Shore Fishing Tackle and Methods thoughts

[BareHook]

I've become a "boatless" angler in the past two years and am looking at this continuing for at least a few more so I thought I would share some of my findings and useful comparisons between shore and fishing while afloat. These observations only reflect my opinion fishing in my particular lake conditions, a Florida small lake with no boating or even kayaks allowed.

1. Angle of attack: I no longer can deep drop on marked fish or work lures from shallow to deep. I am limited to paralleling the shore or working deep to shallow, plus offshore drop-offs can present difficulty with snagging or cutoffs. Shoreline grass beds are a barrier to get past, not a target to start at.

2. Lures to leave at home: Heavy flipping jigs, deep diver crank-baits, both foul up drastically with every cast

3. Effective lures and presentations: finesse lures and soft plastics with little or no weight, lipless crank baits, jerk baits, surface lures, bladed baits.

4. Mobility: I either go minimal with two pre-rigged rods, one stored in a sand spike holder, of we bring a wagon with the tackle boxes and extra rods.

5. Wading: With all the recent rain, the lake has risen above some cultivated lawns and shoreline and I've had some luck slowly wading out to the previous drop-off as the shoreline is stretched out up to 20 feet but in some areas only inches deep.

6. Night fishing: Having good luck with this and don't have to worry about navigation and night boat safety.

[Catt]

Lures to leave at home; deep diving cranks

I catch a lot of bass off the bank flipping, pitching, & punching

My grandson caught that one flipping a 1/2 oz jig under the dock he's standing on!

[primetime]

I fish a few ponds that have banks that are high up and it allows me to pitch heavier jigs and texas rigs/punch rigs without spooking the fish since most bank anglers walk right along the bank. I have found standing back and pitching as if in a boat with raised seats is often really effective. I would say that I use a 3/8-1/2 jig most of the time when the weed growth gets thick, and often the steep banks are the best shorelines to fish, if you pitch your jig right at the bank, standing back 10 feet or more, you will get the fish that take off way before most people even get close..Big fish in ponds or lakes that people fish from shore learn the sounds of people, and will take off if you fish to close to the bank many times...

I also figure that most big bass in ponds have not seen a heavy fast falling jig or creature before, so you can still have success...I agree with the deep diving cranks for the most part since I am not good at using them anywhere, but I have seen people using them in the deeper strip pits with success, especially the deeper running shad raps...They seem to work anywhere and are nice and subtle..

I believe Pond fishing makes me a better fisherman since the bigger bass in small ponds are really tough to catch, especially when they get pounded by angler's...I have had success over the years using colors and baits that are not "Popular sellers" at local retailers as I believe that fish get conditioned to the same lures and presentations...I also like the fact I can usually go much lighter with line in ponds....

Some of my favorite ponds/lakes in Florida are the one's that are public that have docks and get stocked, for some reason people never fish many of these places assuming they get too much pressure, but those docks attract fish since guys spend all day using live bait for panfish, catfish etc..At night Docks on bigger lakes can be awesome....You don't need a boat to have a great day of fishing, and it is nice to be able to leave without having to pack up a boat....A cheap kayak is never a bad idea either...

I also like to use the ramp for fishing on weekends after guys launch their boats...Everytime they start up the outboard it blows a hole in the sand, and stirs up the bottom which gets a chum slick going and you can have success dragging a soft bait right down the middle where you can see a few ditches created by the engines...It works during busy days as the fish get conditioned to the sound of the motors and know that crawfish and small baitfish will be moving in soon....I read that in an article years ago and it truly works, I believe Dock's do the same with lights as well, and with all the guys who dump out their bait before they leave...

Nice fish in the picture above...Makes me want to go fishing right now...

[blckshirt98]

OP covers a lot of good points, but one factor I'd like to add when fishing from the shore for me, is time of day.  From sunrise plus 3 hours and sunset minus 3 hours are always the best time to fish when the bass are cruising the shallows looking for food.  Once the mid-day sun is shining bright and hot, and the fish go deeper into cover, I have a much harder time finding/locating the fish and usually don't bother fishing.

[BareHook]

Agreed, just in my particular lake the deep divers only seem good for clearing excess growth from the bottom.

I'll keep trying the jig, especially on some bedding bass, but the lake has little or no cover except some grass beds along the shore and a couple fallen trees that are real tackle eaters.

