well can you tll me how close bass come to and do you absoloutly need a boat

 I bank fish a good deal even though I have a boat.  It just is easier for short fishin time.  

 In dark or muddy water, I've had bass take the bait right at my feet.  it's a little more difficult with the water clear, they spook real easy.

A baot lets you explore more areas.

well can you tll me how close bass come to and do you absoloutly need a boat

You don't absolutely need a boat. Bass fishing from the bank can be good in many bodies of water. Naturally, a boat expands one's horizons, but it's not necessary to catch fish.

i caught a 4 1/2 pound bass Friday night around 8:00 in about a foot of water... Thursday night around 8:00 bassin4life caught a dern 6 1/2 pound bass in about a foot of water... so to answer your question, they can get as shallow as they need to in order to feed.

gah,

I'd like to catch a 3lb bass!

You can catch plenty of bass off the shore.I prefer a boat because you can move around and get into places that you can't get to on shore.

I've been a boat owner for years and love it. Best investment I ever made. BUT, my two or three bragging size fish have all come from walkin the bank.

I have a boat and love it but there is one thing that I have always thought was odd: People in boats want to cast as close to the bank as they can get and people on the bank want to cast as far away from the bank as they can.

For as your question I have had about the same amount of luck either way. I do alot of wading also and have caught fish right at my feet. So you can get pretty close to them. The worse days to do ot when it is sunny and the water is slick.

Although I have a boat. I tend to find myself walking the bank on a bad day. It is what I did for 12 years and I still love it.

Went fishing from the bank Tuesday and caught some nice fish, one was about a 4-5 lber.  Early this morning I went out on a friends boat and caught 6 fish with my largest being maybe 1.5 lbs.  So I say you dont necessarily need a boat all the time.

Follow the shore line some night with a spot light in a small boat, most of those glowing little eyes on the bottom are fish.  

Although I have a boat. I tend to find myself walking the bank on a bad day. It is what I did for 12 years and I still love it.

Should have done that today.  Or stayed home and slept late.  Post frontal conditions+30 MPH north winds make for a less fun day on the water.  Notice I said less-it still beat working ;D

Yea Reb, those post cold front bass are tough. Bluebird skys and high wind don't help either.

I have had my best fishing day this year fishing from the bank.  I went out mid March walking the bank of a local lake.  I caught 11 bass in two hours that averaged 4-1/2 pounds with the largest two weighting 8 and 9 pounds.  I have a boat.  My largest catch from my boat this year is 3 pounds.  So, you don't need a boat to catch fish.  I fish from the bank early in the year.  Most people are not fishing yet, and the spots that can be fished from the bank have not had much fishing pressure.  As the weather warms and more people start fishing, most spots that can be fished from the bank receive a lot of fishing pressure, and the fish can be pretty hard to catch in these places.