Apples and Oranges…… 

Depends on where you’re at. Below a dam, bank fishermen have spot lock and boats don’t . Anchors don’t even work 

Like mentioned above lots of variables in play here.Time of year...size of water body...skill level of anglers. All things even I'd say the boater has the advantage. However I've fished my local pond from shore when a guy in a $60000 boat was also fishing it and put a beating on him. That has happened more than once.

I've caught way more bass from my boat's than from the bank. That said, I've caught a bunch of smallies and a few largemouth while wading.

If you're fishing from the bank, there is a chance that you can get bit by a snake. If that happens, clear advantage to the boats

All but 1 of the lakes i fish have no shore fishing except the homeowners (not a threat to the fish). There is no way a shore angler would out - fish a boat angler on that lake. That;s what i know...

2 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Like mentioned above lots of variables in play here.Time of year...size of water body...skill level of anglers. All things even I'd say the boater has the advantage. However I've fished my local pond from shore when a guy in a $60000 boat was also fishing it and put a beating on him. That has happened more than once.

You can put a glitter rocket in a pond??

50 minutes ago, TroxBox said:

If you're fishing from the bank, there is a chance that you can get bit by a snake. If that happens, clear advantage to the boats

I’ve had those jokers in the boat too! Live action!!!

16 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve had those jokers in the boat too! Live action!!!

Night fishing? That is literally my worst nightmare... I'd be shooting holes in the bottom of my boat lol

2 minutes ago, TroxBox said:

Night fishing? That is literally my worst nightmare... I'd be shooting holes in the bottom of my boat lol

Night and day haha. The one that crawled in at night was little but determined. I threw it out twice and then he wrapped up in the midsection of the outboard 

 

I’ve learned over the years that terrestrial swimming wildlife are very tired and will do anything to hitch a ride 

7 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

You can put a glitter rocket in a pond??

I’ve had those jokers in the boat too! Live action!!!

I guess its more of a small lake...guess we always called it a pond but its a little bigger than that.

If I thought I could catch more fish from the bank and would just tie the boat to a tree and fish from the bank.  

7 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

If I thought I could catch more fish from the bank and would just tie the boat to a tree and fish from the bank.  

Done that many times . Don’t tie to a tree with bees in it 

As stated earlier, accessibility is key.

 

In my kayak, in can fish off of someone's back yard. If I was bank fishing I think that same person would be ticked off if I just walked into their back yard to fish.

19 minutes ago, Koz said:

As stated earlier, accessibility is key.

 

In my kayak, in can fish off of someone's back yard. If I was bank fishing I think that same person would be ticked off if I just walked into their back yard to fish.

Yeah that’s trespassing haha

12 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Night and day haha. The one that crawled in at night was little but determined. I threw it out twice and then he wrapped up in the midsection of the outboard 

 

I’ve learned over the years that terrestrial swimming wildlife are very tired and will do anything to hitch a ride 

I have a buddy that is TERRIFIED of snakes, worst I've seen. 

We were cat fishing on my boat one evening and I caught a large 3ft eel and brought it in the boat.

He screamed like a little girl and said " TAKE ME HOME NOW ! ".

He hasn't cat fished or swam in the river since. Lol

Fishing from the shore is much more difficult than fishing from a boat. That is why a good land based fisherman learns quickly how to fish on a boat and often outfish people who have fished on boats for a longer time.

On 12/30/2021 at 2:40 PM, Catt said:

The major difference is access to the water.

 

Some shorelines I fish are well manicured like a golf course. Some shorelines are over grown with weeds, brush, trees, or all 3.

 

In a boat I have access to the entire body of water. 

 

That being said I have more than once out fished guys in a boat from the bank.

 

Well said @Catt. I fish public waters from the bank and have outfished boaters. Some of those boaters like to drive their boats less than 100 feet from you even though they can go anywhere they want with a boat.

