade. Eventually you're gonna trigger a reaction strike by doing this. I like using a streamlined plastic and heavy weight to get that pitch to shade to fall faster. The faster the fall, the better chance of the reaction strike.

Another thing to look for is wind. Even a tiny ripple can get an entire area of fish fired up. It adds oxygen to the water, can cool it off a bit, and create minute amounts of current. All of those things are huge in warm weather fishing. When you find banks with wind, approach it the same way. Root a squarebill crankbait or spinnerbait to keep it simple. Make sure you're running then around shade lines and keep the bait moving quickly. It's all about that reaction strike. If they aren't interested in the hardbaits or spinnerbaits, try a soft plastic jerk bait or senko. That small change can be huge. Once again, on the windy banks, attack the shade with the jig or soft plastic once you hit those shade lines with the moving baits.

Another scenario is shoreline grass. If you find quality grass (not that slimy scum grass), but solid, green grass. Attack this with a frog or toad and then work the edges with soft plastics. If you find anything out of the ordinary on that grass line, fish this extra hard. Usually this means the bottom either has an indention or small point and this will focus the fish on that particular area.

When you fish a pocket and you're backing out, always always ALWAYS take your boat, line up where the pocket comes to an end, and make a cast to the end with a crankbait that dives a bit deeper (6-12') and make some casts right down the center of that sucker. This little trick will get you tons of extra bites. What's going on is that when the lake is down, and it rains, it carves out a small ditch in the pocket. The fish hold on that ditch and will move up to feed and then move back into the ditch. Seriously, this little technique catches fish year round.

Lastly, if you have cloud cover all day and some wind, that topwater bite is gonna stay strong. It won't concentrate the fish like a sunny day will, so you're going to have to expand the areas you fish. Bass tend to roam around on cloudy days so if you are fishing a flat, they could be everywhere, so this is when putting the trolling motor on high and covering as much water as possible is key. Once again, taking note of which cover is near when the fish strikes.

No matter how hot it is, there will ALWAYS be shallow fish that are catchable. I hope this helps and gives you a starting point. Please feel free to ask anything else. No question is to basic. We're here to help you catch more fish

[senko_77]

Remember how far you cast when fishing from shore and caught fish?

Well that is where the fish are. 

I see so many boaters casting right up against the shore and the fish are either under the boat or behind them a majority of the year.

This is also some fantastic advice. Wayne is a straight killer and is super finesse on the water. He's mastered the wacky rig technique and I owe many fish I've caught to the advice he's given me in the past.

Good luck, my friend. Enjoy being in that boat. It's going to open so much for you on the water. Like I said, start simple and slowly expand.

[Turkey sandwich]

This is a relatively easy problem to solve. It's best since you're in your early boating career to stick to shallow fishing. Boat control and positioning is IMPERATIVE when fishing offshore, so keep it simple. Before the sun gets over the tree lines, pull into small pockets and throw topwater. This time of year I really have success with a spook style bait or a buzz bait. Try different shoreline cover like grass, docks, rocks, lay downs, etc until you find where you are catching more fish. This will help a ton later in the day.

Basically, you're gonna stay shallow all day. As sun gets up, usually you experience a small lull in the bite as the fish adjust to the brighter conditions. Since the fish aren't crazy about being exposed in the bright light, it's a no brainier in his to attack the rest of the day.....shade. Fish the shady side of docks, bridge pilings, laydowns. Basically anything that casts a shadow, no matter how small. Bass sit in the shade pockets and ambush prey as it comes by. Bring your bait right next to the shade line or flip a jig or weighted soft plastic right into into the shade. Eventually you're gonna trigger a reaction strike by doing this. I like using a streamlined plastic and heavy weight to get that pitch to shade to fall faster. The faster the fall, the better chance of the reaction strike.

Another thing to look for is wind. Even a tiny ripple can get an entire area of fish fired up. It adds oxygen to the water, can cool it off a bit, and create minute amounts of current. All of those things are huge in warm weather fishing. When you find banks with wind, approach it the same way. Root a squarebill crankbait or spinnerbait to keep it simple. Make sure you're running then around shade lines and keep the bait moving quickly. It's all about that reaction strike. If they aren't interested in the hardbaits or spinnerbaits, try a soft plastic jerk bait or senior. That small change can be huge. Once again, on the windy banks, attack the shade with the jig or soft plastic once you hit those shade lines with the moving baits.

Another scenario is shoreline grass. If you find quality grass (not that slimy scum grass), but solid, green grass. Attack this with a frog or toad and then work the edges with soft plastics. If you find anything out of the ordinary on that grass line, fish this extra hard. Usually this means the bottom either has an indention or small point and this will focus the fish on that particular area.

When you fish a pocket and youre backing out, always always ALWAYS take your boat, line up where the pocket comes to an end, and make a cast to the end with a crankbait that dives a bit deeper (6-12') and make some casts right down the center of that sucker. This little trick will get you tons of extra bites. What's going on is that when the lake is down, and it rains, it carves out a small ditch in the pocket. The fish hold on that ditch and will move up to feed and then move back into the ditch. Seriously, this little technique catches fish year round.

Lastly, if you have cloud cover all day and some wind, that topwater bite is gonna stay strong. It won't concentrate the fish like a sunny day will, so you're going to have to expand the areas you fish. Bass tend to roam around on cloudy days so if you are fishing a flat, they could be everywhere, so this is when putting the trolling motor on high and covering as much water as possible is key. Once again, taking note of which cover is near when the fish strikes.

