When Bank Fishing Is Your Best Bet

Bank-fishing is often where the love of fishing is born. Most anglers begin their fishing experience by beating the banks of a lake, creek or stream. It's fun and a great way to get kids started fishing.

However, for those veteran fishermen who think they've outgrown fishing from the bank, let me point out that this style of fishing can also be quite productive.

In fact, bank anglers have an advantage over boaters in many ways, especially in the morning. This is when hungry bass roam the shallowest water found along the bank.

There are several things you can do when bank-fishing to be more successful. For example, when searching for a spot to fish from the bank, avoid areas where the ground is worn all around. This usually indicates a spot where other anglers have fished regularly. Instead, try to fish the same places you would if you were in a boat, such as those with heavy cover nearby, deep water, channel bends and brushpiles. If necessary, set out a few brushpiles near a likely bank-fishing spot.

Using a rod holder is also a good idea when bank-fishing. This will allow you to relax a bit between bites and thus fish longer. There are even automatic hook-setting devices available in which the rod holder will set the hook for you when you get a bite. Of course, you'll need to check your state's fishing regulations since these are illegal in some areas.

Another rule for bank-fishing is not to stomp around. Fish cannot hear sound, but they can “hear” the blade of a spinnerbait whirring through the water at 30 feet. I can assure you that they also can sense you stomping around on the bank. Therefore, park away from the bank and walk quietly. Prepare all your gear at your vehicle, then approach the water's edge and stand completely still. Fan-cast the area, then move down the bank far enough so that your next set of casts overlaps your first, and so forth. You will be making a presentation that is quiet without disturbing the water prior to your first cast.

A topographic map can make a big difference when bank-fishing. It will give you some idea of the lake's bottom structure where you are fishing. Otherwise, you may be standing on a bank casting a spinnerbait out as far as you can and retrieving it back over 40 feet of water without a prayer of getting bite.

If you can locate areas that have channels near the bank, these are usually quite productive. Flats that have channels close to the shore or drop-offs not too far from where you're fishing are other possible hotspots. In some cases, the flats might be shallow enough for you to wade-fish the area.

Weedbeds along the bank are good especially if you can determine if the outside weedline drops off into a channel. This provides a haven for really big fish that move in and out of the channel into the weeds to feed. You can catch huge bass in these places in extremely shallow water.

Finally, if you like to fish points from the bank, you may want to try one of the new portable fish locators, such as the Smartcast from Humminbird. These feature a “wireless transducer” that you can cast out from the bank to get a reading and see if there are any fish on the point. You can even cast two floating wireless transducers and read two different areas.

These are just a few of the things you can do to help catch more fish from the bank and have fun doing it.