when bank casting what kind of bait should i use?

[BILLYWHOMPWHOMP]

thanks for all the good info so far but the ?'s u asked.

*the lake gets 20ft in middle deepest part
*water is clear
* i live in Illinois
*The lake has pads in the shallows and nothing really out in middle but not to far off shore there are brancehs and stuuf
*a few ledges
*the is a slow current because of a a little hole connecting it to the river but not much water goes through it.

That is all i can give u guys soo plz help me with that ifo

[Infisherman1]

What are the conditions? Â*Is the water murky, or clear? Â* First of all when I fiish a pond I go with a 7.5" culprit red shad worm, although any brand would work just as fine. Â*I t-rig it with a 1/4 oz bullet weight. Â*I would also try using spinnerbaits, single colorado if its really murky, double willow if its clear water, and a tandem if its somewhere inbetween. Â*Heres a site that may be ab;e to help you out some
http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/beginner.html

[gallenl]

For the deep,try a rattle-trap or drag a craw tube that is t-rigged,really slow.............

[macgyver]

Where do you live, and what types of cover/struture is in the lake? How big is it, and what is the temperature? There are so many variables that go into it. I will say bass bite anything that moves. How deep does it get, and is there any vegetation? Again I could go on with the questions but that isn't helping you. Sounds like you are new to Bass fishing(no offence intended if you aren't). But a good site for beginners is http://bassresource.com go to the beginner section and start reading up on some of the baits and techniques used. That site is one of the best to just get some info about bass fishing. Also read the" Articles" section here in the front of the site, when you first log on to bassfishin.com

Lizards

[fredhatch]

Thats a good start, in order to get more input you need more descriptive terms. Things that may help: water color, clarity, structure-visible and submerged, possible depths, ledges,holes,current..... Starting to get an idea. Theres enough people here, fishing enough different kinds of water, to probably dial you in on exactly what may work for you. 8)

[macgyver]

Way to go popr, beat me to it

Lizards

[mike0062466]

If that deep water out in the middle is not reachable, get it out of your mind and concentrate on fishing parallel to or at small angles to the shore.

Depending on conditions, you can use any type of lure. Don't rule out a lure type because you're fishing from shore, rule it out if conditions, such as the type of cover, are not coducive to that lure.

Good luck.

[UtahBass]

If you can't fish the deeper water, you might want to change the time of day you fish... very early morning or late in the afternoon/evening.

Just an idea....

[BassNva]

fish parallel to the bank or as close to parallel as you can get.try different depths..use a 4"red shad powerworm on 2/0 lazer sharp EWG.try 1/8 or 1/4 oz bullet weight.pegged.hit that puppy with some WD.slow stop and wind retrieve.
that'll do it.

[singerloo]

These power worms, can you get them at Wal Mart?


seaphantom

[macgyver]

[quote author=bigbassman14 link=board=news;num=1104892157;start=0#0 date=01/04/05 at 21:29:17]thanks for all the good info so far but the ?'s u asked.

*the lake gets 20ft in middle deepest part
*water is clear
* i live in Illinois
*The lake has pads in the shallows and nothing really out in middle but not to far off shore there are brancehs and stuuf
*a few ledges
*the is a slow current because of a a little hole connecting it to the river but not much water goes through it.

That is all i can give u guys soo plz help me with that ifo
[/quote]


Well you are due west of me, since I live in Indiana. I Hope ILbassin will jump in here sometime since he lives in IL also. What baits do you use now? And are you catching any on them? Since you are shore fishing there are lots of things that can help, such as parallel fishing as a couple of folks have already stated. Always try to sneak up to the water so to speak. I would also get some waders, since they will allow you to walk out some, and get to some areas you normally can't fish effectively. As for baits, there are tons that catch bass, and as Marty stated, the conditions should determine more of what to use and not to use at any given time. I think if during the spring and summer, some spinnerbaits would work pretty good. All types of plastics can work year round, just try weightless, c-rig, and as bassintom said t-rig pegged bullet weights. Try to use the least amount of weight you can get away with. I would definately hit it early mornings, or late evenings, especially during the summer, night fishing is my favorite. Right now it's pretty cold, so actually during the day is usally your best, since it will warm during the daylight hours. Try to figure out what type of baitfish you have in the water, and get some baits that mimick those. Here we pretty much have bluegill, and shad. Flukes are another good all around bait, I prefer shad colors with Alewife being my favorite. There are just so many different baits that work, but you have to figure out what you like, and what conditions they work best for you. For example, I love topwater fishing(not during winter), so I would keep some Buzzbaits, and Jitterbugs around since those are my 2 favorites, but in your case a Zara Spook may be the best option, or even a Frog(can't believe I just said that). If you are fishing right now, during the cold, then I would suggest a Pig-N-Jig, green pumpkin being my favorite color or motor oil. Also flukes work as good as anything, or a hard jerkbait, such as a Rogue. Understand however that this time of year, if you catch only 1 or 2 that I would consider it a good day. You must slow down you retrieve, and presentations, with lots of looooooonnnnng pauses. Fish still need to eat during winter, but a lot less, and move alot slower, due to the water temp. If you can get over to Newton Lake(close to the Indiana, Illinois border) or any lake that has Electric power, where they use the water to cool the turbines, they will be warmer, and be better choice during the winter. And of course don't forget Lizards, they are always good

Lizards

[Infisherman1]

bigbassman,
Where in IL do you live. Â*I used to live in the Chicago suburbs(Wheaton) and I knew a Hidden Lake that fits the descriptions you made.

