Steep Banks

[LrgmouthShad]

Just kind of a bored winter question but an important one as this is relevant to some ponds close around me.

 

What are some techniques that work well for you fishing uphill on very steep banks that drop off immediately from the bank? Or do you not prefer to fish uphill at all given this situation? Downhill? Or parallel perhaps? Maybe you pick one or the other based on conditions. What influences your choice?

 

I'll put this in the Tackle Forum but some of this seems appropriate for the 'general' forum as well.

 

Hope ya'll are well!

 

Edit: I still feel this a broad question. I'll try to narrow it further for those asking "what season, man?" Let's say late winter/early spring as it characterizes some parts of the US already and will come to the North soon enough... I hope.

[Deleted account]

I usually like to be perpendicular, or at least at an angle to anything that drops off steeply.

[Mobasser]

I fish a Qaurry Lake that has steep banks which quickly drop off into deeper water. I've done best by finding small shelves as the water drops off. Cast a jig or t- rig to the shoreline and slowly let it drop down close to bottom. Bass like to hang around on these shelves, especially if they're near deep water.

[A-Jay]

I think 'conventional wisdom' is to fish uphill when the water is warming

and down hill when it's cooling.

And I subscribe to that some of the time.

But the vast majority of my success happens when I sit shallow,

throw deep and fish 'up hill'.

Regardless of the section of the water column I'm looking to target,

or the type of presentation used, that's the best deal for me.

A-Jay

 

[Mbirdsley]

depends on the year if it’s spring I’d rather be shallow casting deep.  Summer being deep and riding the bank down. 
 

If it’s a slower slopping bank and vegetation on the shallow side I’d rather stay on the shallow side and go down it.  
 

If it’s a steep bank with no vegetation I’d rather  the boat be on the deep side.  Cast shallow with the crank kicking up sand than have it drop off the bank. 
 

casting parallel is always a good option. 

[Bankc]

I try to determine the depth that the fish will be and position myself to cast parallel to that depth.  That way I maximize time in the strike zone.  Though I throw a lot of crankbaits.  

 

If I'm fishing downhill, casting from the deep to the shallows, I'm usually throwing something like a jig or T-rig.  Something that naturally falls as I retrieve it.  If I'm casting from the shallows to the deep, I'll usually throw a spinnerbait or lipless.  Something that naturally rises as I retrieve it.  I try to grab something that will naturally follow the bottom contour, so I'm not having to manipulate the bait too much to make it work for me.  And I usually pick which direction based on the wind and waves, figuring the bass will be facing into the current, and I want to pull it into their faces, not sneak up behind them.  

 

Also, I usually catch more white bass targeting steep ledges, so maybe everything I said is wrong.  

[Jigfishn10]

I guess on a bank, you really don't have much choice, would you? Otherwise, helicopter a single blade short arm spinnerbait would be my preferred way to go.

[LrgmouthShad]

49 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

helicopter a single blade short arm spinnerbait

For the life of me I cannot get that to be productive enough for me to do it consistently. Frustrates the heck out of me.

 

?

[Jigfishn10]

1 minute ago, LrgmouthShad said:

For the life of me I cannot get that to be productive enough for me to do it consistently. Frustrates the heck out of me.

 

?

Don't worry about speed here, go up 1 size on a Colorado blade and hop it down the slope like you would a jig or worm.

[Bluebasser86]

Parallel with a jerkbait 

[T-Billy]

On 2/10/2022 at 1:23 PM, Bankc said:

I try to determine the depth that the fish will be and position myself to cast parallel to that depth.  That way I maximize time in the strike zone.  Though I throw a lot of crankbaits.  

 

If I'm fishing downhill, casting from the deep to the shallows, I'm usually throwing something like a jig or T-rig.  Something that naturally falls as I retrieve it.  If I'm casting from the shallows to the deep, I'll usually throw a spinnerbait or lipless.  Something that naturally rises as I retrieve it.  I try to grab something that will naturally follow the bottom contour, so I'm not having to manipulate the bait too much to make it work for me.  And I usually pick which direction based on the wind and waves, figuring the bass will be facing into the current, and I want to pull it into their faces, not sneak up behind them.  

 

Also, I usually catch more white bass targeting steep ledges, so maybe everything I said is wrong.  

I approach this situation the same way. I too catch lots of white bass on rocky ledges in the spring. They're yummy. They go into the dead well and get released to the grease.

[PotatoLake]

I’ve had really fun days sitting super shallow (basically beaching the boat) on rocky points, firing out my favorite lure, a compact 1/2oz tungsten football jig into deep water. Letting it hit bottom and dragging/small hopping up hill.

 

This of course is on my gravel bottom ozark lakes that have multi bass species. Your grassy/muddy muck bottomed ponds, I’d rather throw at a 45 degree angle from the bank with moving baits or weightless plastics.

 

 

 

[WRB]

Spring up, fall down!

Since you don’t know what the bass are doing at the moment my advice is 180 degree fan casting pattern until the bass react.

Tom

[LrgmouthShad]

If there's anything that stands out to me reading ya'lls responses, it is that there is more than one way to cut this pie. That said, I don't want to discourage more responses and I appreciate the advice all of ya'll have given. You have different approaches to this problem, so what remains is for me to find out what works for me, aided by ya'll. Thank you!

 

And keep em coming!

[Scott804]

Like fishing bluffs? 

 

Uphill, and look up the free rig. Might seem like another JDM nonsense rig upon first inspection but it was designed to be used for steep drop off banks to entice bites with the way fish set up on them. They typically aren't used to seeing a bait presented to them in this way and it can do some damage if you find some fish that haven't been exposed to it. 

[papajoe222]

I do best on steep banks early in the season. Fishing a jig, I prefer working it uphill. With a crank, or spinnerbait downhill. If I can figure out the depth and how far off or on the bottom they are, I'll switch to a parallel approach. As the water warms, I start searching out slower tapering banks or flats that taper down to some deeper water.