By choice or necessity, a lot of Mississippi anglers will be fishing from dry ground this summer. Here’s how to make the best of fishing from the bank.
Each year, nearly a half-million Mississippi residents take to the state’s waters to fish. Of that number, it’s estimated that almost half fish from land at some point, and 20 percent fish from the shoreline full-time.
Overwhelmingly, spring and summer are the seasons when most land-based anglers head for the water, often lining up side-by-side in pursuit of fish.
One trend that works against anglers who fish from with their feet on solid ground involves private development around public waterways. To combat this, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the U.S. Forest Service and a host of other federal, county and local municipalities have created and maintained public access to waterways. Many of these public accesses are mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which seeks to advance shoreline management on public waterways.
Where space is available, many public-access areas — boat ramps and public parks, for example — also provide some type of fishing structure, usually a pier, dock or other fishing friendly area. In addition to areas provided for public access, a host of other public waters can be fished without trespassing on private property. Most scenarios involve a public roadway that intersects a public right-of-way along a shoreline that may or may not be developed.
Locations
To find the best bank-fishing/public-fishing areas, you’ll need access to the internet. The MDWFP maintains a listing of public fishing areas across the state at www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/public-waters-program/.
For areas other than those listed by MDWFP, industrious anglers can view the state’s waterways on Google Earth, paying particular attention to public right-of-ways accessible by roadway.
While fish may be shallow in the warmer months, the one thing that all good bank-fishing locations have in common is proximity to deep water. It can be associated with the gradual slope away from land accessed by a pier, a creek or river channel accessed by bridge or shoreline, or a naturally occurring drop-off adjacent to accessible land.
YouTube channels, magazines and websites are filled with how-to tips for anglers fishing from boats, kayaks or canoes, but few give instruction on how to make the best of a bank-fishing situation. Lack of mobility is your greatest weakness, but if you’re in the right spot, it’s not an issue. Many anglers imagine that fish migrate to their location during the time they’re fishing, but that is rarely the case. The fish you want to catch and are going to catch are mostly nearby.
Baits
The choice between live and artificial baits when fishing from the bank tips heavily in favor of live or natural baits, which have the capacity to attract fish from long distances, while artificial baits typically rely on a reaction strike when the lure comes close to the fish.
The type of live or natural bait may vary depending on location, time of year and the species being targeted.
Shore-based angler O’dell Livingston from Rankin County fishes for crappie from the banks of Ross Barnett Reservoir in the spring, changes over to bream in May and then fishes for catfish throughout the summer.
“I almost always use minnows when I’m fishing in the reservoir,” Livingston said. “I use jigs if I’m going to go behind the dam, but it’s minnows when I’m on the pier. Then, I move on over to another location to catch bream, but I’m using crickets then, and when that’s over, I’ll use worms and sometimes liver for catfish.”
One noted exception is when fishing in current or moving water, where fish are migrating past a specific location. That’s when drawing a reaction bite is the ticket.
Duang Hun, an angler from Panola County, prefers flashy artificial lures whenever he fishes the rivers behind Sardis, Enid or Grenada lakes.
“I cast mostly spinner blades and small spoons up the river, and then reel them back across the current,” said Hun. “I get most of my bites as the lure moves from straight across to moving downstream; that’s when the blades start moving.”
Tackle and gear
Shore-based tackle tends to be heavier and longer than typical tackle used by anglers in boats. The primary reason is that the lack of mobility on the angler’s part relegates him or her to muscling the fish to shore.
Longer rods offer greater casting distance when it’s important to reach deeper water. Spinning tackle is also favored for the same reason.
Shore-based fishing using live or natural baits is typically a “bait-and-wait” situation, with anglers employing multiple rods — where allowed — to cover more water. Some ingenious rod-holder set-ups have been developed by shore-based anglers to accommodate using multiple rods.
Reginald “Reg” Fuller from Courtland said he normally fishes from the bank near riprap around bridges, and he carries homemade rod holders with him.
“I have a couple of set-ups I use,” he said. “I might put one rod in the rod holder and cast a little bit until I get tired, then I usually put both rods in a holder. It keeps from losing it if a good fish comes along or breaking the tip off when he runs.”
Bank on tips
Approaching quietly, walking softly, not wearing bright colors, and not making noise are all important to avoid spooking fish living close to the bank. While a good distance of water may separate you from the fish, keep in mind, they are always just a good cast away.
