Bank Fishing Tips

[PennBass]

If you're desparate for a fish, tie on some kind of soft plastic (like a T-rigged Zoom Trick Worm) and walk around the pond, casting as you go. Might not get the biggest fish but you'll sure catch quantity. 

[Fishes in trees]

Back in the day, I was a meat fishing bush hippie, I bank fished a lot.   It has been over a dozen years since I have seriously bank fished for bass.  (Bank fishing for catfish is a different story.)   

Here are some of my current thoughts on bank fishing.   For the most part, I preferred spinning gear to bait casting gear.  Just easier to deal with considering all the brush/weeds and other stuff that happen in bank fishing that doesn't happen boat fishing.    If there is lots of gnarly cover close to the bank, this is where a MH spinning rod with braid comes in handy.  I've said this before and probably will say it again, but in my opinion the piece of equipment that will improve any bank fisherman's catch the most is a good pair of hip waders.  This will let you get off the bank enough that throwing casts parallel to the bank are much more productive.

Bank fishing is its own challenge.   Glad I don't have to any more.   Good luck.

[A-Jay]

30 minutes ago, Fishes in trees said:

Back in the day, I was a meat fishing bush hippie,  

 So far, this one gets my vote for the Term of the Year ~

Most Excellent

A-Jay

[scaleface]

You could   do like my niece and throw a beetle spin. She seems to always catch a couple .

[Red Bear]

On 5/5/2016 at 8:05 PM, j bab said:

It's not bad advice for covering a lot of water quickly. Of course you should cast at the same spot again if you get bit. Once again I was offering advice for catching a fish or two as OP requested.

You think that if you go up to a pond and only cast in one spot over and over you're going to catch fish every time? Of course not. I'm sure it worked for you that one time, but until you've covered water you don't know where that one spot is.

its bad advice dude.

you said never make the same cast twice:

if i hadnt made the same cast twice i wouldnt have caught any fish, much less several fish...

i tried different plastics in that same spot as well:

they only wanted the pit boss that day, ignored worms and senkos. etc etc etc

you see where im going with this? also, what good is covering water quickly if youre not catching anything, i would much rather be thorough than fast. also, one of the best things you can do if not catching fish is to slow down, its fishing, not an NHRA drag race...

[j bab]

7 hours ago, Red Bear said:

its bad advice dude.

you said never make the same cast twice:

if i hadnt made the same cast twice i wouldnt have caught any fish, much less several fish...

i tried different plastics in that same spot as well:

they only wanted the pit boss that day, ignored worms and senkos. etc etc etc

you see where im going with this? also, what good is covering water quickly if youre not catching anything, i would much rather be thorough than fast. also, one of the best things you can do if not catching fish is to slow down, its fishing, not an NHRA drag race...

Okay, ask any power fishermen ever and they'll disagree. I'm not saying that covering water would have worked for you that day, I'm saying it could work for OP to catch one or two. If you're covering water and not catching anything, slow down. Everyone knows that. Just because covering water didn't work for you that one time doesn't make it bad advice. I'm not gonna argue about this anymore, have a nice day.

[Shaggie]

On 5/4/2016 at 8:25 PM, RyanfishesCT said:

I bank fish a ton. I catch fish sometimes, but I also get skunked a lot of the times, how can I catch one maybe two each time??

I'm in the same situation as you, quite literally. I live in Litchfield County and bank fish. I'm also frustrated that I can't get on the fish. I'm not sure what I'm missing other than practice.

[Red Bear]

On 5/4/2016 at 1:35 AM, j bab said:

Here's a quick tip: don't make the same cast twice. If you do cast in the same spot, change up your retrieve or change baits. That will help you be more efficient 

Here is your original post....

On 5/7/2016 at 8:14 PM, j bab said:

Okay, ask any power fishermen ever and they'll disagree. I'm not saying that covering water would have worked for you that day, I'm saying it could work for OP to catch one or two. If you're covering water and not catching anything, slow down. Everyone knows that. Just because covering water didn't work for you that one time doesn't make it bad advice. I'm not gonna argue about this anymore, have a nice day.

and here is where youre changing youre argument from the original point to an argument about covering water. saying to someone to cover water is one thing, to say what you originally said about not casting to the same place twice is completely different.

[dpp]

This is a great topic we have a lot of bank fisherman. I am one it seems like we forgot about bank fishing we have a lot of fun on the banks thanks