No matter how hot it is, there will ALWAYS be shallow fish that are catchable. I hope this helps and gives you a starting point. Please feel free to ask anything else. No question is to basic. We're here to help you catch more fish

That's some pretty good advice on fishing different cover, and the basic conditions.

Also, since you have a depth finder, some notes...

- don't always expect to mark fish, especially if shallow. The signal doesn't cover a very broad area until you get deep. Instead, look for changes in depth or bottom composition on your sonar. Even if you don't have GPS, draw a map and note those changes on lakes that you fish frequently. Ledges, bottom change, and submerged cover will hold bass, even if they don't show up on your sonar.

- Now that you're off shore and can follow patterns, figure out what the fish are feeding on in your local lakes, and their basic patterns. (ie. Shad, alewife, herring family all school)

- boat position can be really important. When approaching an area you plan to fish, think about how to position your boat without spooking fish while allowing you to keep your bait in the strike zone the longest. (ie. For fishing steep shorelines, position your boat perpendicular to the shore line to allow you to keep your presentation in front of the fish at whatever depth they're holding. Also, by staying perpendicular, you can simply move forward or back on your boat to change the depth you're working)

- When dissecting lay downs or complex cover, work outside in, and not inside out to avoid spooking the majority of fish. When you are working the heart of a lay down, you can be pretty fearless regarding snags. You'll want appropriate tackle, but you'll be able to get your gear back 90% of the time.

[Neil McCauley]

It's best since you're in your early boating career to stick to shallow fishing.

...

Before the sun gets over the tree lines, pull into small pockets and throw topwater. This time of year I really have success with a spook style bait or a buzz bait.

...

No matter how hot it is, there will ALWAYS be shallow fish that are catchable. I hope this helps and gives you a starting point. Please feel free to ask anything else. No question is to basic. We're here to help you catch more fish

Maybe this would work in Georgia swamps but definitely not everywhere. Shallow fishing simply does not produce on deep clear lakes up north in the summer, at any time of day. Any good size LM bass is in 20-30 fow even in lowlight dawn/dusk, and including at night. Only shallow fish are the juveniles.

[LuckyGia]

You do not need electronics. Forget the fish finder. You need to start with the basics...what type of lake, what structure and cover is available, seasonal movements of bass, etc. You will never do well no matter how fancy your electronics unless you understand these things.

He is absolutely correct. You don't need any electronics at all.

I use one up front while fishing to control depth I am fishing.

But all you need is a good topo map of the lake. This time of year,

look for drop offs or hump , creeks, anything unusual that might attract bass.

From there it is process of elimination.

Then the next day, start all over again.

You aren't going to just run out there and catch fish. You have to keep pushing on

and eliminate water.

I start every morning on the east side of the lake and up wind.

From there I controlled drift the length of the lake. If I do not catch a fish in say a half to three

quarters of an hour, I move. Typically I will just switch to the west side up wind.

Starting up wind you are more free to cast, rather than fighting the wind with your trolling motor.

Be paitient, you will figure it out

[scaleface]

He already has a depth finder. It wont do any good if it is not used. 

[BassinLou]

To the OP, I see you are from Kansas, but that's it. What bodies of water in Kansas are you fishing? More than likely another BR member can steer in you in the right direction because they fish the same waters. Just an idea.

[senko_77]

Maybe this would work in Georgia swamps but definitely not everywhere. Shallow fishing simply does not produce on deep clear lakes up north in the summer, at any time of day. Any good size LM bass is in 20-30 fow even in lowlight dawn/dusk, and including at night. Only shallow fish are the juveniles.

Sorry Neil, but I have to disagree with you. I've fished a lot of lakes outside of my "Georgia swamps" and caught them in extremely clear, deep lakes way up shallow. I'm from Rhode Island and visit a couple times of year, and I almost broke the state record a few years back fishing a horny toad on a lake that you could see about 15' down and the fish was way up shallow in some reeds and buck brush.

Also, to correct your Georgia swamps comment, our lakes here are not all shallow, muddy reservoirs like you'd think. We have deep, super clear lakes like Lanier, Alatoona, and numerous mountain lakes that are as clear as the water in upstate New York. On all of these lakes, you can always find quality fish shallow. I hope you revisit some of that shallow water on a day when you are struggling out deep and see what you can find. Maybe you will run into more than just a juvenile bass! I hope this post doesn't come across at all as rude or me putting your advice down. If it did, please know that isn't my intention at all.

[LuckyGia]

Maybe this would work in Georgia swamps but definitely not everywhere. Shallow fishing simply does not produce on deep clear lakes up north in the summer, at any time of day. Any good size LM bass is in 20-30 fow even in lowlight dawn/dusk, and including at night. Only shallow fish are the juveniles.

Wrong, just got back from fishing Otisco lake wich is a finger lake in upstate NY.

Fairly deep and clear. I fished in 10 -20 ft for a hour without a bite.

Started tossing soft plastic to the shoreline and right away caught two 5lb bass in 6" of water.

[LuckyGia]

He already has a depth finder. It wont do any good if it is not used.

willing to bet that it isn't very good. Maybe use to read depth and thats about it.