Hard to slow down when you're standing up

[Koz]

Maybe it's just me, I don't know. I spend most of my time bank fishing and when I do I cover a LOT of ground. In most the areas where I fish there are 2-8 lagoons within a mile or two walking distance, but even if I stay put and fish one or two they are in residential areas and that means I can cover a lot of shoreline.

 

What I find that I do is cover a lot of water by casting and walking, but I'm always fishing moving baits. I try to fish slow with a ned rig or a jig across the bottom, but invariably I don't have the patience to fish really, really slow when I'm on my feet. I do get on a boat now and then and it's then I find that when I sit down I can fish slow presentations.

 

What about all of you? Can you slow it down way down walking the bank and fishing?

 

I think one of these days I need to bring a chair, a few baits to fish slow, and plop down in one spot for a long while.

[FishDewd]

I find it's best to move around when on the bank. I give each spot 3-5 casts depending on how I feel about it, fanning out from left to right. If not bites, I take about 5 steps down and repeat, ideally. If I haven't gotten a hit after about 30 steps I begin to reconsider my rig options.

[LionHeart]

I started fishing crankbaits, spinner baits, and chatter baits.  When I first started fishing jigs it was so painful to slowly work one across the bottom.  I remember thinking I'd never enjoy fishing so slowly and wondering how anyone could.  It was so painful.

 

I still don't have much confidence in a jig even though I've forced myself to spend a load of time fishing them.

 

What I have learned to really enjoy is dragging a Texas rig worm or other plastic slow enough to count rocks.  If you can force yourself to do it, you'd be surprised how productive it can be.

 

What I've found is that I'm often more productive when I fish from the bank because I do fish so slowly.  I often will catch a fish after many casts to the same log, just from a different angle.

 

This takes time and patience, but even though I never thought I'd adapt to fishing slowly, I now often prefer it.

 

 

[Derek1]

My favorite little pond only has 3 small spot to cast from but you can cast into a large area to fan out. So your kind of stuck there. Luckily when the water is high like it is now you can use allot of different baits and get bites. Everything from soft plastics to square bills run just over the tops of the weeds. It helps keep you from getting bored staying I. One spot. It also has allot of fish I. The 2-3 pound range with some larger ones caught fairly regular also. Great place to kill a hour after work or whenever you have time. 5 mins from home. 

[soflabasser]

One thing I have learned in bass fishing is that you need to learn how to fish all the seasons of the year well, and this includes summer time fishing. You need to adapt to the conditions and give the bass what they want, not what you want to give them since what you are offering might not be what the bass want. If they want a slow retrieve give them a slow retrieve. If they want to bite at night fish at night. Only way you are going to figure this out is by stepping out of your comfort zone and doing your best to figure out what the bass want in your area.

[GReb]

You can power fish worms and jigs if you are fishing structure. Just hit your spots. Most of my bites come on the initial fall or within a few feet of it. 

 

If you are in open water I agree it can be brutal maintaining a slow pace. My only advice is to stay focused and create a mental picture of your bait in the water. It helps if you know where to anticipate the fish being though

[Deleted account]

I don't fish sitting down. 

[NHBull]

I am always  on a boat and never sit, but slowing down truly has it benifits 

[Mobasser]

Years ago, I spent three seasons learning to fish a Texas rigged plastic worm, walking the bank at a small local lake. I forced myself to slow down, and cover good areas thourouly. Now 25 yrs later, it's still my favorite lure.Many think it's only a slow moving bait, but you can hit a lot of area pretty quick too.

[JustJames]

You read my mind. I planned to bring a chair next time when I do my drop shot fishing lol. 

Actually im kind of opposite from you. I don't cast and walk, unless I plan to walk to another spot then I would cast parallel to the bank direction that I'm gonna walk to. I normally stand at one spot and fan casting work the area throughout. The more you walk you might spook a fish nearby. I like to work the area close to shore first and work it slowly then I'll cast further out but work faster until it get closer to shore.

On boat or kayak, I like to fish a little faster since boat move and sometime it harder to get a feel of bite. 

[Deleted account]

On 8/13/2018 at 11:33 PM, soflabasser said:

One thing I have learned in bass fishing is that you need to learn how to fish all the seasons of the year well, and this includes summer time fishing. You need to adapt to the conditions and give the bass what they want, not what you want to give them since what you are offering might not be what the bass want. If they want a slow retrieve give them a slow retrieve. If they want to bite at night fish at night. Only way you are going to figure this out is by stepping out of your comfort zone and doing your best to figure out what the bass want in your area.

This ^.  I call it "Never argue with fish" and "Don't fish stubborn" I have post-its® on the fridge so I see them on the way out, and my wife would sharpie® it on my forearm before a tournament.

[Scott F]

If you don’t enjoy fishing slow, don’t do it. Maybe you could catch more by using something that requires you to fish slower.  But, fishing is supposed to be fun. No matter what, you will spend a lot more time fishing than catching. If you aren’t enjoying the fishing part, why bother? 

I don’t like fishing deep water with a drop shot. Or, fishing very heavy vegetation where you bring back 5 pound of salad with 1 pound of bass. If those were my only choices of how to fish, I’d rather stay home and paint my house. There are lots of ways to catch fish. If power fishing is what you prefer, and you understand and don’t mind that you won’t always catch a lot, do it. The other choice is fish somewhere where power fishing has a better chance of success. During the summer, when lake fish are deep or buried in the slop, I fish rivers where the bass are always shallow and there aren’t a lot of weeds (or fishermen)  Just find a way to fish and keep it fun.

[SDoolittle]

I'm just the opposite of the OP. When I'm bank fishing, I like to slowly and methodically pick and area apart before moving. When I'm in my boat, I tend to fish much faster. I haven't noticed that sitting vs standing makes much of a difference in how fast I fish.

[Koz]

6 hours ago, Scott F said:

If you don’t enjoy fishing slow, don’t do it. Maybe you could catch more by using something that requires you to fish slower.  But, fishing is supposed to be fun. No matter what, you will spend a lot more time fishing than catching. If you aren’t enjoying the fishing part, why bother? 

 

 

I love bass fishing but tend to be a power fisherman - big baits that require movement. But I know that I need to expand my arsenal. That's why I hope bringing a chair will slow me down.

 

It's not that I don't enjoy fishing slow, But once I cover my fan cast area with my current arsenal I see all that other water and shoreline and move. With the brutal heat and humidity of the summers down here it tends to wear me out as well (older guy here).

 

I suppose there are people like me that fish from boats that get impatient as well. They just haul off to another spot.

 

I'm probably heading out to fish on Friday - and bringing my chair!

 

Someday when I retire I hope to have a little house on a lake with a nice little covered dock with an outlet or a really long extension cord for some cold drinks and a fan!

[BigAngus752]

Sounds like I'm with you, @Koz .  When I go out on the boat alone I only take one seat with me.  I start with the seat in the back and I stand on the front (preferably barefoot) and sling a frog, Spook, etc. while standing on the deck.  If it comes time to slow down then I pull the seat out of the back, move it to the front, and sit while I slowly drag something across the bottom.  I enjoy fishing both ways.  Sitting seems to help me slow down and be more patient.