How to Spinnerbait Fish From a Bank

Bass are shallow-water fish by nature, which means that bank-bound anglers can catch just as many as can those who fish from boats. Whether they are on the bank or in a boat, one of the most productive lures for catching bass is a spinnerbait, which is an R-shaped lure that includes a one or two spinning blades and a silicone skirt. While spinnerbaits can catch bass in any depth of water; they are particularly effective when fished in the shallows.

Things You'll Need

  • Rod and reel
  • Fishing line
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Instructions

    • 1

      Attach the spinnerbait -- 3/8- and 1/2-ounce models are best for shallow water -- to 8-pound test or heavier fishing line. Tie on the line with a Palomar knot at the highest spot in the R-bend of the bait.

    • 2

      Locate areas with bass habitat. Emergent or submerged vegetation is good, as is standing or submerged timber. So, too, are boat docks and fishing piers. If you can find these spots that have deep water nearby, all the better.

    • 3

      Fish during low-light conditions when bass are most likely to be roaming the shallows in search of food. Low-light conditions occur at dawn and dusk, as well as on cloudy, rainy and windy days. If the wind is blowing, fish the wind-blown side of the lake.

    • 4

      Cast the spinnerbait away from the shore and retrieve it so it makes contact with cover. When the bait deflects off a dock post, piece of timber, or vegetation, it behaves in an erratic fashion that often triggers a strike.

    • 5

      Experiment with the way you retrieve the lure. While bass will hit a spinnerbait retrieved steadily through the water, varying the speed at which you retrieve it produces more strikes. Pull the rod forward from time to time during the retrieve to make the lure dart ahead, and then let it fall briefly on slack line. If possible, retrieve the bait parallel to the shore. Most anglers either cast directly toward the shore, if they are in a boat, or away from the shore, if they are on shore. A lure that travels parallel to the shore offers bass something they do not see often and could provoke a strike.

    • 6

      Set the hook by sweeping your rod tip and tightening the line.