Bank Fishing

[BAMA_BASS]

Is it me or do people not discuss bank fishing enough.

I am one of the many without a boat to take out when I want (wishes) and fish.

I can bank fish any time at almost all my fishing spots.

And IMO fishing from the bank is where it all starts, and when we have new anglers come in the forums and want to learn and we tell them to find a flat...etc

I don't think they will know how to find stuff like this.

So why don't you see pro's and vets. talking more on bank fishing?

I mean there are so many great techniques to learn and fish to catch. Why not talk more on this.

Does anyone else see my point in this topic?

[roadwarrior]

The majority of my largemouth bass fishing is at local ponds, public and private, from the bank. Of all the 10+ lb bass I have caught, all but one have been caught from shore. I fish at least ten hours a week, weather permitting, from the bank. The major differences for me are small water versus big water and fishing one technique only. When I fish from land I rarely carry more than one rod and if I am fishing anything other than soft plastics, I only fish one lure. I totally focus on one technique at a time.

Here is the plan:

Most of my small water can be thoroughly fished in 1 1/2 hours. I rarely change baits unless I make a second loop. I cast parallel to the bank, out from shore five to fifteen yards. The majority of the water I fish involves structure, not cover. One pond has heavy vegetation in the summer, but I fish it exactly the same as other ponds so than I am effectively fishing ALONG the cover, not in it. This involves long casts and constant movement. I will sometimes make multiple cast from one spot, but usually only one and then move up ten to twenty yards. Generally I fish soft plastics and recently jigs. I fish top-water and floating jerkbaits and a few crankbaits that I am willing to lose. Recovering lures or baits from the bank is a losing proposition.

I find little difference, except mobility, in fishing from a boat or the bank.

[Captain Cali]

I fish mostly from the bank, especially during the winter months. I too wish it was discussed more.

[Valascus]

That's true. There are a lot of folks on the forums that don't always have access to a boat. If you are me...um...let's see...next to never. I couldn't tell you how to find any types of underwater structure or cover to save my life. I couldn't tell you how to find a flats to fish or anything of that nature. Most of my fishing is done looking for steeper drops that are real close to cover on the banks, a partially submerged bush, a fallen tree, etc., and I fish the heck out of it until I catch something, change lures, or just get frustrated and try to find another suitable spot (which takes a loooooooooooong time. I may not be the most patient guy in the world, but I got a lot of patience when it come to fishing  ).

[Raul]

The difference between fishing from the bank vs fishing from the boat is: MOBILITY and ACCESSABILTY, from the boat you can fish spots that can 't be accesible from the bank or that you need to take a big hike to get to them. The ammount of tackle really is not that important because you can have much covered with 2 rods and a small tacklebox.

Like Velascus pointed out, locating the fish which means usually locating the spots and cover that will hold fish is exactly the same either from the boat or the bank, LOCATING STRUCTURE ? man you are standing on it ! you are looking at it, to locate the spots you need to look at the terrain above water level because what you see above water level is exactly the same you can find below water level.

We don 't need to discuss bank fishing, we need to discuss HOW TO LOCATE THE FISH, and that works exactly the same either you fish from a boat than from the bank.