[0119]

22 hours ago, BareHook said:

I've become a "boatless"

 These observations only reflect my opinion fishing in my particular lake conditions, a Florida small lake 

1. Angle of attack: I no longer can deep drop on marked fish or work lures from shallow to deep.

2. Lures to leave at home: Heavy flipping jigs, deep diver crank-baits, both foul up drastically with every cast

3. Effective lures and presentations: finesse lures and soft plastics with little or no weight, lipless crank baits, jerk baits, surface lures, bladed baits.

4. Mobility: I either go minimal with two pre-rigged rods, one stored in a sand spike holder, of we bring a wagon with the tackle boxes and extra rods.

5. Wading: 

6. Night fishing: Having good luck with this 

Im lucky enough now to fish 7 days a week, sometimes a couple times a day!  Same kinds of south Fl. man made lakes and canals too.  You are absolutely right on all counts.  The angel hair algae that is always present on any submerged structure makes anything but waking a crank a pointless battle.  Having to work in the opposite direction as the bass are oriented leads to having to invent your own patterns.  Going from deep to shallow sucks!  Man made structure has always been my best pattern be it docks, sign posts, sunken fences, shopping carts, culvert pipes or just simple run offs and ditch mouths. I also have found finesse fishing to be more productive but not neccessarily the big fish getter.  Years ago on a trade with a guy in Australia led to a little extra swag in the package, a over the shoulder rod sling.  It carries an extra rod just like a rifle on a soldiers back.  I have since seen them advertised in In-Fishermans Catfish Guide magazine so they are available stateside too. Wading isn't much of an option in my waters not so much because of the gators but because the bottom is so soft it negates walking. All I do is sink to my knees.  Worse yet, abandoned tilapia beds are down right leg breakers.  Night fishing has been a real productive way to fish but has led to more than a couple a people calling the police on me even though I stay well away from private property.  

[mplspug]

Its a great time of year for deadsticking. It's a little boring, but it's effective, especially during the day.

[nascar2428]

This is how I roll on the bank.

Three rods, MH, Med, Med Lt, backpack.

Fan cast each area. Top, middle and bottom

Lures- spinnerbaits, swim jigs, bladed jigs, Senkos, lipless cranks

Time of day. I prefer early morning if possible(no later than 5:30am start time)

 

[Raul]

Deep diving crankbaits may be a no no where you're at, in my neck of the woods if you don't carry deep diving crankbaits you go nowhere

 

Look at those banks.

[mplspug]

I definitely like fishing as the sun starts peaking.  I'll stop after an hour or too when the sun comes up.  I once found the bass schooled up and aggressively hitting a buzzbait.  .When I first arrive I watch the shoreline.  If I start seeing wakes and splashes, its game on! 

That is in a retention pond that only has a little hydrilla carpeting the bottom in some spots and a ton of mussels.

The pond next to it has a lot of lily pads.  I actually have had better luck there in the hot months later in the morning.  I love cranking a fluke across the top of the water real fast.  It doesn't seem to matter how fast, amazingly they'll nail it.

[BareHook]

1 hour ago, mplspug said:

Its a great time of year for deadsticking. It's a little boring, but it's effective, especially during the day.

Sorry I'm still learning various techniques, but can you describe what "deadsticking" is?

 

Thanks!

Ken

BTW last night went well, my son and I were using 8" zoom lizards in junebug, I switched from a 10" worm after he caught one and lost an aprox 4 pounder on a jump, while I had zero pickups on the worm. After switching, I caught an 18" and 12" and my son got another 14".

[mplspug]

I am fairly new to it too, just because it requires patience. 

Put on a plastic bait with no weight or as little weight as possible. Cast it out and let it sit like you are live bait fishing on the bottom.  Let it sit for a minute, this is where the patience comes in, and if nothing bites, give it a tiny little twitch or two and let it sit another 20-30 seconds.  If nothing, sweep the rod up like you would normally fish a plastic and repeat.  

I'll use plastic worms, but I prefer a chunky bug bait.  

[WI_Angler1989]

Lots of good info here. I can relate too, I've never had a "boat," just a canoe. I've spent my fair share of time beating the bank too. Sometimes it's an adventure on part with LOTR just to get to that one perfect looking spot. 

Some of my favorite and most effective presentations are:

1) spinnerbaits are super effective, versatile and rarely snag.

2) inline spinners (aglia) although it's much less weedless so it helps to be familiar with the water and know "snaggy" spots.

