The black bass moves shallow in the spring to spawn once the water temperature goes above 62 degrees. This spawning activities occur during the full moons in the spring and this shallow activity makes the bass a lot easier to catch.

Black bass are attracted to shallow water and they will find sandy or rocky areas to spawn on. And almost anything that is in the shallows from wood to docks allow the bass some cover. This cover may only be a small twig or a huge tree, but the bass will be there. Bank fishing is where most anglers learned to fish. And a few simply lures and tackle can produce some great results.

When bank fishing, keep tackle simple. Carry a small tackle box and one or at most two rods. Wear dark clothing and a good pair of sun glasses. The shallow bass can see you in an all white tee shirt. Sunglasses protect your eyes from limbs and flying lures and you can see the fish in shallow water. Spinning or spin cast outfits are easy to use. They allow for light line and light lures, a tactic many of us started out with. These outfits and lures require little skill and yet they can still produce results. Stay with 8 pound test lines on these rigs.

Picking lures is very easy. A small top water sick bait lure a Bang A Lure or a Tiny Torpedo is a wise choice. These lures float and when fishing from the banks, they are less likely to hang up under water. Making a small top water bait just twitch across the water will usually make a bass close by strike. Colors are silvers and blues in clear water, and greens and golds in muddy water.

Zoom Trick worms on a 2/0 Mustad hook cast on 8 pound test on a spinning reel will worm day and night. Use bright colors to learn how to work the baits. Work the baits super shallow and start out casting to any bank structure. But never overlook live bait for the bank fishing trip. Live bass minnows under a small float or a fat night crawler on a small hook is hard to beat. A cricket under a float has accounted for some huge bass as well. Copyright 2001, Southern Fishing Schools Inc.