E-Learnabout

Everyone has done some bank fishing in their lifetime.  You do not always have to jump in your boat to have a great day on the water.  Early season bank fishing is a great way to get ready for a summer full of fishing and you might as well try and get some fish for the frying pan.  Here are three time tested spots and tips from a fisherman who has always made time to do some bank fishing. 

1.    Bridges connecting tributaries to the main lake are early season crappie hot spots.  Some of the best fishing you can experience happens in these early season spots that often fished best by bank fishing.  Some of the best crappie fishing occurs around bridges connecting tributaries to the main lake.  When the water warms these bridges serve as a funnel for baitfish and crappies making their way from their deep winter habitat to warmer waters.  Why waste time from a boat when you can bank fish these bridges and move around to different spots with ease to find early season crappie.

Tip: Use a slip bobber with a 1/32 jighead tipped with a minnow and fish next to bridge pillars adjusting depth until you find the active crappies.

2.    Shallow bays warm up fast early in the season and when the temperature rises for any duration they become bluegill magnets.  I like to target smaller lakes because they warm up faster than large bodies of water.  The first beautiful warm days of spring are perfect for throwing a small cork with a popper trailing behind.  In a few weeks these shallow bays will be full of weeds and then you can target shallow waters on larger bodies of water.  You will  always have fish present in these shallow bays because the weeds start growing first in the fertile shallow flats.

Tip:  When fishing with a cork and popper do not be afraid of fishing bays that have a little chop of the water, this often times sends the big bluegill even shallower. 

3.    River backwaters are every changing early season bank fishing spots.  The water might be low one day and high the next and finally when the water levels stays stable for a week the fish are already transitioning to different spots.