bank fisherman....

[Red]

so do you guys cart around like 3 rod/reel setups while bank fishing? thats what i have been doing and it is starting to suck a little bit..or do you just bring one?  i am thinking i may just stick to one...makes walking and casting much easier....if you do only carry one set up...what do you bring? something that can be used for all/most applications? or just one for what you plan to fish?

i was thinking about making each trip different...like one time i say ok i am going to only use cranks and spinnerbaits...so i bring my Med rod and only my cranks and spinnerbaits...leave everything else home and really focus on what i am using...or, ok today only jigs and t-rigs...then bring only the appropriate rod/reel/bait...the only problem with that is if the fish arent biting on such and such a bait....and thats all i brought....what do i do?

i mean if i have only my MH rod with braided line and nothing is biting and i decide to throw a crank....i dont think cranks and braid are a good combo, right? so now due to the one rod/reel combo i brought with me that particular day, i am limited to what i can fish

i have 3 set up...2 casting and 1 spinning...the spinning is a MH casting are MH and M...i use the M for cranks spinnerbaits....the spinning for weightless stuff and the MH casting for jigs/t-rigs....but i have to say, when your walking a golf course hitting several differnt ponds, hauling around 3 rods is a pain

your thoughts?

Cliff

[grimlin]

I usally just bring 2 combos one baitcasting and one spinning.Casting i use for jigs and spinning i use for lighter lures or weightless lures.I have a small gander mountain bag and a plastic lure binder.That's all i carry.The more rods i'd bring the more i'll stay in one area of the lake,the less i bring the more i'm gonna be walking from spot to spot.

there are some rod holders out there that you can put 4-8 rods on and carry all of them like a suitcast like way...why i haven't picked one up is beyond me.I guess for some reason i don't trust it(i don't hear much about them).

[David P]

I bring 1-2 combos, and a backpack with plastics and other baits.

[wvwask]

I usually just bring my MH spinning rod with 8lb line.

It limits the size of baits I can throw, but can fish almost any application.

If Im fihsing close to the truck, I always keep two or three rods loaded.  But if Im walking, I load my fishing vest with all of my favorites and pack the trusty spinning rod.

[benpsut]

It takes a little more time to set up and probably best if you have a vest (was a poet and didnt know it) but instead of having your rods pre rigged ready "out of the truck", keep your line clipped (if you have that little triangle lookin thing on your reel) and have your rods disassembled (if its a 2/3 piece rod).  I mean it sucks just a little but you can do that.  I myself carry two (one for now because my 6 foot medium rod got ran over today).  And i have my 7 foot medium heavy rod, all spinning outfits.  They work just fine for worming and the 7 foot doubles as the cat rig set up for night.  Whatever floats your boat

[David P]

Taking two rods with a backpack is quite easy. That way you can carry a rod in each hand, and put one down to cast, OR carry two with one hand.

Have two totally different types of baits tied on though. That way you can fish every spot with two different techniques..

I walk around with a Zoom Superfluke on one, and a wacky rigged senko on the other..  Those are my two most productive baits.  Put your two confidence baits on each rig, and you're set. That way you save re-tying your two fav baits over and over again.

[moloch16]

Usually I choose one technique for the outing and stick with it.  This means one rod and a small selection of lures.  I usually only bank fish for for an hour or two.  If I'm blessed with enough time to go longer I rent a Jon boat and haul all my gear with me  

[roadwarrior]

Usually I choose one technique for the outing and stick with it. This means one rod and a small selection of lures. I usually only bank fish for for an hour or two.

Me, too!   8-)

[bassbob08]

when i was bank fishing i would bring two,i would carry one in a rod holder on my belt and all my stuff in a back pack.

