Bank fishing is

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

from

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

s or

shore A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

s, typically very near but still above the

water's edge "Water's Edge" is a song by Seven Mary Three and the second single released from their second album, '' American Standard''. It was originally included on their independently released debut album, ''Churn'', in 1994. The single was released in ...

. Bank fishing from

rocky outcrop An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. Features Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficial ...

s that protrude into the water is usually called

rock fishing Rock fishing is fishing from rocky outcrops into the sea. It is a popular pastime in Australia and New Zealand. It can be dangerous and many people have died. This may improve as more people who are rock fishing are beginning to wear life jacket ...

. Bank fishing is typically done by

angling Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniqu ...

casting Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...

tethered A tether is a cord, fixture, or flexible attachment that characteristically anchors something movable to something fixed; it also maybe used to connect two movable objects, such as an item being towed by its tow. Applications for tethers includ ...

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

dressed with bait or lure into the water, and is usually performed by a rod often equipped with a

reel A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the en ...

, but

handline Handline fishing, or handlining, is a fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands, rather than with a fishing rod like the usual angling. It is a type of angling, and is not to be confused with handfishing, which is catch ...

net Net or net may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Net (mathematics), a filter-like topological generalization of a sequence * Net, a linear system of divisors of dimension 2 * Net (polyhedron), an arrangement of polygons that can be folded up ...

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

s, bows,

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

s and snag hooks can also be used. People who fish from a boat can sometimes access more areas in prime locations with greater ease than bank fishermen. However, many people who don't use boats find fishing from a bank has its own advantages. Many factors contribute to success in bank fishing, such as local knowledge, water depth, bank structure, location, time of day, and the types of bait and lures.

Equipment

Fisherman have different preferences about the equipment they use for bank fishing, but most agree on the basics. Obviously

fishing tackle Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/ lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/ feeders, nets, stringers/ k ...

is needed. Most bank fishing is performed with a rod,

and lures or bait. Often two fishing rods are used. The bait can be changed on one rod while fishing continues with the other. Some fishermen bring a lidded container for the fish they catch which doubles as a seat. Other fishermen bring a

stringer Stringer may refer to: Structural elements * Stringer (aircraft), or longeron, a strip of wood or metal to which the skin of an aircraft is fastened * Stringer (slag), an inclusion, possibly leading to a defect, in cast metal * Stringer (stairs), ...

to hold the fish they catch.

Catch and release Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture, often a fast measurement and weighing of the fish is performed, followed by posed photography as proof of the catch, and then the fish are unhooked and returned ...

fishermen don't need either of these. With advancing technology, some luxury equipment has been developed such as the fish finder that uses

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...

or a

camera A camera is an Optics, optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), ...

to physically locate fish. This is typically reserved for

boat fishing Recreational fishermen usually fish either from a boat or from a shoreline or river bank. When fishing from a boat, or fishing vessel, most fishing techniques can be used, from nets to fish traps, but some form of angling is by far the most com ...

but can also be applied to bank fishing.

Advantages

Some fishermen, and even professional anglers, find advantages in fishing from a bank. According to professional

angler Angler may refer to: * A fisherman who uses the fishing technique of angling * ''Angler'' (video game) * The angler, ''Lophius piscatorius'', a monkfish * More generally, any anglerfish in the order Lophiiformes * '' Angler: The Cheney Vice Pres ...

Joseph Raines, “I've bass-fished from the bank most of my life, and have had tremendous success. I have caught all of my 7lb+ bass from the bank. I recently caught a twelve pound bass right on the bank."Joseph Raines
Bank fishing
/ref> Bank fishing requires the fisherman to scout and locate prime fishing locations. Some anglers view this as an advantage because it sharpens their skills by forcing them to pay close attention to important details that boating anglers may miss. Bank fishing can also allow a person to reach areas that a boat can't, such as shallow or densely covered areas that might be dangerous for a boat to navigate. Bank fishing can also allow the fisherman to avoid the costs involved in owning a

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

Disadvantages

Compared to bank fishing,

provides access to prime areas with greater ease and speed. Also, bank fishing doesn't allow access to fishing areas that are too far away from the bank. Boat fishing allows fishing for deep water

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

, such as

lake trout The lake trout (''Salvelinus namaycush'') is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, it can also ...

, that may be impossible for bank fishermen to catch. A boat also allows fishing methods not available to bank fishermen such as

trolling In slang, a troll is a person who posts or makes inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a forum, a chat room, a online video game), or in real life, with the int ...

, deep water jigging, or down rigger fishing.

Considerations

There are many things to take into consideration during and before bank fishing, and many of them depend on the type of fish you are fishing for. An important point to think about is the

structure A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

of the bank. Is it rocky, grassy, woody, or sandy. Different fish prefer different structure types. Also look at the surroundings on the bank. It may be an open area with no cover or it may be densely covered with trees. The surroundings could play a key role in providing shade (or not) which is important because it regulates water temperature and the viewpoint of the fish. Also look around at the surroundings for footprints, debris, broken branches and any other signs that other fishermen have been there. This may be a sign that the area has been

over-fished Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing Fish stocks, fish stock), resu ...

which might reduce your chances of a good catch. One should even consider the minute things that might be easily overlooked. Pack lightly. When fishing from the bank you won't want to carry a large load. Blend into your surroundings. Fish are able to see things through the water that may seem out of the ordinary and might spook them. Remember to be quiet near the water and minimize the amount of noise made with the bank which could also spook the fish. Finally, a rule of thumb is to use no longer than a 6-foot pole when fishing near trees or brush to minimize getting hooked on branches.

Equipment

Advantages

Disadvantages

Considerations

See also

Notes

References

External links