bank fishing vs. boat fishing

which way of fishing do like bank fishing or boat fishing?

i think that boat fishing has some advantages but its hard to
fly fish in some boats....But also you cant get way deep into
some coves..but i can in my flat bottom boat. but most boats cant

bank fishing, you can definitlay hit those coves as long as
the cove is close with in walking distance. And you really
catch some gills and bass from the banks but..alot of times
there are trees and you cant get a good cast out. also, a good
thing about it is you can really get on top of some good beds.

so, does anyone have an opinoin or a side...they would like to defend..
i just dont know which is best and would greatly appreicate your opinoin

thanks,
FisherKid93 :D :D :D :D :D :D

Boat. No trees to mess up the backswing. Plus you can get right in under bank branches easily. Covering more of the lake/ pond is just a bit easier too ;)

Boat, I dont have to worry about hooking someones dog with my back cast, I can get out to were the fish are, and I don't wory about the brush etc and I can fish anywere from my canoe that I can fish from the shore.

Eric

What kind of boat do you use?

I llke the canoe to get out away from the brtush on back casts.
If fishing from the shore a roll cast can be a great friend.

Rick

I like 'em both but prefer to be on the water instead of alongside it. That way, if the spot I'm in isn't working, it's faster to get to another (and lots of places out here really can only be reached on the water).

For small lakes, I like my kayak but a flat bottom boat is fine too (except I don't own one of those and I do own a kayak so I tend to fish from it a lot more often than anything else).

I use a bass boat.

Guess I am the oddball in this vote. I much prefer fishing from the shore or by wading. I figure that fishing from a boat is probably more productive but I find it much more relaxing to fish from the shore and enjoy nature.

Nothing against the boat boys - they just are not for me.

Tim

I prefer fishing from my Hobie Outback Kayak. My hands are free for fishing and I can reach areas I could never reach from shore.

Jim Smith

I'm a bank fisher. Don't own a boat. Most of the local lakes and ponds don't allow boats anyway. But I enjoy fishing from boats when I can.

I feel that water can be fished better from a boat.

I can get to and cover a lot more water from a boat (pontoon, canoe, ect.) than fishing from shore mostly due to bank brush or trees but I also like to bank fish and prefer to bank fish if there is enough open areas. :tieone:

What Mr. Smith said :D

Also do my share of bank/wade fishing through out the year...usually... :?

I like both.

Which you choose should depend more on the water/structure type than preference anyway (providing, of course, that you HAVE a boat).

If the fish are close to shore, concentrated on a particular piece of structure that you can reach from the bank, or boat access is diffficult due to water depth, brush/weeds, or regulation, then bank fishing is the way to go.

Bank fishing has some advantages, mostly in presentation steadiness and accuracy due to a non moving platform. Bank fishing usually forces you to fish an area throughly, which can be helpful under many conditions. You often will 'see' more while bank fishing. Prey, the fish themselves, how the fish relate to the environment, how other wildlife effect the fish, etc..

I really enjoy fishing from shore, if the conditions are right for it. I fish a good sized lake in the summer that has trout, smallmouth, and pike in it. There are a couple of areas, the face of the dam, a few scattered boulder fields and rock piles, that can be fished quite well from shore. It's a lot of fun to just throw a rod and small fly box in the truck, drive to the spot and walk down to the water for an hour or two of fishing without having to launch the boat, or even get into waders/fins for the inflatable. It's quick, the action is steqady, and even though you could catch the same fish from a boat, you don't have to fight the wind to hold position nor do you have to spend the time to motor across the lake (my truck gets there faster than my little 10 horse motorboat).

Boats are great for covering ALL the water in a pond or lake that may have cover congested shorelines, where bank access is difficult due to lack of roads or trails, or if your fish are out away from shore. You can bring a buddy, and carry on a conversation while you fish. You can fish with a friend in a boat, with him only ten feet away, and you'll never be acused of crowding. Stand that close on the shore, and you'll get some dirty looks from even your closest friend. You can carry lots of tackle, flies, gear, lunch, drinks, and anything else that would make your day easier in a boat, and NOT have to walk back to the truck to get it.