[Red]

Usually I choose one technique for the outing and stick with it. This means one rod and a small selection of lures. I usually only bank fish for for an hour or two. If I'm blessed with enough time to go longer I rent a Jon boat and haul all my gear with me

yeah like i said i am thinking about doing this..not only would i be traveling light, i could really focus on one or two techniques rather then a whole bunch of different stuff...we have been having good luck lately with watermelon tiki sticks....so maybe i will leave them at home next time and try something else... ;D  i have only caught one fish on a jig....so i think i will focus on that and only bring my jig box..or jusy my cranks/spinnerbaits.

thanks for the info guys, much appreciated

Cliff

[Hop]

I take 7 rods each loaded with for different applications along with my tackle boxes. If I am close to the truck I work out of it.  If I need to hike around I fill a backpack with the lures I think I need based on conditions. I carry a 6'6" medium spinning rod with 8 lb test and a 6'6" medium heavy baitcating rod loaded with 14 lb test.  Sometimes I will just take the spinning  rig if I am climbing through alot of brush. These handle most of the situations I came across. In fact if I ever had to choose just 2 set-ups they would be it.

Good luck

[Taliesin]

My bank fishing is usually for an hour or less (I fish during my lunch hour).

I only take one rod for bank fishing, with a small variety of baits in my pockets. I pick which rod (and lures) I want to use after I arrive and go from there.

For a long time I just used one. The bass in my quick-fishng spot are on the smaller side, so a M baitcast setup was what I carried. I usually carried spinners and plastic worms (t-rig). Those are my "go to" baits that won't poke holes in my pockets or kill my hands too often when I dig for another lure.

I spent a lot of my life fishing from shore and usually went with t-rigs while carrying one rod. However, I would often have a topwater or spinner tied on when I started and the big tacklebox wan't more than a quarter of a mile away. If the bass REALLY wanted something I didn't have with me, walking back to the car/truck wan't much of a hassle.

Lately I have been doing this deliberately too. Limit myself to a technique I am not as familiar with and get better at it.

[Guest avid]

Bank fishing for me is "just for fun".

I'm not looking to catch bigguns, I just want to catch some bass.

so I always go with my medium light spinning rod.  Some topwaters, jerkbaits, and small worms/senko's

and shakey heads..

I carry a small soft sided cooler with a shoulder strap and a couple of small uitlity boxes for lures, a bottle of ice water. and the most important item of all  --   BUG SPRAY

[skeeter944]

i bank fish alot. i carry a backpack with 2 plano boxes in one side and like 30 bags of plastics in another. i take up to 5 rods, but i will make a base camp and leave 3 or 4 of them there with my backpack. if i could take only two rods, they would be a 6'm spinning with 8lb line for floating worms and finesse stuff and a 6'6''mh baitcaster with 12lb-15lb line for all the heavier stuff. i have been catching alot latlely on a natural blue zoom trick worm fished weightless over weeds, it got me a 3lber yesterday.

[FatBoy]

I only carry one rod when I'm beating the bank (which is most of the time).  It's usually a 6-6 M action with a Shimano Stradic spinning reel.  The reel came with two spools and I always have one spooled with braid and one with yozuri hybrid.  That way if I REALLY need to change lines I can.  But I'll fish every bait in by tackle bag, from cranks to senkos to frogs, with the same set up.  

There's definitely a reason the pros have a dozen rods layed out on the deck of their boats.  Sometimes those very subtle differences in rod length or line test make the difference for them.  And if I had a 6 figure paycheck riding on my gear, I'd do the same thing.  There's a big difference between a 90% chance of catching a bass and a 99% chance when you're talking about that much money.

That said, though, I don't think you NEED all those different set ups to catch fish (and have a good time).  If I had my choice, I'd always go froggin with a MH/baitcast combo spooled with braid.  But can you catch bass with a horny toad on a M action spinning set up spooled with mono?  HECK YEAH!  Can you catch bass on a crankbait when you're using braid?  NO PROBLEM!  Will a bass hit a subtle little drop shot rig even if you've holding a baitcast reel?  I actually don't know cause I've never done it, but I'd bet you a steak dinner they would.  

K-I-S-S  

[jaskoh]

I use to carry 3 setups with me everytime I was fishing from the bank.  One day I was tired of carrying all the crap so I decided to just bring my worm/jig setup and some hooks sinkers and plastics.  I fished the entire lake way faster than I could of if I was carrying 3 poles as well as I feel I concentrated more.  From now on I am going to concentrate on one technigue/setup per pass then I will grab a new pole/setup need be.  