3) tubes/craws on weedless jigs. These became my goto and biggest producer last year based on effectiveness and how snag less they are. Nothing worse than snagging and not having the canoe to paddle over and get free easily. 

[Team9nine]

Despite being a boat owner for the past 25 years or so, due to time constraints and convenience, I probably still log 50-75 bank days each year. And before that period, I always fished from the bank because it was my only option. As such, I've likely caught thousands of bass from the bank, so here are a few of the observations and conclusions I have made during these endeavors.       

NOT CASTING TO OR ALONG THE BANK – This is far and away the biggest mistake I see most bank bound bassers make. The old observation about noticing ‘bank fishermen cast out towards the boats’ and why ‘boat fishermen cast in toward the shore’ is really true. Bass, by nature, are largely shallow water fish. They are also very cover oriented. When you combine these two concepts you have the basis for the start of an approach.

In most of the lakes I fish, the best cover is along the bank. And the best way to fish that cover is to cast parallel, or nearly so, down a bank. Sometimes, just short pitches are all it takes. Why waste your time throwing out into the middle of the lake when so many fish are at your feet? The only time I throw out into deeper water (say >45 degrees off bank) is if I’m fishing a point or a known piece of structure. Other than that, all casts are within 10’ of the shoreline. The clearer the water or the more open the shoreline, the longer and more parallel the casts. In heavy cover or small openings, small pitches and flips will suffice. Any piece of cover, no matter how insignificant gets a cast. Rocks, drains, washed in logs, weeds, lay downs, docks, you name it. Just be quiet and still and you’ll be surprised how many fish you’ll catch within 10’ of yourself. 

COVER WATER – Mistake number two IMO is standing in one spot for half an hour or more and making cast after cast. Have you ever noticed how most bass boaters are always on the trolling motor covering water? If you accept the fact that most fish you’re chasing are shallow water object oriented, then probability says that the more water and spots you can cover the greater your odds of running into an aggressive (read biting) fish. This is especially important when first learning a body of water. The more water you cover the more spots (holding areas) you’ll discover. I will typically make 3-5 casts from a given area on the bank and then move 20-40’ down the bank for the next 3-5 casts. On and on it goes. You can easily cover a couple miles of bank in just a few hours. Remember, you're trying to find as many spots and as many bass as you can. Don’t wait for them to come to you, go to them. 

USE ONLY ONE LURE (but carry backups) – How many times have you seen this mistake made? Someone bass fishing from shore with a big tackle box, casting a lure for 20-30 minutes then digging into his box and changing to another lure, only to repeat the process. At this rate you might only fish 2 or 3 spots in a day because you're spending all your time sorting through tackle options. The largest tackle box I ever carry with me is a tiny, flat drop-down that goes around your waist and attaches to your belt. Often times it is only an old lure box with a couple extra baits or a Ziploc bag stuffed into a shirt or jacket pocket. Less can really be more.

There are several advantages to this. One, it lets you cover water by not wasting time changing baits, thinking they’ll hit something else better. Another is that it makes you more mobile. Anymore, I’ll frequently fish an entire trip without a lure change. As long as you pay attention to retying when appropriate, you’ll rarely lose too many baits. Remember, you’re fishing shallow cover close to the bank. Most times, even if you do hang, you can reach out and unsnag lures that get stuck.

As a side note here for those of you fishing small ponds regularly, use a different lure each trip. I once had the good fortune of having 5 ponds located within my subdivision. The theory of fish becoming conditioned is definitely true, especially in these smaller bodies of water. I can’t count the number of times I’ve proven this to myself. Day one I’ll go out and catch 30 bass. If I go back out the next day with the same lure, my results will be cut in half. By the time I try this a third or fourth day, I might only catch a few. These fish get used to seeing the same bait day after day, so change up! Try a crankbait one trip, a topwater the next. Jigs on the third trip and maybe worms after that. After a week or two of not seeing the same bait twice you can usually go back in with the original bait and they’ll bite it well.
      