[ryan7261]

[glow=orange,2,300]
Overview Of Bare Banks: Bare banks exist in virtually all reservoirs and lakes in the country. They are void stretches of clay, sand, mud or gravel or composites of these materials. Bare banks may border creek embayments, main river channels or islands. Some run for short distances; others stretch for hundreds of yards. Still, the thread that ties all bare banks together is their lack of obvious features. The degree to which bass use bare banks varies from lake to lake and even from one bank to the next. Bare banks in deeper and/or older lakes tend to attract more fish than do similar banks in shallow, newer lakes. The latter waters usually have other, higher quality structure to draw the fish. Bare banks aren't as important in lakes that have timber or grass or lots of up and down bottom structure. Even in lakes with plenty of other structure, some bare banks still hold bass, and these can be honey holes because they are rarely fished. The only way to learn which banks are good is to test fish them. This takes a lot of time, and this is why fishing bare banks is more practical for anglers on their home lakes than for pros who move around from one lake to the next. Bass are more prone to hold along bare banks during seasonal migrations. The best time to fish these banks are spring and fall. In spring, the bass move into the creeks to spawn, and a lot of times they follow banks back to shallow water. And in the fall, shad swim into the creeks, and bass come in behind them. Much of the feeding activity during September and October takes place close in to shore. Sometimes bass also feed along bare banks in summer and winter, usually in main lake areas where wind or currents push shad up shallow. So bare banks have the potential to produce fish all year long. Wind is one of the main keys. Fishing along a bare bank is 100 times better if there's a wind blowing on it, especially on a clear lake. The waves 'blow in' baitfish. They stir up the bottom and expose crawfish. They break up sunlight penetration. Overall, wind blowing on a bare bank creates prime feeding conditions, and it causes the bass to be shallower and more active. One more note about bare banks: They hold an extra attraction to smallmouth and spotted bass. If a lake only have largemouths, plain banks will be good sometimes. But is spotted and smallmouth are present, they can be great virtually anytime.

Bass Locations Along Banks: Actually, the term "bare banks" contradicts the actual makeup of these void looking structures. A bank may look bare if you're running down the lake at 50 mile per hour. But if you stop and really study and fish it, there's almost always something that will attract bass. It's just a matter of knowing what to look for and how to find it. You can find bass near subtle changes or isolated features along bare banks. Examples include where a bank's makeup changes (i.e., gravel gives way to clay), where a creek channel swings near the bank, where a bank becomes flatter or steeper, or where a bank makes a slow turn. Also, underwater features along a bank are like beacons that draw bass. A stump. log or large rock can have a magnetic effect on fish swimming alongshore. Also, a lot of people sink brushpiles along bare banks. A brushpile along a bank that doesn't have any other features is almost a sure bet to draw some fish, plus it's not as likely to be found by other fishermen because of the lack of fishing pressure. Knowing what to look for along bare banks and being able to find these spots are two different matters. A visual check is simple enough. An angler can see bank composition changes, shoreline turns or dark shadows of underwater stumps or logs. (Polarized sunglasses are vital in seeing below the surface.) He can also study a topo map to find where channels angle near the bank. However, most fish attracting features along bare banks are hidden from view and not shown on maps. Fishermen have two methods for finding them: electronic inspection with a depthfinder; and test fishing. Start out checking a bank by idling along it and watching your depthfinder. Zigzag in and out to scan different depths. Mainly, look for cover down the side of the bank, and also watch for contour changes and baitfish returns. If a bank is 200 yards long, cover it all. Then if you see anything that looks promising, turn around and fish it. It's common to idle part way down a bank and see nothing, then to begin detecting features or fish. Another approach is to start at one end and fish it all. This way you can really cover the whole bank effectively. Invest the time to go down it and check different areas and depths. That way you can do a thorough job of eliminating thinks and develop a reliable pattern. As you fish along, constantly monitor your depthfinder for objects or changes in the bank's contour. Look for little shelves or places where the first break occurs closer to the shore. Again, these are the subtle, little changes where bass are more likely to be. Sometimes the only way to find these places is by fishing the whole bank.
[/glow]
Robby.

[WaterWolf_MN]

Im in the same predicament.Just oen tree for cover,and the bottom either has oysters or too many snags.Ive lost 4 carlona rigs on the bottom of it,and I dont know why


In the summer,try small crankbait along the edge in the morning.Caught my first bass like that