[Grug]

All I do is bank fish, never owned a boat nor have any desire to get one. I hit the local ponds within say 30 min. drive of my home (many waters to choose from) and bass fish 12 months a year. 1-2 hours is average and I try to get a 4 hour weekend timeslot between family activities.

I use one outfit solely, a med. power fast action rod, 6.6ft where I am now toying and committed to using baitcast gear. I throw following:

-1/4 & 3/8 spinnerbaits (best bass lure out there)

-3/8 buzzbait

-Topwaters (spittn image worked great yesterday morning!)

-LC Pointers (78's), 1/4 oz. Rattle Traps

-5" Senko bag, 4" Super Fluke Bag

-Some bottom bouncers-T-Rigged (pig your favorite plastic)

The hardbaits fit in one plano box, the soft baits with hooks/wts. fit in another, and all this fits very nicely in a Plano Hip "fanny" pack I wrap around my waist. Perfect setup for "power fishing" from the bank, and now that its warm time to wade out into the water and be "one with the bass."

Been doing this 30 years, catch tons of bass (120+ so far in 2007) and 4-4lb+ plus this year.

Work the water efficiently, start shallow and cast out to deeper water, slow to fast retrieves till you find them and their preference that day. Any laydowns/cover (my waters have few) hit hard with a t-rigged plastic as those are very reliable targets.

Maybe when I retire will get a boat but for me, being knee deep in muck and bass is most fun..

Enjoy and tight lines...

[bpm2000]

one setup - 7'mh spinning outfit.  I do carry multiple spools tho so i can change from mono/braid.  backpack with plano boxes, water/food, etc, good to go!

[SDoolittle]

I was strictly a bank fisherman for many years. I tried carrying a lot of poles and tackle, but it was a hassle. If I went with only one set up the fish always seemed to want something else. I finally narrowed it down to two rods- a med action spinning rod and a MH baitcaster. I carried a small tackle bag stocked with a couple packs of plastic worms, some hooks and sinkers and a couple of spinnerbaits. I would walk along throwing a spinnerbait and trying to get a reaction strike, then backtrack with the plastic worms. I guess I could have done that with one rod, but it would have involved a lot more tying and retying than I like to do.

[msmonroe]

I usually fish from a boat, however, I occasionally hit the bank during the week after work when it is too much hassle to fool with the boat. I used to cart several rods and my tackle box along but I got tired of that noise pretty quick. Now what I do is grab my favorite spinning reel and load up my cargo shorts with senkos and a small box with spare hooks, sinkers and a few cranks and jigs. I like this setup cause I'm not carrying anything around except my rod and it allows me to focus on just a few techniques.

- Matt

[cpvenom]

I carry 3-5 rods and have water and small tacklebox in a backpack.

[FivePoundBluegill]

It realy depends on situations. Sometimes I only bring one rod and a couple lures or plastics. Some days i bring both rods and have ne rigged for plastics one with a lure.

[eastkybass]

I carry 3-4 rods with me, 2 baitcasters and 2 spinning reels.  I have one baitcaster rigged with a spinnerbait at all times and the other for texas rigged or jigs.  One spinning reel is used for drop-shot the other I use for weightless or small split shot presentations.  I never fish far from my car so all of my tackle is in the back seat so I don't have to go far to get anything.

[galv]

i usually bring 2 rods but really only need 1 because i lazily throw soft plastics the whole time :-[

depends on where you're fishing, but i like just bringing a 6 foot rod, so you're not walking through the woods getting all caught up on trees and crap getting all ticked off because you felt the need to bring all your gear including your 9 foot saltwater trolling rod.

also the bug spray is a must and i like a small radio with headphones because i can get kinda bored when the fish aren't biting.

[MendotaBassMaster]

Well I have one spinning rod 6' rigged with a t-rigged senko that is very productive on my lake here and I also have a little longer spinning rod 6'6" that I t-rig worms with. I am just learning my baitcaster and I am not as apt at setting the hook on senkos, worms with it as i  am with the spinning reels but I can and have caught with the zoom flukes. I keep all my plastics in a tupperware container that I bought at the local dollar store and have no problem getting around the lake with three poles and my baits. As you can see the fish are getting a little bigger.