I am fishing a Tournament this Sunday that is from the bank. I fished the same lake end of last month. and only caught one fish. The fish are heavily pressured. I

t's a small 200 acre-ish low land reservoir with stained to murky water. Structure/cover types are Docks, brush trees, rocks, riprap, points, mud flats, gravel banks.

the forecast for Sunday is as follows: low of 46, high of 57, with a chance of rain. winds out of ESE at 15mph. today was the start of a cold front. temp dropped about 7 deg from yesterday but it will be on the rise with steady temps at least a day and a half before Sunday.

The water temp should be in the 50's to 60's with the fish in a pre to early spawn pattern.

My plan is to start the day with a drop shot, finesse jig, jerk baits, and shallow and mid cranks. then if and after I catch a limit to up it up to creatures, big worms, swim baits, and large spinner baits to try and upgrade.

Any and all advice & tips would be appreciated. Bank fishing tricks, lure choices and so forth. Thanks in advance... I will check often back here until Sunday to answer or ask questions.

Did i post this in the wrong section or is my strategy so dead on that no one seems to be able to help? I doubt ethier

1.  Moving baits to find them.

2.  If water temperature is around 65* they are on beds so go with plastics.

3.  Shaky Head; T-Rigged plastics; tubes.

4.  If you see any on beds then put plastic in center of bed and jiggle it slightly. Bass will pick it up and move it out. Be fast to set hook.

5.  If you do not see bass on beds then they are 1) deeper where you can't see them on their beds or 2) staging getting ready to go to their beds.

6.  Try #5 Shad Raps or Bandit 100s. If you pick up a lot of goop off bottom go to a shallow running crankbait, chatterbait or a spinnerbait.

7.  Try your luck with a topwater first thing, like a buzzbait or pink trick worm. Don't be surprise if nothing hits it.

8.  Use spinning gear as it is easier to throw and control while on the bank and you can skip it easier under cover.

9.  Bring needle nose pliers just in case you need them to remove hook.

10.  You know how to cast at each place you fish. Fan from left to right with bait and then from right to left. Do this at every location you stop to fish and with each bait presentation you use.

11. Scale down bait size unless you know there are monsters in the pond. 

12. Suggest using 6 or 8 pound test on spinning rig.

13.  Try to find a white 2-inch or 3-inch grub and rig it on spinning gear with a swivel snap and fish it close to shore. For some reason, the bass in Virginia and Maryland ponds kill this presentation. Line twist will drive you crazy.

14.  Bring one or two extra spinning reels just in case you get a bad line twist. Easier to change out reels sometimes than to fight a line twist situation.

15.  If you get line twist, loosen drag but DO NOT OPEN BAIL and pull line off spinning reel. Pro's trick. Works every time.

They will probably be close to the shoreline and if the sun is out under the docks unless they are bedding by the docks.

Try go get under bushes and trees and flip and pitch to stumps and stickups.

Fish the sunny bank first thing in the AM or any structure that can hold heat, like rocks or stumps. Fish the sunny side during the day as the water heats up.

Wear polarized sunglasses and a cap. Must to see the fish on beds, etc.

Do some prefishing today or tomorrow to try to find them. They should be in the same places on tournament day unless the cold front moves them deeper.

Good luck. 

If it was me, I would start throwing topwater and shallow diving crankbaits first thing in the morning. As the sun moves up higher in the sky, you move further down the water column. Try to locate any structure around spawning areas, like the backs of coves or spawning flats. I know it's going to be hard from shore, but if you find these areas then you might find the big girls of the lake. 

I would start with a Rage Tail Shad or Cavitron

Buzzbait early. Maybe follow-up with a spinnerbait.

Next, Fat Ika and/or Senko, weightless & weedless.

If any of that worked, I would stay with it.

Otherwise, Swarming Hornet with a LFT Live

Magic Shad trailer.

Next would be Shake2/ Rage Tail Lobster or GYCB

Kut Tail. Maybe a drop shot with a 4" Slug Go.

Back to "moving" baits, Rage Tail Rooster, Keiteck

Swing Impact Swimbait Fat 4.8", GYCB Swimming

Senko or Kreature.

Around 10:00 I would focus on your favorite jig

presentation and fish that until 2:00 or maybe

the rest of the day.

8-)

When bank fishing I try to use some stealth in approaching the water. My best fish all last year came off a stump sticking out from the bank into the water about this time of year. I catch quite a few pitching to cover right on bank just like you would from a boat only approaching from an angle on the bank.

Thanks guys. I feel lost with out my boat so i'll try my best... didn't really consider top water this time of year but i'll take a few with just in case