 Fishing
on the Shore
 About
fishing on the shore?
Fishing
at a Lake or Pond?
About
fishing at a River or Stream
About
fishing the surf?
Fishing
off a Pier?
About
Breakwaters and Jetties
Fishing
of a Walkway or Bridge?
Shore fishing offers a wide variety of opportunities for
anglers. You can fish from the banks of rivers and streams,
and the shorelines of lakes and ponds, and in the surf along
the coasts. You can also fish from manmade structures such
as piers, jetties, walkways, and bridges.
Shore fishing is accessable & available to everyone,
and because there's no boat to own or rent, it's low in cost.
Another big advantage is that almost everyone has some body
of water near their home that offers fishing opportunities.
Fish that are commonly caught by shore anglers include species
that live near structure (bass, northern pike, sunfish, and
stream trout) and those that feed on the bottom (carp, catfish,
suckers, perch and walleye).
Lakes and Ponds
Many lakes and ponds have shoreline structures such as docks,
logs, stump fields, brush and rock piles, and downed trees
which provide shelter, shade, and protection for fish, and
are ideal fishing spots. The best fishing spots may be remote
and far from roads.
Rivers and Streams
Rivers and streams are also great places to fish, especially
those with structure such as islands, sand bars, rocks or
rock piles, and log jams within casting distance of shore.
Many anglers fishing shallow rivers combine shore fishing
with shallow-water wading. Being able to fish from the middle
of a stream allows the angler to cast to more structure.
Remember, most fish are opportunity feeders that face the
flow of water and wait for food to come to them.
Fishing the Surf
Surf fishing is a special type of shore fishing. Surf anglers
either fish from the shore or wade into the shallow waters
along the coasts. Usually, there's little visible structure,
so surf fishermen must learn to "read" the water
to detect shallow sloughs, pockets, tide rips, and other
areas where fish may be present. Piers
Fishing piers are structures that extend into the water
for a few dozen feet or as much as several hundred feet.
Piers may be just above the surface or as much as 20
to 30 feet above the water. Piers let anglers get their
baits and lures farther out into the water than a cast
from the shore would allow.
Often a pier is built with rock piles or other structure
next to it to attract fish. Even if such structure is absent,
the pier pilings attract fish. Some of the best fishing
is often right underneath a pier.
Breakwaters and Jetties
Breakwaters and jetties are very similar to piers; they,
also, extend out over the water and offer a great platform
from which to fish. Most are built to protect harbor areas
and boat slips from the wave action of the open water of
an ocean or a lake. Breakwaters and Jetties that are designed
for fishing have rocks arranged so that they're flat on
top. When fishing breakwaters and jetties that aren't flat
on top, use extra caution.
Walkways and Bridges
Walkways are like piers, but are specially built fishing
platforms that are near or run parallel to bridges, piers,
shoreline bulkheads, or similar structures. An example
is a walkway along a bridge, but constructed at a lower
level. This keeps anglers safe from automobile traffic
and puts them closer to the water.
Fishing isn't always allowed from bridges because of the
danger from traffic. Bridges where angling is permitted
must be fished carefully.
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