Start with finesse tactics, causing as little intrusion as possible. Live baits frequently see the most use in bank-fishing situations. Until you’ve determined there is a need for a float to suspend your bait at a particular depth or current that requires heavy weight to anchor your bait in one spot, go lighter or avoid using these at all. Nothing is more natural or less invasive than a live bait placed in the water on nothing but a hook, tethered with just enough line to get the job done.
Some anglers mistakenly believe the best fishing spot will be straight out, as far out into the water as possible, and they subsequently come armed with tackle that is too heavy. Look for environmental clues, cover along the bank or a channel break or ledge that goes from shallow to deep. If fish attractors have been placed at the site — common in many managed areas — try to figure out where fish will hold on the structure.
Shade is also very important. In the absence of cover, look for any available shady spots. They offer cooler water, as well as a place for predator fish to hide while stalking prey.
Finally, the best shore-based anglers are those who apply some strategy to location, bait, tackle and presentation. In order to consistently catch more and larger fish than the average shore-based angler, you’ll need to find areas that aren’t fished as much as other popular public areas.
It’s also advisable to pack your tackle and gear, which will allow you to hike further from public access areas to get to those under-fished locations.
The Bank Fisherman’s Rig
Anglers fishing from boats don’t have a monopoly on incredible crappie fishing behind the Ross Barnett Spillway. Guide Don Terry said some of the best fishing is along the bank, especially when waters in the spillway are falling.
“Bank fisherman kill the crappie when the water is falling,” he said. “The fish tend to pull away from the stickups and blowdowns and concentrate more along the edges of the river channel.
“The spillway is full of shad that get sucked out of the lake and migrate up the river. When you get to within 150 yards of the spillway, closer than you are supposed to get with a boat, you can see baitfish working their way up along the shallows. Throw a jig on a slip cork up over there and pop it a few times.”
The version of slip-cork rig that has become famous with the bank-fishing set is a two-hook rig tied below a sliding slip cork. To tie the rig, first, place a slip knot or rubber stop on the line at the approximate depth of the channel edge. Next, thread a cork on the main line, using a small bead, if applicable, to stop the cork at the knot. Thread a 1/16-ounce jighead on the line and secure it using an overhand or Figure 8 knot. At the terminal end of the line, tie a second 1/16-ounce jighead, again using an overhand, Figure 8 or loop knot.
Some consideration should be given to spacing between the jigheads. Allowing 18 to 24 inches between the two is standard, but in some cases where current is involved, some fish may be holding near the bottom while others are suspended just below the surface of the water. If the water depth at the edge of the channel is 5 feet, this may suggest putting as much as 4 feet of spacing between the two lures.
Long-distance casting with a slip cork from a riprap bank is best accomplished with a longer rod, something in the 7- to 10-foot range, since allowing room for the back cast typically isn’t a problem and spacing of the jigs often is.
Castable Sonar: Meet the iBobber
Catching more fish from the bank requires some preparation. Using a castable fish finder is a great way to figure out what the bottom looks like and whether you should keep fishing an area.
iBobber is the lightest portable fish finder on the market and can be cast long distances. Map the bottom contours, locate fish or structure, ledges and holes where the lunkers lurk. You can GPS mark spots, laydowns, weed beds, drop-offs and other underwater structure where fish might be waiting to ambush baitfish.
“We developed this product to be easy to use and give anglers fishing from shore the same advantage that boating anglers have with the use of sophisticated sonar in a small, lightweight castable product,” said Jim Cardillo, marketing manager for Reel Sonar, the makers of the iBobber. “Just cast the iBobber to the area you want to scan and watch the return on your smart phone, tablet or other bluetooth device. It’s that simple.”
iBobber is great addition to your tackle box for pier fishing. Whether in freshwater or saltwater, cast it and map the waterbed down to 135 feet, mark fish and save GPS locations. Use iBobber’s fish-finder feature to locate fish and alert you when schools of fish gather under docks and piers.
iBobber is a castable, portable and wireless fish finder that syncs with the free app on your smartphone or tablet up to 100 feet away. The device syncs with iOS (Apple) 10.0 and later operating systems and Android 4.3 or later that use Bluetooth Smart (4.0). iBobber comes complete with USB charger, carrying pouch, and product guide.
MSRP is $89.99. For more information, visit reelsonar.com.