I have never been in my kayak or a boat and thought, "Man I wish I were fishing from shore instead!"

I've caught a majority of by fish this past season from a boat, but most of my largest fish came from fishing off of the bank.

I fish more from the bank than a boat, but I definitely do better from the boat.  The reason is access.  However, I don't think I've ever been on a lake with more people fishing from a boat than from the bank, so I'd assume most fish are caught from the bank, in total.  But I find the biggest fish in areas that can't be accessed from the bank.  I think the reason is fishing pressure.  

The county I live in has a no boats policy with the exception of a single 100 acre lake that allows kayaks only. It nearly dried up 18 years ago and needed to be re-stocked. It's pretty lame there, even on a yak. It, like every other water body here is tree lined with occasional cuts. Those areas get the most fishing traffic from bankbeaters. The fish have adjusted, so fishing these spots during normal hours is brutal. I've adjusted by spending a ton of time by wading.  In this case wading is just glorified bank fishing. In most places I can only get far enough out from the bank to avoid overhanging branches on the back swing, but it makes all the difference. It allows me access to long stretches where the bank-bound never drop a lure. Besides a few rare flats, that's as good as it gets. None of the remaining lakes are much larger than 30 acres, and some are much less. I've pretty much figured out where to be and when to be there in places I've put the time in, so I do OK. Not many dinks, plenty of 2 pounders, but I've bagged my fair share of 5- 8lb bass. I can't complain, especially because I'm well plugged into the local hardcore scene and I know what others are catching for the most part. In my imagination there's a sleeper-type hammer out there quietly bagging giants. I'm sure there's a part of me that's trying to be "that guy".

 

My brother lives one county over and boats are allowed, but electric only. The largest lake on this island that's also in his his county is a 240 acre glacial kettle lake. We grew up less than a mile away from it, and it's where I caught my 1st bass. We had the highest hopes when we put together our jon boat for this place, but it has whipped us badly. Endless acreage of weeds right up the surface, so electronics are moot. We end up rowing often as the prop gets fouled with weeds constantly. Just a killer place to fish, in a bad way. We'd do OK if we bed fished there before the weeds explode, but it's illegal, and we have no taste for it whatsoever.

 

We do ok in most of the rest of the small public water bodies that allow boats, but nothing great. They get hammered constantly by poachers and fishing pressure. The exception is the east end private resident-only lakes. We know a few people out there, so we can get in with our boat, and the fishing can be great at times. We rarely see other fisherman in these spots because the DEC really cracks down. We get carded often. Getting caught by a constable gets you an appearance ticket in front of a judge and fines. Besides the private lakes, which we don't get the opportunity to fish all that much, it's mostly tough sledding when boat fishing the remaining very shallow weed choked public ponds that we call lakes around here.

 

It's not unusual for me to wade one of my local haunts after a meh day out on the boat with my brother in order to claim a little redemption. It works out for me most of the time. When it does I'll send him a fish pic, then he replies with a crying emoji and says he hates me.

 

So for me, where I live and these waters, it ain't even close. The bank wading thing wins big, especially for better fish.

Bank only for wife and I. Fishing around ottertail county and becker county in minnesota we have an extreme amount of rivers, dams and lakes available to us all within minutes by car.

 

When we decide to move we are packed up in 5 minutes with gps fired up we go to another spot. I dont even take my waders off or my fishing gloves. My car, honda civic is my land boat and gets 39 mpg.

 

For me, it's about how much effort I'm willing to put in.

 

If I just wanna catch a few just for fun, I walk the bank.  If I'm being more "serious", I haul out the kayak.

How many guys on the pro circuits get out of the boat to fish?

7 minutes ago, PaulVE64 said:

How many guys on the pro circuits get out of the boat to fish?

Well it is illegal so it must have some advantage hHa

2 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

How many guys on the pro circuits get out of the boat to fish?

i bet ya if it was legal to get out of the boat many a pro would for a shot at the grand prize.