Ten Tips To Become a Better Bank Angler

Whether you are a dedicated bank angler or a boat owner that hits the bank a few times a season, there are a number of things you can do to up your bank fishing success.

Here are ten tips to help you become a better bank angler:

1) Take advantage of every opportunity to hit the bank even if it’s only for 30 minutes or so. The more you go, the more experience you gain and better angler you’ll become.

2) Low light conditions such as around dawn, dusk or when it’s cloudy are typically best since bass tend to be shallower and more active.

3) Find ponds, lakes or streams with relatively deeper water and abundant cover within easy casting distance of the bank.

4) Keep your tackle selection simple and straight forward since you’ll be walking the bank and covering water. Two to three rod & reel combos for different techniques plus a
small tackle box with baits tailored to the conditions you’re fishing works best.

5) Remember, a stealthy approach is always best since shallow bass are often sensitive to strange sounds, different shadows and vibrations originating from the bank.

6) Learn the types and approximate location of cover present in your bank fishing waters, especially submerged cover not easily located with the naked eye.

7) Though most bank fishermen often cast out towards deeper water, shallow bass are often just off the bank and holding on shoreline cover. Always fan cast each spot
starting with casts parallel to the bank working around through deeper water and ending paralleling the bank in the opposite direction from where you started casting.

8) When fishing a spot, use a variety of baits that cover the water column (topwaters for the surface, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits for mid-depths then
worms, jigs, grubs to probe the bottom cover). Always let the fish tell you what baits they want and how the want it presented.

9) Check the wind speed and direction before you head out and use that information to help select the best bank area for current weather conditions.

10) Keep a fishing journal of all your trips noting pertinent conditions and fish catches for future reference.

Personally more than half my fishing trips each season are from the bank and I employ each of these tips as appropriate each time I am fishing from the bank.

Using these tips has helped me learn the ins and outs of each bank fishing location and definitely helped increase my bank fishing success rate!