Bass from shore

[ShoreGuy1984]

I love to fish for bass. I do not own a boat, which makes it really hard to get access good spots. Here is my question. Can bass fishing from shore really be that productive ? Or am I just wasting my time ?

[ec30_06]

I used to catch a lot of bass around docks at marinas and campgrounds when I was younger. Try to get permission to fish off some docks

[carpmanjake]

i only fish from shore. and i often get more giants than other people fishing from boats. if you fish from shore you often have better accessability to backwater areas and lagoons where boaters cant get to.

[WyoChris]

my suggestion would be to invest in some waders. I've always found the weeds growing by shore can making casting and reeling in very difficult.... especially in mid to late summer

[HossFisher]

The best way to fish for bass from shore is with topwaters. Probably 85% of the bass i catch from shore are taken by frogs. There weedless and the bass can come up through the thickest milfoil ti hit it. It helps if you get out in the early morning when the fish are more active, but during the day can still be good. I only fish from shore and I have caught some huge bass including my personal best and have had very productive days. Dont give up, try fishing some smaller ponds, they produce some monster fish.

[MidCoast]

Fishing from shore can be productive, but I think it is more difficult to fish from shore then it is with a boat. In the hot summer days, the bigger bass, in a lot of lakes, they are in deeper water... If you fish from shore, I think it would be more productive to fish at rivers for Smallies.

[wildcatcreek]

Fishing for bass from the shore can be very productive. Have fun, and catch the big one.

[carpmanjake]

The best way to fish for bass from shore is with topwaters. Probably 85% of the bass i catch from shore are taken by frogs. There weedless and the bass can come up through the thickest milfoil ti hit it. It helps if you get out in the early morning when the fish are more active, but during the day can still be good. I only fish from shore and I have caught some huge bass including my personal best and have had very productive days. Dont give up, try fishing some smaller ponds, they produce some monster fish.

i would have to disagree. topwaters are good for early morning, evening, and in the night. but freelinging shiners and casting crankbaits and spinnerbaits and plastics around cover give u much better chances. alot of times bass near shore get heavy pressure. so you want to fish using something they havent seen before or something thats completely natural. thats why i always freeline shiners

[Katman]

Waders will get you into places you can't get to from shore.

[iFishMN.YT]

I agree, waders are the way to go, you can then walk along almost any shoreline of any lake for a long distance and thoroghly cover all the cover, great tactic early in the season!

[mainbutter]

just after opener last year I had very good luck on small, out of the way lakes casting around a small firetiger rapala original floater. All I did was walk around the perimeter, casting a few times every 10 feet or so, working as much of the water as I could. If I had waders I would have used them and probably caught a few more fish, but in the end I had plenty of luck without.

[ShoreGuy1984]

Originally Posted By: bassboy6109

The best way to fish for bass from shore is with topwaters. Probably 85% of the bass i catch from shore are taken by frogs. There weedless and the bass can come up through the thickest milfoil ti hit it. It helps if you get out in the early morning when the fish are more active, but during the day can still be good. I only fish from shore and I have caught some huge bass including my personal best and have had very productive days. Dont give up, try fishing some smaller ponds, they produce some monster fish.

i would have to disagree. topwaters are good for early morning, evening, and in the night. but freelinging shiners and casting crankbaits and spinnerbaits and plastics around cover give u much better chances. alot of times bass near shore get heavy pressure. so you want to fish using something they havent seen before or something thats completely natural. thats why i always freeline shiners

To start, I want to say, I can catch bass from shore, but 95% of the time there are small bass and I only catch about 2-4 a day. I also ask my self, "Do those guys putting there boats in the water at the landing catch more bass then me, or am I just as productive as they are ?" Althouth, my biggest bass last year was about 18 inches. I caught him in midday about 3 feet from shore, in maybe 1-2 feet of water using a Rebel Pop-R.

Most of the bass ive caught last summer were on topwater (poppers), id also say about 80%-85% of the time. The other 15%-20% would be on Texas Rigged worms, and spinnerbaits. These are the only baits that work for me, from shore. The only colors that I use are completely natural looking. I admit that I am still a amateur at bass fishing and have a lot to learn. Maybe thats why I dont think I am very productive.

Btw, waders are a great idea. I will have to buy some for this upcoming open water season !

[carpmanjake]

To start, I want to say, I can catch bass from shore, but 95% of the time there are small bass and I only catch about 2-4 a day. I also ask my self, "Do those guys putting there boats in the water at the landing catch more bass then me, or am I just as productive as they are ?" Althouth, my biggest bass last year was about 18 inches. I caught him in midday about 3 feet from shore, in maybe 1-2 feet of water using a Rebel Pop-R.

Most of the bass ive caught last summer were on topwater (poppers), id also say about 80%-85% of the time. The other 15%-20% would be on Texas Rigged worms, and spinnerbaits. These are the only baits that work for me, from shore. The only colors that I use are completely natural looking. I admit that I am still a amateur at bass fishing and have a lot to learn. Maybe thats why I dont think I am very productive.

Btw, waders are a great idea. I will have to buy some for this upcoming open water season !

that is true. but where there are small bass, there will be bigger bass. you just need to know how to fish for them. my smallest bass last year was only 2 lbs. but my biggest was my 6lb pb. i caught numerous 4lb class fish and a dozen or so 5 lb fish.

i often fish in the most pressured waters around. and to catch those big fish, you must use extreme finesse. which is where freelinging shiners come in. its an extremely natural presentation, and also extremely productive. wacky rigging is also a good idea. when you are trying to catch big bass from shore flouro carbon leaders are a must! the less visibility of the line the better. i use 8lb flourocarbon leader around cover, and a 4lb flourocarbon leader when there is no cover. if i am fishing very thick weeds and other cover i might jump up to a 14lb flourocarbon leader. but that is usually the max i will go.

im not saying topwaters are bad. im just saying they shine best at certain times of the day. while the techniques i mentioned shine all day and all night

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Float tube? It would not cost much, and get you around more.

[tom_w]

Last summer I would get out after work for a couple hours and fish texas rigged plastic salamanders. I could catch between three and eight in a couple hours. I caught several hawgs doing this. Certainly there are times when you'd do better in a boat, but there are times when I am in a boat and I am casting very near to shore.

I'd just wade around the whole lake and work hundreds of yards of shoreline.

[carpmanjake]

here are some fish to give you some inspiration

this is my biggest bass ever. i was fly fishing for sunnies on annie battle lake in glendelough state park. it was an amazing sight seeing that huge bass come up and engulf the popper!

heres another giant from the SAME day

the next day i went out on my own. got some more giants!

4lb male caught sight fishing last spring on lake agnes. i seen a HUGE (6lb+) female nested on a sunken pallet, with several other BIG males around her. this one was the only one i managed to hook up with, and it was the SMALLEST of them!

another

even giant smallies from the shores of the ottertail river

[shorefisher]

I have always had a boat and they have a time and place but I love to fish from shore and that is what I do most of the time. I have cought more and bigger fish from shore (true that I fish from shore more so I get more) The best shore fishing is in the fall IMO.

[mainbutter]

An idea: If you have a place to keep one, look in classifieds for a cheap man-powered floatable.. aluminum canoe, old kayak, float tube..

My issue is living in an apartment I have no place to keep one. I generally prefer to fish out of canoes more than any other boat, but your range is limited. Not as limited as shore-fishing though

I spend at least a week every summer in Michigan, the grandparents have a place on a lake on the LP. I take the canoe out whenever weather permits and have some of the most action bass-fishing ever.