I believe that I sometimes get more enjoyment out of fishing from land or from wading than I do on some on my boating excursions. There just seems to be so much more to take in when fishing from a beach, jetty, or bank, not to mention getting right in with the fish I intend to catch. There are, however, drawbacks to this style of fishing. One is that I can’t cover as much water by foot as I could from a boat. The second is that, as a shore bound or wading angler, my access to fishing certain areas is limited. Over the years I have found that there are several tactics I can count on for the different species that I target.

There is rhyme and reason to why I fall back on to these patterns other than they simply work. It may have to do with time of year, available cover used by the targeted species, or a preference a fish has for a particular lure. Quite often, it is a combination of these factors that has me using them time and again. I am always looking to catch fish with different lures and techniques; but old standby tactics have bailed me out more than a time or two. It doesn’t matter whether I am streamside, in a brackish marsh, or standing on a coastal rock jetty, a proven pattern stands to help make the best of my time spent.

YELLOW PERCH PATTERNS
Yellow perch are a very vibrantly hued fish. They are green, golden yellow, and orange from back to belly with a series of vertical black bars. This combination of colors makes me want to catch them just for a glimpse of their majesty. In early spring and late fall the best way to catch yellow perch is with a bobber and minnow. This is ultralight fun at its best. I use a weighted Styrofoam bobber to maximize my casting distance. I do not arbitrarily cast the minnow. I look for dark stains in the water that show emerging grasses of spring or that which has not completely died off in autumn. I slowly reel the bobber back across a cove, then pause to let the minnow tempt a perch or two that is relating to the grass. It is essential to keep an attentive eye on the bobber so you can quickly set the hook.

POST SPAWN BASS
Male and female largemouth bass have two different functions during the post spawn stage. Females are resting from the torment of dispersing their row. Male bass guard the row and fry that are on the spawning bed. Through these duties, bass still have to eat. Many anglers believe that you have to use lures that get down to where bass are to get them to bite. Subsurface lures will catch bass through mid-May and June, but I prefer to target them with lures worked across the surface.

Topwater tactics and post spawn bass aren’t usually mentioned in the same sentence. However, they will eat at the surface. The key is for me to keep the lure in the strike zone. A female bass at rest and a male bass on guard aren’t going to chase down a meal; but if I present them with an opportunity to strike at an injured food source, the odds are in my favor.

I use two surface lures to entice post spawn bass. The 1/4-ounce Rebel Pop-R worked with a slow cadence resembles a small baitfish struggling on the surface. I use a pop-pause-pop-pop retrieve. I use a pause of 2 to 3 seconds. This way a bass has a chance to grab the lure and get back to safe haven in short order. I also use a swimming worm to provoke strikes. Water snakes are often found swimming across the surface of bay backwaters in spring. Trust me; they are not setting any water speed records. I use an 8-inch Crème Scoundrel worm and rig it with a kink on the hook so it will swim, not spin, as I retrieve it.

SUMMERTIME SMALLIES
Stream and river levels drop in summer when weather patterns fail to produce rain. The lack of rain also yields gin clear water, Smallmouth bass are not a species that cares for shallow, warm water. And I can tell you that if a smallie sees you before you see it, the task of catching it will be a tough one.

To find cool water, stream and river smallmouth bass move to shaded banks. If the bank has rocks and fallen wood, the chance of finding smallies increases. You will also find that where there is one bass, there will be two or three others. One rock or fallen tree may hold several fish. The competition for food amongst these fish puts the odds back in your favor.

My lure of choice to capitalize on competitive bass is a small jig and chunk. This lure mimics crayfish that are abundant in streams and rivers. When you hook your first smallie you may see two or three others swimming along with it. Release this bass and make a few casts elsewhere before casting back to where you caught the fish. This allows the others to get back to their ambush position without being spooked. The likelihood of catching all the fish that you saw are in your favor if you have a little patience.

OC INLET
When I vacation in Ocean City, Maryland in late September, I always hope for a nighttime incoming tide. This positions stripers, sea trout, bluefish, and puppy drum along the tourist town’s north jetty and seawall. The restaurant at the end of the boardwalk lights up the inlet with so much candle power illumination that you might think you were in Las Vegas. The lights draw the baitfish to the surface and the predator species have easy pickings.

At this time of year, the prevalent bait species are of slender body like that of silversides and bay anchovies. No doubt, you want to imitate these with your lure selection. The spec rig is a tandem jig combo with synthetic hair that imitates slender forage. Tying other lures in tandem also provokes aggressive strikes. Soft jerkbaits in the 4 and 5-inch sizes rigged on 1/4-ounce jig heads area good set up. I cast these tandem rigged baits into the inlet up current at a 45-degree angle. This allows me to bring the lures in the direction of the tide. You don’t need a bazooka-type cast across the inlet because most of the strikes will come within a few yards of the submerged rocks. I use a slight upward jigging motion to give the lures a darting action to further entice an aggressive fish waiting in ambush mode.

Using proven tactics is the number one way to optimize your efforts with any type of fishing. They are of utmost importance from land or while wading. Of course it may take time to develop techniques that help you catch fish. Experimentation never hurts to refine what you already know. These are but a few of my tips for catching fish while wading or when fishing from the bank. Use them, if you will to aid in the numbers of fish you may catch will fishing afoot.