Bass Fishing With a Weightless Fluke (Bass Fishing From the Bank)
A Zoom Fluke gives me a couple of different options when I’m bass fishing from the bank. I can fish it weightless for a slower, more natural presentation, or add some weight when I want to get it down faster and change how it moves through the water.
This time I decided to fish it both ways and see which one actually caught more bass. I started with the weightless Fluke and got a bite pretty early, but I missed the fish. I stuck with it and eventually caught a largemouth bass near the dock.
After that I switched over to the weighted version. That turned out to be the better setup on this particular trip because I caught two more bass with it.
The final score was two bass on the weighted Fluke and one on the weightless version. That doesn’t mean the weighted setup is always better. Bass can react differently depending on the conditions and where they’re holding. But on this trip, adding some weight to the Fluke definitely produced more fish.
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Hot Summer Fishing For Bass & Bluegill (Realistic Bank Fishing)
Hot summer bank fishing isn’t always fast or easy. Sometimes you’re dealing with heat, snags and fish that just aren’t very aggressive. This trip was a pretty good example of what I consider realistic fishing during the middle of summer.
I started out targeting bluegill and other panfish with a small jig and a Gulp Alive Minnow. That setup produced a couple of bluegill before I got snagged and finally decided to switch things up.
Instead of continuing with the little jig, I changed over to a Baby Brush Hog and started fishing for largemouth bass. That turned the trip around. I managed to catch two bass on the soft-plastic creature bait.
When it’s hot, I don’t expect every trip from the bank to turn into nonstop action. Being willing to downsize for bluegill or switch over to a bass lure can at least give me more than one way to find something that’s willing to bite. A couple of bluegill and two largemouth bass isn’t a bad result for a hot summer day.
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How To Fish Docks From The Bank – Bass Fishing Near Docks
One of the easiest mistakes to make when fishing a dock from the bank is walking onto it before making a cast. There could already be a bass sitting beside or underneath that dock, and walking out there might spook the fish before your lure ever hits the water.
Before I step onto a dock, I like to make a few casts from shore. I’ll cast alongside the longest section of the dock from both directions and also try the far corners. Those are easy places for a bass to sit while using the dock as cover.
This isn’t some complicated dock fishing technique. The main idea is simply to fish the structure before walking on top of the fish you’re trying to catch.
It worked really well this time. I caught two largemouth bass in a short amount of time, including one that was almost three pounds.
If you’re bank fishing and have access to a dock, don’t automatically walk straight to the end and start casting toward open water. Make a few casts around the dock first. Sometimes the bass you’re looking for is already sitting right next to you.
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When Bank Fishing Feels IMPOSSIBLE (Realistic Fishing From Shore)
Some public fishing areas get enough pressure that I already know the fishing might be tough before I make the first cast. This was one of those days. My expectations were pretty low, so instead of being determined to catch a bunch of bass, I was basically trying to catch anything.
I fished a Gulp Alive Minnow and managed to catch a few longear sunfish and green sunfish. I also hooked a largemouth bass, but I wasn’t able to get that one in.
That’s the reality of fishing from shore sometimes. You can be at a heavily pressured public spot where the bass aren’t cooperating, and the smaller sunfish are the only fish willing to keep you busy.
I had some ducks and geese hanging around while I fished, but even good company doesn’t make a terrible bite much better. Sometimes the best you can do is downsize, catch whatever is available and know when you’ve given the spot enough time.
Not every bank fishing trip needs to turn into a bass fishing success story. Some days catching a few sunfish and getting one shot at a bass is about as realistic as it gets.
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How To Catch Fish From The Bank When It’s HOT!
When it’s hot and the fishing gets tough, one option is to put away the bigger lures and try something small. An ultralight setup with a little jig gives me a chance to catch bass, bluegill and other sunfish without needing to carry a bunch of different gear.
For this trip I fished two small lures: a Dangly Tail and a Gulp Minnow on small jig heads. The little baits produced a pretty good variety of fish. I caught two largemouth bass, some nice bluegill and several shellcracker sunfish.
What surprised me was that both bass came on the Dangly Tail. The Gulp Minnow still caught fish, but it didn’t produce a bass this time.
That’s one reason I like fishing small jigs from the bank when it’s hot. I’m not depending on one species to save the trip. If the bass aren’t interested, bluegill or shellcrackers might be. And every once in a while a largemouth bass will grab that tiny lure too.
Hot weather doesn’t mean you can’t catch fish from shore. Sometimes downsizing to an ultralight rig and being willing to catch what’s biting is a better plan than spending the entire trip throwing big bass lures and waiting for one bite.
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This is Why I LOVE FISHING With Texas Rigs (HOT Bass Fishing)
A Texas-rigged crawfish is one of those setups I keep coming back to when I’m bass fishing from the bank, especially when it’s hot outside. It’s simple, I can work it slowly, and it lets me fish the kind of shoreline cover where I expect largemouth bass to be hanging around.
I started this trip with a Craw Fatty on a Texas rig and quickly caught a largemouth bass next to the dock. After moving farther down the bank, I caught another bass on the same lure.
Eventually the Craw Fatty got chewed up, so I replaced it with a Crackin Craw without changing the basic Texas rig. That produced one more largemouth bass.
Three bass on Texas-rigged craws is a pretty good reason for me to keep throwing them.
When the summer heat makes bass fishing from shore difficult, I don’t necessarily need a complicated presentation. A Texas rig lets me put a soft plastic near docks and other cover, slow down when I need to, and keep working the bank until I find a fish that’s willing to bite. On this trip, that simple approach worked three times.