Of course, the best of both worlds is having accesss to both.

I'd not be without my boats, but I certainly don't always use one.

Good Luck!

Buddy

It depends mostly on who drives.....the canoe rides atop our rig. 8) We ARE lazy though, and usually would rather fish from shore if we can get satisfactory coverage that way. :lol:
....lee s.

Some places cannot be fished from shore without great deal of trial and tribulation. Those are for boats. If you can get to a spot from shore thats great too.

Big water like Lake Texoma offers some fine fishing out on the big deep in boats. There are also places and times where one can fish from shore with great satisfaction.

My mother-in-law's stock tank is a huge hassle to fish from shore. Trees, weeds, stuff hanging in your face, fighting through undergrowth to get to a place where you can only roll- cast while bugs nibble and you itch like mad. But out in the old tub one can cast with ease, have a drink of water, eat a sandwich, enjoy the breeze.

To me its all about the comfort and enjoyment of good angling.

I also like fishing from a boat and when the wind isn't howling taking my canoe out for some easy paddling. Don't get me wrong though I like putting up a folding chair sitting back and lazing the day away from shore with a cooler by my side with iced tea or cold water inside. I fished from shore for about 2/3 Rd's. of my life and did well. It's not what type of fishing you do but the water and location on the said water's your fishing.
Hobo

I like both. Both have advantages and disadvantages. You can cover more water, faster in a boat. When I am uptight and need to relax, it's the bank. The walk is relaxing and concentrating on the wildlife really helps ease my burdens.

Most of my fishing is on the Susquehanna river, and I use my kayak mostly. I prefer it to bank fishing because it allows me to get way from people and trees and really seek the places that hold fish.

I have friends with boats and they're wonderful friends to have. Tolerant for the most part with my line. No one has chewed through one yet. By myself, I mostly fish from my canoe. I have only a few places that are accessible by foot. Most are perfect for spin casting and even those folks are known to cruse the above water structure. Canoes can get you into those shallow areas and away from hangups. With the dual anchor system wind issues are reduced significantly. JGW

I'd have to vote: Neither.

Given the choice of fishing from the bank or fishing from my kayak or canoe (choices I have all the time), I'll take my float tube at least 75% of the time.

Just to be able to go fishing ... Period!

I like boats, especially wooden boats. And I have this idea, rather it's true or not is another thing, that casting from offshore towards the bank always gives better results than casting from the bank out toward the middle of the pond, lake or river.



Dale

To answer the question: Even here in the mid-west I prefer to be on foot if I can. Either on the bank or wading. There is something about being mobile that I just prefer. Where that doesn't work, I prefer a canoe.

Dale - That is funny, it has been my experiance that fishing parallel to shore is by far the most productive direction of retreival, and with nymphs, especially when the damsel nymphs are in the water, retreive towards shore is by far the best. It is funny how everyone's experiance in this sport is so frequently different.

Ed

If you flyfish and you don't have a kayak, you are missing out. It takes me about 10 minutes to get my kayak ready to fish if I put the battery and the depth finder in. That is 10 minutes well spent. I can access most any area I want to fish. Yes I could get the big boat out, but that would mean missing out on the peace and tranquility of fishing from my kayak.( no fuss,no bother)

For stillwater boat/canoe/pontoon are the best. Easy to operate and make it possible to quickly move to a different spot - follow fish and cover a lot of water. In many situations you can use wind to your advantage. On the fast moving water the boat would be better if you were to anchor it everytime you try to fish or have somebody drive/steer for you.
I have little plastic boat http://www.jowatercraft.com/Bass9.4.html which is extremely stable. I can get it loaded and off the trailer in less than 5 minutes so the prep time is no an issue. I have no problems fly casting from it and steering/controlling at the same time. Use of dual anchor or drift sock further increases possibilities of fishing.

However you cannot forget that sometimes there simly is no choice but to walk and wade. Most of the trout streams around here are too small for any sort of floating (other than dry fly).