Bank Fishing

Team Kattitude

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bank fishing

Location, Location, Location

This is the one most important factor in bank fishing. Without the right area of water, all the best rods and reels will be just sticks and spools. Remember that 90% of all catfish live in 15% of the proper habitat suited for them.

Site preparation is the first step in bank fishing. The area in this photo at right was weed eaten and pruned prior to setting out the first pole. This needs to be done if the site is going to be used often. For a casual one time usage a simple machete can be used to help clear away some of the vegetation to make the site more user friendly.

Check you local laws and fisheries department before clearing and pruning any bank vegetation. Some localities have strict laws against removing bank ground cover

With the proper set up

you too can land these monsters

Equipment, this will vary with locations but normally longer heaver rods with reels with larger line capacities are needed to properly fish these areas. This is because you will not normally be able to chase the fish down like in a boat and will have to fight the fish from one spot. Rod holders are almost a must. They will vary from person to person and with personal preferences. The ones shown in the photo are home made stands with a simple holder purchased off E-Bay. Tackle is about the same with one exception, the line and leader must be of a high abrasion resistance to hold up against all the rocks and brush encountered while bank fishing

Things to make bank fishing better

Several things will make your time bank fishing more productive, a small rolling cooler to keep your food and drinks in, rod holders to keep the lines from getting tangled, and a good tackle box to keep your gear straight. some of these things can be combined into one but the best is a good rod holder system. this can be store bought or home made. If you go store bought you have to look at quality and ruggedness of the ones offered. Some are fine but some are just junk, the good ones will hold your rod and stay in place. the junk ones will bend easyly and you will loose your rod. I have had both. you must judge for your self. also a good light will make night fishing better but will draw flying critters and spook fish in the shallows.

home made rod holders

Bank fishing poses some hazards that boat fishing don’t have. First is the crawling critters, during summer snakes are the number one hazard. Spiders are a silent predator and a spider bite can kill just like a snake. Always take care to keep legs and feet covered. Insect repellants are a must but can ruin a fishing trip by getting all over everything, the "smell" and "taste" if this stuff will make fish run from your bait. Clean up after applying it. Get it off your hands before handling the bait, or wear rubber gloves. This seems extreme but it can mean fish or no fish.

Refer to the tips section of this site for a tutorial on reading water to make the most of your bank fishing trips. Watch the weather and take a small 6'x8' tarp to cover up with if the weather looks rainy, never fish in thunder storms. I have seen lightning hit the water and run right up a tree root to the bank. This can kill and the last thing we need is to have someone in our fishing community die from being foolish.