bp_fowler

Fishing from the bank it’s often dictated to me by the terrain and vegetation. It can matter because the easier the bank is to walk, the more water you can cover. The more water you can cover the more fish you can put your lure in front of. At a well maintained public lake or pond you maybe able to walk the entire perimeter of the body of water casting as you go, while at the other end of the spectrum something like a strip pit pond deep in the backwoods, you may only be able to fish from a handful of spots which means I’ll usually spend more time there picking apart everything within casting distance. If I’m limited to a few spots then I’ll do the following: When approaching the area I will make a few casts from a distance if I’m able to in order to check the immediate area around where I’ll be standing on the bank. However it can be useful to catch any fish that may possibly be hanging out near that spot. If there is any obvious cover/structure I try and target that first. Next I’ll make casts parallel or as close to parallel to the bank as possible. Specifically targeting bank along my direction of travel. If there is another linear feature such as a weed or shade line I’ll cast along that as well. Lastly I fan cast around an area before departing. Usually this will be approximately 3-5 casts depending on nearby vegetation which may limit where and what direction and/or angle you can cast. Also if I’m carrying a second rod with a follow up bait I’m might use that here. After that I’ll move as stealthily as possible to the next spot, if I can no further down the bank than I had previously presented my lure. Often times I have no clear path along the bank to my next spot. That means I’ll have to repeat the process from the top when I get to where I’m going.

So far this year these have been my big producers: -Slightly further out relating to where the weed line usually is once they top out. -Shallow under overhanging vegetation or around flooded bushes. -A few on riprap banks. This next one is a variation on the first. -Over the top of submerged weed beds in the upper end of the smaller reservoirs and in the middle of some of the smaller ponds.

I deal with weeds a lot in the places I fish. A lot of time as a bank angler weeds are the primary type of cover that fish are relating to that I’m able to reach from shore. If the weeds have topped out I’m thinking swimjig all day. If they are submerged then reaction baits ticking the tops would be my first choice. Chatterbait, Spinnerbait, lipless, underspin, square bill would all be in play. If the fish wont bite these fast moving, more aggressive baits then I would go with weightless soft plastics like floating worm, zoom fluke, texposed senko. Of course make sure to target holes, ends, and irregularities in the weed bed.

I love the original Yamamoto Senko for wacky rigs but when it come to the Neko I prefer the YUM Dinger as it seems to hold up better to multiple fish as well as having the nail weight stay put which has been a problem for me in the past when using Senkos.

I just purchased a Shimano Sellus 6’8” M/F with a Shimano Nexave Fl 2500. Both rod and reel were about $50 a piece. I’ve owned multiple other rods in the same price range but this one is my favorite. It’s light, sensitive and casts very well. Also it feels great in my hand and looks great. if I have any complaints it’s that the Nexave doesn’t have a reverse switch but that’s just a nitpick I can get along fine without having it.

Returned to New Reservoir to see if I could catch some bigger fish than what I have been getting there lately. Well, this picture sums up how that went. Weather was overcast with on/off rain, 67 degrees and 6 mph winds out of the SSE. I caught 7 more after that first one with the fish pictured below being indicative of their size. The day wasn’t a total loss however as I kinda have figured out that most of the fish are holding out where the weed line will be around summertime. There aren’t many fish shallow with most of them being smaller fish in wolf packs (dink packs?). I caught most of my fish burning a crank over the tops of these submerged weeds and then following up with the floating worm. In any case I’m hanging in there hoping the big gals will be shallow soon.

Went down to the new reservoir to squeeze in a hour or so of fishing today. Cloudy conditions, high of 79 and winds from the west at 6 mph. Caught a half dozen dinks on the floating worm. Most were the same size as the fish in the photo below. Made my way over to the dam and switched to a zoom fluke on an underspin. Got two bites but only hooked up with one but it was the best fish of the day.

Went out to the public pond today to take my new spinning set up for a little test drive. Managed to catch one little guy, but the rod felt and performed well. After that my mission accomplished I was about to head home but before I did I made one more cast and to my surprise caught a rainbow trout. Which was pretty cool because I then got to give my new fillet knives a test drive as well.

@ol'crickety probably my favorite “big lake” to fish. I’m not sure why I don’t fish it more often since it’s only a 25min drive from my house. Actually I do know, It’s because it’s so big and spots are so spread out that it’s a lot of walking/hiking in order to cover water. That wouldn’t normally be a problem for me on smaller BoW. I have caught decent fish there but never more than 1 in a trip with a lots of skunks in between. In any case the scenery there is great, and I think that more than anything keeps me coming back.

Went out yesterday to the New Reservoir it was slow going for a while at least until the forecasted clouds showed up. 80 degrees with winds gusting to 30mph out of the SW. Managed 4 dinks on the DT4. Photo shows the typical size. Went home grabbed a bite to eat and went back out, this time to the public pond I visited last week. The dink parade continued with another 4. Went down to Burr Oak early this morning hoping to add some size to my weekend haul but was thwarted by the skunk. Still some great views.

6’ M/F Ugly Stik GX2 w/ Shimano Sienna 2500 8# Trilene XL Texas rigged Green Pumpkin Senko

🤮🤮🤮 🤮🤮🤮

I’d be over the moon catching 50% if it meant I were catching those Maine linebacker bass that you catch lol

Snick out today for a few hours. Went to a nearby public pond that I’ve never fished before. Weather was 55 degrees, partly cloudy with winds 3 mph out of the NE. Caught 2 in 4 strikes on a KVD 1.5 in green gizzard shad. I’m starting to enjoy cranking, but the hookup ratio is bugging me. Normally I don’t miss hooksets, maybe the moderate action rod requires a different approach. I’m open to suggestions.

