The Best Fishing For Shore

By: Daryl Christensen

     When I was a kid, most of my fishing was done while standing on the bank of a river, lake or stream. Even though I often wished that I had a boat to get down to the more secret places on the water to fish, I discovered at an early age that if you had the right spot, it was as good as any other place the river had to offer. That was especially true in the fall of the year.

     You see, each fall, fish begin to congregate in certain places as they prepare for winter. They seek out areas where food is plentiful or the last bit of weed growth provides cover. They also like to stage in some of the deeper water areas of lakes and rivers. For the shore angler, this can be a very good thing.

     Probably the most popular shore fishing spots in fall are below the hundreds of dams across Wisconsin’s waterways. Most dams are publicly-owned and therefore offer public access to the best fishing of the year.

      Walleyes and other gamefish often make a fall movement up the river to the nearest dam where they forage on schools of shad or other baitfish that are concentrated below these dams. The shore angler often can catch a limit of fish simply by casting a jig or livebait rig into the current and working it slowly back to shore.

    I caught my very first walleye when I was five years old while standing on a rock and casting into the river current below one of these dams. Even though I now have several boats, I still fish for walleyes from shore below these dams in October and November because, quite frankly, it is simply the best way to catch them.

     Panfish can also school below these dams in fall. I’ve had some of my best crappie and bluegill action with just a hook, splitshot and bobber rigged with a red worm and cast into a slack water area below dams or locks. Sometimes northern pike and largemouth bass will also be available for the taking as they come to these areas to eat the panfish.

     Shore fishing on lakes is a little tougher due to limited access, but most lakes have a public boat launching area and often these places provide fishing access as well. Again, in those boatless days of my youth, I would go to these access points and wade the shoreline with hip boots or chest waders, casting out to the first deep water break off shore.

     In Wisconsin, it is legal to walk the shoreline as long as the angler stays in the water and doesn’t cross private land, so some great fishing opportunities are available to the fisherman willing buy a good pair of waders, which is much cheaper than a boat, by the way.

     I’m often asked by folks who attend my fishing seminars if I know of any good shore fishing spots. I give them the same advice I give those who have a boat: decide what lake, river or stream you are interested in fishing, then check with the DNR to find out if there are public fishing areas.

      Next, spend the money on a good map of the area that shows where these access areas are and also where deeper water comes close to shore because these can be very productive spots. Determine if it is feasible to wade a stretch of the shoreline or if you need to choose a different access point of different lake altogether.

     I like to keep my equipment to a minimum when shore fishing, especially if I’m wading. I carry no live bait at all. If I’m panfishing, I use PowerBait or Gulp!. It’s as cheap as live bait doesn’t weight much and doesn’t die. Of course, I use one rod and carry a fish stringer tied to my belt for anything I want to keep. I don’t take a net, preferring to hand-land any fish I catch. A line clippers and small pliers stuck in my pocket rounds out equipment.

     If I’m fishing walleyes, I’ll take a hand full of hair jigs or twister tails or at times, carry some crankbaits. All of these fit in a small, pocket-sized tackle box. The past few years, I’ve been using braided line instead of monofilament, which helps me to avoid breaking lures off when getting snagged.

     In fact, when shore fishing, getting snagged can be a real problem, especially when fishing in current below dams. I use braided line exclusively when fishing below dams. Once snags are located, I try to avoid that area of the river, although sometimes that’s where the fish are hanging out!

     The best shore fishing of the year is right now. While most others have put their boats away or are spending their autumns in a tree stand or duck blind, why not take advantage of a nice fall day casting for hungry fish from shore. It will be a rewarding time well spent.

Special Thanks to Daryl, for allowing myfishingpartner.com to use this article.  For more information about Daryl check out his site at www.darylchristensen.com