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Distance From Bank

11K views 44 replies 30 participants last post by  Ole Okie 
#1 ·
Ok I'll admit some times I may put Bait out far as I can but always thinking about Limb Lines and the many Large Cats caught on them in the past.

Seems to me just lobbing the Bait out is just as Good, keeping quite and no Bright Lights. Or do Lights matter?

hillman
 
#2 ·
lights matter but thats just me.distance i cast depends on where im fishing.biggest flat came from 10 to 15 foot from the bank.fishing a big eddy just after a big rain.biggest blue came from over 100 yards fishing some floating structure 5 foot deep over 45 foot of water.
 
#3 ·
The river and sloughs I normally fish are all fairly narrow. When I was younger, I would always cast as far as I could. Then I realized that even though I had cast 50 feet, I was actually fishing just 10 feet from the opposite bank. Since then, I have always put some lines close and others far. It seems I catch as many either place, and some of my largest cats have been caught on a cane pole I usually keep out for bait.

In my opinion, the main drawback to fishing close would be noise. The only other negative would be knocking yourself out with the weight if you set the hook too firmly on a short-line pole.
 
#6 ·
I stagger my baits. One close (10 to 15 feet) one further out, then one super long. The medium and long baits are kayaked out.

It really depends on where the cover is at. Sometimes we don't have to take baits far, other times it seems like I am paddling forever to get them where we want them.
 
#7 ·
It depends on where you are fishing.

Determining how far you want to cast comes down to where the fish are located. If you need to reach structure 75yds from you, haul on that cast as hard as you can, if there is structure 10ft from where you are, just plop the bait in. If structure is at multiple different distances from where you are, stagger the baits you cast out.
 
#9 ·
As some have stated, it depends where the structure is. Places I normally fish, I have learned where the structure is located. Some are close to the bank and some are a good cast away. When trying a new area, I look for signs of structure on maps, observing the water currents, even asking guys fishing from boats about depths. There are lots of ways to get info. Do a little legwork and your success will increase.
 
#10 ·
Where we fish the only real structure is wood and some very shallow creek channels. For us 5' is deep water. That being said we tend to throw long because 95% of the folks fishing around here fish in close. Last night long was the way to go. A 20, an 8, a 4 and a 2 pounder. Wind was out of the south so we went to the north end. Water depth was about 3.r feet. Cats didn't care, they were there. The biggest came at 7:35 so it was still quite warm out. You never know!
 
#14 ·
If I am looking for fish I cast out as far as I can in a pattern I fish a little no bits I reel in a little i keep doing this until I am fishing close to the bank I try to cover the whole area I am fishing if no bits I move on. If I start getting bits at a certain dept and need to check my bait on my spinning reels they have a rubber line clip I clip my line to it before reeling it in that way when I cast back out my line will stop at the same spot.
 
#16 ·
One should consider this...when one is fishing from a boat, why is it many times that a guy will often cast to the bank?

And then when the same guy fishes from the bank...he often times tries to cast to the middle.

The grass is always greener on the other side I suppose.

When I fish from the bank...I will always attempt to find a current seam that is close to the bank. (Such as an eddy or where a runoff enters a creek or the river)

I position my bait right inside the seam in the slack water.

Many times fish (Of all species) will patrol this seam looking for baitfish that are trying to find relief from the heavier current in the main river.

Also using a no roll type sinker such as a pyramid or a flat will help keep your bait in position, and resist rolling downstream.

And utilizing structure inside these current seams is also key to success. (I will be posting pictures at the end of this post of low water conditions at my local river...which reveal hidden structure that is not visible during normal water conditions...yet is only a 5' to 10' or less cast during normal water)

As far as using a light...well it depends.

A bright light such as a spotlight shined across the water in total darkness is not good.

But if a guy is using a headlight or a flashlite not directly shined into the water...I haven't seen where it matters.

Another thing is how clear the water is.

Obviously in clearer water it is going to matter more.

In muddier water...not as much.

With that being said...I have used submersible light to attract baitfish with a great deal of success.

I suppose that's because a quick bright light that appears and then disappears may spook the fish.

But a softer light in the water that has been there for some time so they can get used to it...is not as bad. (Especially since their prey is attracted to the lights)
 
#20 ·
Totally depends on the spot. Fishing a smaller body of water tends to be a lot easier, you can hit most of the spots.

My favorite bank fishing spots would be the ones where the target area is maybe 30 to 100 feet away, with 50-60 being the sweet spot. That's about 15-20 yards. I guess I feel that way because you have more accuracy with respect to bait placement.

However, I agree when fishing multiple rods from the same point I like to put one closer, one farther, and one way out. Not unlike fishing a specific piece of cover behind the boat. If you're fishing a larger area then you can spread the rods across.
 
#22 ·
Nah chop... Measured it at 47 inches long. 48 if I were to pinch the tail lobes together. Was a nice fat thick girl. I'd guess in the 55 to 60 Lb range. I was on a little cliff and was lucky there was another fellah there to assist me getting it banked. Had him snap 2 or 3 pics on my mobile and put her back in the lake quick.
 
#24 ·
Caught yesterday from the bank casting out as far as I could:
Casting distance is not a be-all/end-all, but can be helpful.
Nice fish!

I share your view though, casting for distance is not a be all end all, but what I like to point out is that when you can cast for distance, you open up the amount of water you can cover from one spot immensely. I use surf rods to reach out to current seams that are unreachable by the majority of other anglers and I must say that the number and sizes of fish I catch speak for themselves vs anglers that are unable to cast as far, But I also have gear set -up for close to shore structure and current seams as well. It is all about covering water.

Guys in boats might work the shore, but in a lot of cases, they also work deep structure at the same time. That is one of the biggest advantages of using a boat, the ability to cover large amounts of structure and water vs even a shore angler using surf gear.
 
#25 ·
Honestly there's not a lot of places that I fish in my boat that you couldn't fish on the bank just fine. It's the ability to fish a spot and if they're not biting then reel in and move to another spot quickly that I like my boat. I bank fished for a long time and the hassle of packing everything in to your chosen spot and if the fish aren't biting there, then packing it all back up, driving to another bank access spot and packing everything back out and hopefully finding a good spot. With my boat, I can fish 5 or 6 spots in a couple hours.
 
#26 ·
Sometimes the bank spots weren't easy to get to after hiking out like a pack mule. I try and pick a good spot based on the weather, water level, time of year, and recent history. Good or bad, I commit to that spot all day. I don't do much moving around. Especially if a spot has a good history with the same conditions listed above. I don't really care much about smaller fish these days, I'm just out there trying to catch a good one and hope the dinks leave me somewhat alone. If I get one good fish, mission accomplished.
I had been in a little bit of a "slump", the best fish I could get for about 2 months were all in the 36 inch range (20 to 25 Lbs) (I caught 4 of those Sunday and 2 the prior Sunday) which I am not complaining about but I'm trying for better then that. Was nice to get something more substantial, and made it a very enjoyable day...
 
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