Must read for bank anglers … will no doubt increase your catches this summer

[Takemetothebank]

While many of us banglers spend the summer wishing we had a fancy boat to go out and search for schooling fish with some fancy side imaging, many of us miss out on some great opportunities to be had from the shore for some truly giant bass. Entailed is a step by step analysis of how to get more bites this summer fishing pressured public water that you can do owning one combo and 15$ in baits. 

 

you will need 

1 fishing rod capable of throwing atleast a 1/2 oz jig ( you don’t have to use a trailer but it does up your chances of a catch while your mapping the bottom) 
2 a 1/2 - 3/4 oz football jig maybe even 1 oz if you believe the water to be over 30 Ft deep 

3 4/0 worm hooks and 1/4-3/8 oz bullet weights 

4 a pack of your favorite plastics mine are midsize brush hogs / curly tail worms/ or rage bugs / rage craws / the original trick worm or squirrel tail worm 

 

pro tip  if you have a dock or pier to fish off of make a couple cast under or around it. It stinks to see a 5 lber swim out from under a dock you walked on 

 

1. grab a 1/2-3/4 oz football jig and slowly drag it along the bottom casting as far as you can. Eventually you will feel some cover in the deeper water make a mental note of about where you notice the most cover these will be your high percentage areas 

 

2. Rig a non pegged Texas rig and pick a plastic I normally start with a creature style bait or curly tail worm 

 

 

3 drag your Texas rig extremely slowly through your high percentage areas if you think your going slow slow down don’t be afraid to stroke or hop your plastics in the high percentage areas but be sure to pause after 

 

 

4 if nothing bites your creature bait a shakeyheads squirrel or trick worm can work well for finicky fish 

 

 

5 catch some monsters my pb of 9lbs 9 oz came off of this exact technique on a full size brush hog with a slightly smaller 9lb 1 oz as well on a public lake 

 

this technique can be deadly around points witch most boat launches atleast on my lake are situated near but in the heat of the summer when the fish move deep during the day this can be an Awesome way to catch fish at cookouts and Picnics 
 

 

I hope this helps some of you bankers this summer hook into some giant fish it is really helpful when you go somewhere you have never fished before and can teach you some new techniques besides a wacky senko. This even offers the opportunity of lucking into a school and catching a monsterous amount of fish. 

[QED]

Interesting.  I don't even own any baits heavier than 3/8 oz and mostly fish ultralight gear with baits in the 1/16 - 1/4 oz range.  Caught this one on an ultralight casting rig.  YMMV.

[Choporoz]

Pretty sound advice.   I agree with @QED, that having a 1/16 or 1/8 option is good if your gear can cast it.

I think adding a spinnerbait to the op would be a smart move.  You can throw it on the same rod, and there are going to be occasional days when you can drag a t-rig past fish for an hour without a bite, but they will crush a moving bait.

[LrgmouthShad]

5 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I think adding a spinnerbait to the op would be a smart move.  You can throw it on the same rod, and there are going to be occasional days when you can drag a t-rig past fish for an hour without a bite, but they will crush a moving bait.

hmmm. did a recent fishing trip with some nice bass inspire this advice?

 

?

[Deleted account]

I know most folks will disagree, and I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, but fishing from shore is no different than fishing from a boat. Suggesting particular baits or presentations without knowing the specifics of the areas fished makes no sense in either case, now yak fishing, yeah, they are different...   

2 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

hmmm. did a recent fishing trip with some nice bass inspire this advice?

 

?

The "I caught a fish on this, so it's the greatest lure ever" syndrome...

[LrgmouthShad]

12 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

The "I caught a fish on this, so it's the greatest lure ever" syndrome

Not really what I was going for, but yeah, of course that's a common syndrome I too have been afflicted with. With the same lure, too. 

 

Just sayin, he had a really nice day throwing a stanley

 

 

[Catt]

On 5/27/2022 at 5:18 AM, Deleted account said:

fishing from shore is no different than fishing from a boat.

 

Wrong! ?

 

Depending on the body of water, fishing from the bank may only offer limited access to the water. 

 

Some of y'all act like bank fishing is done in ponds with well manicured grounds up to the waters edge.

 

I bank fish ponds, rivers, bayous, marshes with extremely limited access. Chest high reeds, standing under trees, only having the ability to make a cast in one direction.

 

Fishing out of any boat is way easier!

