How To Catch Bass From The Bank (Bait, Rigs & Tips)

Bass fishing is one of my favorite things to do and the majority of the time I’m fishing from the shore. I’ve tried a bunch of different techniques and rigs and in this post, I’m going to be showing you how to catch bass from the bank.

There are a lot of different lures and baits you can use for bass fishing and a lot of it will come down to the area you’re in, what the temperature is like, and what the conditions in the water are like. I’ve learned a lot about it over the past few years and the big thing to know is that what worked today might not work tomorrow. You’ll have to do a lot of testing.

I’ll be talking about what type of line you should be using, how you should set up your rod and feel, what type of bait is my personal favorite, and a few other tips to help you land more bass. Continue reading or watch the video below for the full details on what rigs and baits should be used to catch bass.

 

Bass Rigs & Setup

The first thing you’ll need to get is a casting rod. If you’re going to be fishing from the shore then you’ll need something that can be thrown a decent distance (obviously). The two choices here would be a baitcaster or a spincaster. It doesn’t really matter and is more of personal preference.

A spinning reel is easier to use and would probably be better for the beginner. Baitcasters are a little bit more fun in my opinion but they’re harder to cast and a lot more can go wrong. You can see the full article on the best shore fishing setup here.

The next thing we’ll need to sort out is what type of line we’ll be using. If you’re going to be using a fluorocarbon fishing line then I’d recommend you put on at least 10 lb test. I prefer using a braided line with a fluorocarbon leader. It looks like most people do the same because it does have a lot of advantages.

It’s stronger than normal fishing line, it’s thinner as well, and it’s much more sensitive so you can feel bites really well even if you have a cheaper rod. I use a 20 lb braided line with a 10-15 lb fluorocarbon leader.

If you’re using this setup then you can attach the two lines directly. If you’re tying the two lines together, I like using the Surgeon’s Knot:

All you have to do now is attach your bait and you’ll be good to go.

Bass Bait & Lures

There are a number of things you can use to catch bass but the majority of the time I’ll use a Senko worm or a creature style bait. I think the creature style is the most versatile so it’s what we’ll be talking about in this post. Something like the Strike King Grub Bait or the Tail Craw (see all the bass gear here).

bass fishing bait

The reason I like using this type of bait is that it creates a bunch of action in the water. It has legs that move around anytime you jig or move the rod and the fish normally love it.

The two most common ways to attach the plastic to your hook would be a Texas Rig or a DropShot. I prefer Texas because it’s a bit more versatile so we’ll be I’ll mainly be talking about that. If you’re fishing around structures or the bottom has a lot of thick grass then you might want to use a Drop-Shot.

The great thing about a Texas Rig is that it’s weedless which means it won’t get snagged in cover. The hook is buried in the bait and will only come out when a fish bites and you set the hook. All you have to do is put the hook through the top of the bait, slide it up to the top of the hook, give it a turn, and put the hook in the middle of the bait. You can barely see the hook where the arrow is pointing.

bass fishing setup

How To Fish Bass From The Shore

Once everything is rigged up and ready to go, the next thing you’ll have to do is find a good place to cast. Anywhere close to some sort of cover will be the best because they’re normally hiding out and waiting for something to come by. Look for rocks, fallen trees, weed beds, or whatever else might be sitting in the water.

After you cast, you’ll want to let the hook sink down to the bottom. The next thing you’ll want to do is slowly lift your rod tip up which will drag the bait along the bottom. You can also experiment with quick twitches because sometimes the fish will prefer something else. It’ll pop up, create a bunch of movement, and sink back down.

You just have to keep repeating the process until you drag it back to you. Be sure to reel in the slack after you lift and lower your rod. Most of the time you’ll get a bite while your hook is sinking back down to the bottom. When you start to feel something at the end of your line, give it a few seconds to take interest and then give it a good hookset. If you want to see the bass gear we like then you can click here.

Until next time, happy fishing. If you want to catch more fish, use more hooks.

Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!

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Jon Webber

I'm by no means an outdoors or fishing expert, but it's something I've been interested in for over 20 years. I created this site to test out different gear and techniques to see what actually works.

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