I guess I’ll state the obvious: when bank fishing your two biggest limiting factors are mobility and logistics since you don’t have a boat to get you and your gear where you want to go. This forces you to have to make some decisions about what you carry as well as some planning ahead of time. I’ll start with scouting the place out either with my own two eyes or google earth. This allows me to determine some things like ease of access and how far away the vehicle parking area is. That way I can decide what to carry and how much. If I can park my car a short walk away then I can bring more gear and just cache it there. Some places, public ponds and the like have relatively flat banks and well manicured grass right up to the waters edge. Others may require negotiating step or rough terrain and through thick vegetation. Again this will affect how much I carry and even what clothing I wear. Last but not least I can possibly pick some spots that look promising. In most circumstances I carry two rods, at least initially, one MH/F casting and one M/F spinning. Between those two setups I can fish just about anything. I have a small tackle pack (kinda like a cross between a fanny pack and back pack) that I bring along with me. Inside I carry some terminal tackle, extra lures, various soft plastics, some spare line and basic hand tools (fishing pliers, line cutters). Generally I try to pack as light as possible since I often have to hike a bit to get to some spots. During the warmer months I bring water. As for what lures to take along, the answer is for me that it depends. This spring I had been going out with a spinner bait tied on my casting rod and some type of weightless soft plastic (zoom fluke, senko or trick worm) on the spinning rod. On a small pond I pick a starting point, this maybe based on whats easiest for me to access or some other factor like a wind blown bank, currents, or shade for example. From there I’ll work my way around the bank for a far as I’m able. I’ll make casts out ahead of me parallel (or as close to parallel as I can manage) to the bank. If I see an interesting spot I may spend a little extra time there making multiple casts. One thing to keep in mind is stealth. I try not to walk right up on the bank if I can help it so I don’t spook the fish. On the bigger bodies of water it’s a bit tougher. I’m mostly likely not going to be able to fish everything, either because I physically can’t get there, or I don’t have the time (Although I have broken lakes down over multiple days). This is where the scouting really comes in handy that way I can make sure I’m not wasting time. That being said it still can be hit or miss. Just because a place looks good on the map or passes the eye test doesn’t guarantee that it holds fish.

I have a pretty good relationship ship with my local wildlife officer. He’s only checked my license once, the first time I ever met him. I still run into him from time to time and we chew the fat. Come to find out that one of my fire academy classmates was a former ODNR officer and they knew each other.

Yeah it’s definitely a confidence bait for me. It’s the first technique I ever learned, the only one I used early on, and it’s caught me a fair amount of fish. That being said if it’s not a confidence bait for you and/or you’re not catching anything with it, I wouldn’t worry too much about it so long as the techniques that you do use are working for you.

Between work & weather there was not much fishing to be had this week. To make matter worse I managed to grenade my baitcasting reel earlier this weekend putting it out of commission, perhaps permanently. So when I was able to get away for a little while today I decided to take my cranking rod out for a test drive. It had been sitting a corner collecting dust since I bought it earlier this year. I didn’t do too hot, but I got one and it’s kinda special for me since it’s my very first fish I’ve caught on a crankbait. Also I finally saw a fish on a bed so that’s exciting as well. I hope that means things will start picking up around here soon.

@Woody B I’d definitely claim 4. My skunk streak came to an end today. The Gun Club was the only place nearby that wasn’t totally blown out by all the rain we’ve been getting. 55 degrees, blue skies, and winds out of the WNW at 12 mph with gusts up to 26 mph. I worked the wind blown bank pretty hard with the Booyah Blade and was rewarded with 3. Average sized fish for this body of water but it felt great to actually be catching something again.

So this is only my second spring. Last spring I did very well. A few fish were on already beds by this time but most were shallow and I was catching them even though I still didn’t have much of an idea of what I was doing. This spring is night and day different. I’ve been getting skunked far more than I ever have before. Honestly I was catching more fish in February and March. I think the several storms and heavy rains we’ve had recently have messed things up a bit.

Working today or else I’d be out there.

Yes sir, she’s a chunky gal. I’m hoping I can get permission also. I think this lake has a lot of untapped potential. I only started fishing it late last year and by that time the weeds made bank fishing pretty tough. If all goes according to plan I may be the proud new owner of a fishing kayak this summer so there’s always that option as well.

Decided I needed a change of scenery today. Went to Lake St Joe which is near one of my neighboring towns. 51 degrees and partly cloudy. Winds west north west 11 mph gusting to 24. Only managed one, but it is the largest bass I’ve caught yet on this particular body of water. Attempted to work my way completely around the lake but found that someone had posted no trespassing signs on the other side of the dam. I don’t remember them being there last year but I decided to call it an early day.

Seems like it’s been forever since I’ve been able to fish. Yesterday was beautiful but I was working OT so I could render unto the bait monkey. I made I promise to myself that I was gonna fish today no matter what. Well I got 50 degrees, winds from the south-southeast gusting to 37 mph and a steady rain. Decided on the Crappie Hole since it has been producing bigger fish for me. Managed two on a Booyah Blade white/chartreuse spinner bait which had been successful for me there before however I went with an Indiana/Colorado combination instead of the willow leaf/Colorado. Results were similar with two fish today. Smaller than usual from that particular body of water but still bigger than what I had been catching at the Gun Club and the Old Reservoir.

Nice jeans! Are those full choke or improved cylinder? 😂