Back to Basics, Fishing Docks
by Ken Sturdivant
Southen Fishing Schools Inc.

Docks are magic locations and many anglers overlook them for bass, crappie and even stripers. The docks on major lakes offer food and shelter to game fish and even a platform docks is a good hiding place for fish. Docks and magic areas to the game fish and most anglers don't fish them as effectively as they could.

Fish don't need a lot of cover to hide themselves and in many instances they will school together under docks. But while many anglers know they are there, making only a couple of casts to a dock can be a mistake. Docks are fish houses.

Dock owners use all sorts or tricks to make the dock hold fish. Adding old Christmas tress, old tires and bales of hay make even a plain dock a better place for the fish. Game fish need cover and food and this is what makes a dock a home.

Docks provide shade no matter what size the dock may be. Game fish like to hide under docks to avoid sunlight and to ambush food. If the dock is close to deep water or even a small point or ditch, even better. And docks like these can and usually do hold fish all year.

Look out in front of the docks for brush piles placed there by the owner. If the dock is a common swim area, the brush may be farther away. Use the depth finder to find these secret locations. Docks also provide the beginning of the food chain, plankton. Game fish don't eat plankton but the tiny minnows do. Start the food chain and the game fish will be there. These fish feed under these docks all year. Another reason docks are great locations is that the water around them is usually a few degrees warmer. Next time you pass a dock mid day touch the wood and see how warm it is. This heat is transmitted into the water. The best way to fish any dock is to fish all the way around them. We all fish the docks exactly the same way and many never go behind the dock and fish the back and the gang plank. Many dock owners add structure around the dock but put it on the back side. If there is a door on the dock shooting a Texas rigged worm or skipping a trick worm under them will get the baits to seldom fished areas.

The next time docks are the target spend more time and learn to fish the whole thing. It could produce even bigger and surely more fish.

Information on "On the Water Schools" and other Articles By: Ken Sturdivant

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Southern Fishing Schools Inc.