Docks hold fish!! However, some docks hold fish better than others. Figuring out which docks to target can be key. That and more is what you will learn in this article. Stick around for the five best dock lures to throw at the end!!
Which docks should I target?
Docks that have a lot of structure by them can be excellent. If you ever see Christmas trees by a dock or fallen trees that is a great place to start!!
During the pre-spawn time of the year, the fish will congregate at the last dock in the back of a spawning cove. They will hang out there for a bit before they make their way back to the spawning grounds.
The oldest looking dock you can find is also a great way to catch giant bass. I don’t know why but those old docks always seem to hold giant bass. Maybe the habitat underneath is more established. When you see that dock that doesn’t look safe to walk on with rotting wood make sure you make some casts to it.
The metal docks need love too. Metal docks are usually a little harder to fish because you can not pitch under them as well. However, metal docks do one very important thing. They heat the water around them. So certain times of the year this is very important. Spring and fall especially the metal docks can shine. On Lake Lanier almost all the docks are metal. On Lake Guntersville almost all the docks are wood. But they both will hold fish.
High percentage areas of the dock!!
I could tell you to make a million casts to each dock but I don’t feel that is necessary. So here are some casts that I am going to make. You will find during certain days you can develop a pattern to dock fishing. Some days they want to be on the sunny side of the dock. Other days they may want to be on the shady side of the dock. Sometimes, way in the back and other time at the very front. Here are some casts I would make.
If you see a ladder make a cast to it.
Cast to the outside back corners of the dock and work your bait parallel down the side of the docks.
If it is a wooden dock make a cast underneath the dock as far back as you can.
Cast to the front of the dock with a soft plastic of some sort and let the bait flutter down.
Cast inside the boat dock but be careful not to hit the boat if it is stowed.
If you see some submerged brush cast to it.
Cast to the shady side
Cast to the sunny side.
Figure out what they like and stick with the pattern.
I would make no more than three casts to a certain dock. If they are there they will find your bait if they want it. Be efficient make a couple of casts and move to the next.
The depth of the docks is also important.
For me, the magic depth for docks is 6-12 feet. If I am fishing for largemouth I will look for docks that are 6-10 feet. If I am fishing for spotted bass or smallmouth I may look for docks that are 10-12 feet. I don’t typically target docks for smallmouth bass. I find I am better served to look for them offshore.
The depth is a key factor. Once you figure that out you can be more efficient with docks that you target. This will become especially useful when you are fishing marina docks. You can narrow down and fish the high percentage areas once you develop a good pattern and the depth that the bass are holding in.
Morning Dock Fishing
Fishing docks in the morning can be a bit of a wild card. If you are fishing during the shad spawn you can have a little more success.
If you decide to fish docks in the morning it is better to use moving baits. A square bill, chatter bait, and a spinnerbait are all great lures to start with. Use them erratically. Ad some twitches and pauses when retrieving back to the boat to make the bass react to the bait.
Mid Day Dock Fishing
I like the dock bite when the sun gets out. I feel that it positions these fish under the dock either for warmth or shade depending on the time of year. They are more predictable in my opinion when the sun comes out.
When this happens I like to use soft plastic finesse style baits. Shaky heads, Senko’s rigged weightless or wacky style and pitching crawfish style baits with claws that flutter down on the fall are all great choices for dock fishing.
Afternoon and Evening Dock Fishing
I love to throw a buzz bait around docks before the sun goes down. Those largemouths especially will cruise the shallows for dinner. That last hour before dark can be prime for catching a Giant Bass. A buzz bait will get their attention and attract those big bass. The low light conditions are always best for topwater fishing.
Honorable Mentions
Winter Dock Fishing
When you fish docks in the winter you may have to go through a lot of docks before you get bit. However, the bass stack up a lot more in the wintertime. So if you find one fish you will likely have more at that one dock or stretch of docks.
You may want to target deeper docks around bluff walls for the best success this time of the year. A jig can be an excellent bait for this time of year. The bass wants the biggest and best meal with the least amount of effort.
You can also use a deep suspending jerk bait. Use one that gets down around 10 feet and work it painfully slow. Twitch twitch pause (10 second pause) and then repeat. Of course you will want to work this bait on fluorocarbon line.
Spring Dock Fishing
Spring can be a little tougher for dock fishing because the bass can be in a bunch of different phases. Try going into a pocket and fishing all the docks to the back and see where the bass are holding. I have found that the bass will work their way back to the spawning areas.
The further into spring you get the further the bass will be in those coves. Try pitching your bait to the docks and working your way back efficiently. A lot of the times I will pitch to the high percentage areas and wiggle my rod tip and reel in and pitch again.
Summer Dock Fishing
The same docks that produce in the wintertime will most likely produce in the summertime. However, the way you catch them will change.
Instead of the bass suspending like they so often do in the winter they will hug the bottom. Throw Texas-rigged baits and jigs to get those fish to bite. Drop shots are another great option for this time of year.
Fall Dock Fishing
In the Fall it is all about the shad. Where the Shad go the bass will follow. Use your electronics to locate the shad and bait balls and fish the docks near that area.
The bass will now use the docks as ambush areas to feed on the shad.
Swim jigs, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits will shine during this time of the year. This is one of the times of the year where it may be best served to fish docks all day long.
Here are Hook’d on Bassin’s 5 Favorite Dock Fishing Baits
1. Green Pumpkin Senko
A green pumpkin senko is hard to beat. Bass find it hard to resist this baits slow rate of fall. It is great for luring those big bass into biting. I like to rig this weightless and weedless (so no wacky rig) so I do not get snagged. A regular standard size 3/0 offset worm hook will work just fine.
2. Strike King Rage Tail
Again the rate of fall is everything when dock fishing. These legs kicking on the way down drive the bass crazy. Remember bass do not always eat because they are hungry. They react to baits that bother them or get in their personal space. This bait does a great job of making bass react.
3. Square Bill Crank Bait
I would be wrong if I did not include the square bill. Try and knock this bait into the wooden docks so it deflects and creates a reaction strike. You can also work the docks a little faster and cover more water with this bait.
4. Booyah Blade Spinner Bait
The spinner bait is another great dock power fishing technique. Again you want to try and knock this bait into the pilings. You also have to make sure that you kill this bait. That means stop the bait and let it fall. Those tandem willow leaf blades falling will drive the bass crazy.
A lot of times the bass will be following the bait and they are just waiting for one thing to trigger them to bite. Make sure to use a trailer hook to ensure you catch more bass.
5. Drop Shot Weights
A drop shot is an excellent choice for dock fishing. That bait hovering just off the bottom will get you a lot of strikes. I like to pair this with a robo worm.
In Conclusion
Docks when fished at the right time of day and time of year can be a great way to catch quality bass and lots of them. Do not ignore them. If fishing is tough offshore then work your way in and give the docks a try. Sometimes you may even be able to call your shot like this.
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