[Choporoz]

True.  I did.  But the advice was more informed by having a lot of experience fishing from bank and dock over the past year.  It had been years since I spent a lot of time bank fishing.  Now I get to fish a nice cove from a dock a few times a week.   There have been a number of occasions when I cannot buy a bite on the bottom, but a moving bait will bring a good fish.  Particularly in the spring and fall.

[LrgmouthShad]

1 minute ago, Choporoz said:

There have been a number of occasions when I cannot buy a bite on the bottom, but a moving bait will bring a good fish.  Particularly in the spring and fall.

I totally agree with ya.

 

Really was just complimenting you more than anything. 

 

Actually, yesterday I could not do well with bottom bouncing baits either. I had random strikes burning back menaces for another cast, and otherwise my fish were on spinnerbaits. A guy at the ramp told me he's been doing well with a Rat-L-Trap recently

[Deleted account]

5 minutes ago, Catt said:

Depending on the body, fishing from the bank may only offer limited access to the water. 

Yeah, so don't fish there, just as you wouldn't fish from a boat where there are no fish. The access or lack there of doesn't change the fishing approach. 

[Mobasser]

Overall good advice, but may not work well on all lakes. Ive bank fished a good amount on one smaller lake near home.                                                  Half this lake is easy to walk banks and cast, half is hard to find a spot, due to trees, tall grass etc. Sometimes have to cast sidearm or pitch.                                 These can be some of the better areas because other guys don't want to fish here. Be stealthy, and watch for snakes.

[Catt]

2 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Yeah, so don't fish there, just as you wouldn't fish from a boat where there are no fish. The access or lack there of doesn't change the fishing approach. 

 

Glad you have unlimited access to the banks you fish, some of us don't.

 

Just because I have limited access don't mean the fish ain't there.

 

That an 11.3# from the bank while standing in chest high roseau cane.

 

[Deleted account]

I think you are both missing my point and making it, but like I said, disagree away...

[Catt]

57 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Yeah, so don't fish there

 

Fairly easy to understand 

 

58 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

just as you wouldn't fish from a boat where there are no fish.

 

Difficult access "does not mean the fish aren't there!".

[Deleted account]

4 minutes ago, Catt said:

Difficult access "does not mean the fish aren't there!".

Yeah, but just like in a boat, you can get there, or not...

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

Yeah, so don't fish there, just as you wouldn't fish from a boat where there are no fish.

 

Again ?

 

33 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Yeah, but just like in a boat, you can get there, or not...

 

It is 100% easier in a boat, making bank fishing more difficult. 

[MN Fisher]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Depending on the body, fishing from the bank may only offer limited access to the water. 

That pretty much describes 90%+ of the bank fishing in my area. Short lengths of shore with limited casting area that's either dominated by boats passing by (channels) or massive weed growth.

 

While I have had some success bank fishing, most of the banks are filled with panfisher-people trying to fill their buckets.

[Deleted account]

29 minutes ago, Catt said:

It is 100% easier in a boat, making bank fishing more difficult. 

I didn't say anything about difficult, but now that you mention it, it isn't. Again, I'm not speaking to having to machete your way to a spot, and negotiating snakes and ticks, or anything about getting to where the fish are. I am saying once there, the fishing is the same.

[Mobasser]

If you're in a boat, you can have a clear view of a shoreline. Points, cuts, cover, everything. On some lakes, you can't even see these things looking down the bank if your standing there. Bank fishing is harder. 

[Tennessee Boy]

How is flying in an airplane different from jumping on a trampoline?

 

Answer:  In an airplane there is the risk of being high jacked.  Like this thread.  ?

[Catt]

15 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

the fishing is the same.

 

Only in the fact you cast & retrieve.

 

If I am seated on the front deck of my boat & want to access new water I simply swivel my seat 90° or 180°.

 

In my boat I can fish up hill, down hill, or across.

 

In my boat I can fish vertically in grass, on the bank I have fish horizontally.

 

Bank fishing charges your entire approach.

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

Only in the fact you cast & retrieve.

There is hope yet, did you happen to catch this part of my post, there is a reason I opened with it...

 

5 hours ago, Deleted account said:

I know most folks will disagree, and I'm not trying to change anyone's mind...

 

[Catt]

5 hours ago, Deleted account said:

but fishing from shore is no different than fishing from a boat.

 

But you left out the rest

 

There is absolutely a difference

[NoShoes]

From the bank you just make the best of what you got and probably won’t be ideal. 
 

From the boat you can make almost anything ideal. 
 

apples and oranges. 

[Deleted account]

8 minutes ago, NoShoes said:

From the boat you can make almost anything ideal.

That's more like a pomegranate...