FISH THE CONDITIONS – At first, this might not make much sense. Or maybe it’s too obvious. I’m referring to choosing the bait you throw based on the weather and water conditions you are faced with. It is usually best to not randomly select baits. Base your lure choice on weather conditions first, water (lake) conditions second while always keeping seasonal patterns in mind. For example, if you are getting ready to head out and you’re dealing with a sunny, frontal day, choose baits like jigs, worms, tubes, or "Ned." On the other hand, if you have cloudy and windy conditions, maybe pack spinnerbaits, swimming jigs, shallow crankbaits, buzz baits, etc. Once you get to the lake, or if you already know what conditions to expect (water and cover), then use those to fine-tune your selections. Things like brighter colors, larger baits, or noisemakers in stained water and thinner, natural colored baits in clearer water. Likewise, if you are fishing open water conditions use grubs, crankbaits, top waters and such versus baits like jigs, worms, Senkos, single spins and so forth for heavy cover situations.

TIME YOUR FISHING – This is another one that may slip by most people. The best time to go fishing is whenever you can, no doubt about that. But whenever possible, choose the days and times you get to fish based on conditions. This little tip will truly maximize the number of bites you’ll get in a day. For example, everyone knows that bass generally seem to bite best first thing in the morning or right before dark, typical low light conditions. But they also bite extremely well on a good cloudy day with an approaching storm. Days with a dropping barometer come to mind, as do windy days. Try and avoid those nice, sunny, post frontal days if you can. This tactic also increases the odds of having more room for you to fish, as most bank fishermen don’t like to put up with inclement weather.

Another example of this tactic relates to time of year. Those extremely tough clear water lakes and ponds will give up some surprisingly good fish in the cold-water period or at night through the summer. Vice-versa, inherently murky water lakes usually aren’t all that great real early and late in the year, but can be great with the warmer weather and water conditions. If you have your choice of a couple different types of water to fish, choose according to which fits the given conditions and seasonal patterns best.

Finally, those odd times that create short windows of opportunity. The perfect example of this is a couple of the small ponds I fish. Almost without fail, one of the most consistent patterns is fishing the incoming flats or drains after a good rain. While you can always seem to count on one or two fish from these areas, they become incredible spots when you are able to coincide your trip with fresh, incoming water. Spots that only give up a fish or two now may give up 5 or 10 fish without moving, sometimes more. The bass realize this is a temporary feeding opportunity and act accordingly. You should too.

FISH SPOTS (the exception) – Earlier I said covering water is my preferred tactic. This is true, especially when fishing a new body of water that is not familiar to you. However, with enough time on a given lake or pond, certain spots will seem to consistently give up a fish or two most every trip. These areas or spots are worth taking a little extra time on before moving on. As I mentioned, small drains on my ponds always seem to hold bass consistently and I will frequently spend up to 20 minutes or more fishing these areas. The general rule of thumb is if you catch a bass on a spot, it is worth taking a few extra minutes to thoroughly scout the area. Sometimes the reason is obvious such as the drain example. Many times though you won’t be able to identify what it is about the particular location or bank. Some just seem to hold fish better than others. Your job is to be aware of these areas as they unfold to you and fish them appropriately. Then feel free to keep scooting along the bank between these hotspots.

-T9

[Catt]

Tean9nine, ya pretty dead on target!

Growing up fishing & hunting in the marshes of Southwest Louisiana walking em is still one of my favorites.

I carry 2 rod/reels, one Texas rigged & one with either a spinner bait, spoon/chunk, or a frog. I'll carry one sack of plastics with hooks/sinkers in it & maybe an extra spinner bait, spoon, or frog.

Lacassine Wildlife Refuge is one of my favorite destination, a shallow marsh (18-24") that has canals around the perimeter which puts deep water (4-6') at your feet. With a long cast I can put my lure 10-15 yards up on the shallow edge & work it into the canal.

The picture of my grandson is at Lacssine, here's one of the canal & a couple Hawgs I caught!

[I.rar]

I only fish from the bank. I keep everything to a minimum and usually only bring one rod. Being a light tackle fan, all of my baits are under 5/16 oz unless I bring a heavier setup. 

Flukes, stick baits, straight tails and shad shape worms like alive shads are it for plastics. Zara puppy, pins minnow and shad raps are about it for hard baits. I do try new baits here and there but those are always with me and have caught me fish everywhere. The plastics can all be rigged weedless as well as a ton of other ways from shaky heads, c rigs, drop shot, wacky etc. 

It took some time to find what baits I have the most success with but when I did, I've become confident that if I don't get bit, they aren't there. It cuts down on restocking costs and weight. 

The steep drop offs that are cut into the coral and limestone down here do eat up drop shot rigs, jigs and deep diving cranks like candy,lol.

Heres what I usually carry. 

Or if I bring heavier stuff