When you’re fishing a new body of water, the first things you should look for are rocks, docks, and boat ramps. The reason why is pretty straightforward. All three are structures that give fish ambush points, safe haven from predators, and protection from the sun on hot summer days.
In my experience, the rocks and boat ramps portion is incredibly effective in the early spring, when water temperatures are still chilled off from the passing winter and the rocks and boat ramps are holding heat from the sun’s rays. But, as the year presses on, boat docks become a mainstay in my fishing rotation.
Bass, bluegill, and crappie will spawn under docks, they’ll guard their fry under docks, and they’ll spend their summer months feeding and shading under docks. That’s a long period of time for anglers to take advantage of. When you figure out the best approach to fish a dock, your odds of a banner day on the water will increase dramatically. Here’s what you need to know about fishing boat docks this summer.
Types of Docks
Not all docks are created equal. There are floating docks, docks with poles, wooden docks, metal docks, docks with boat lifts, and docks that are the size of some people’s living rooms. Each dock type has its own advantages and disadvantages for anglers to be aware of.
Floating Docks
Tristar Boat Docks
Floating docks are most common in areas of the country where the lake freezes over during the winter months. They can also be found in river systems where the water levels are inconsistent. These typically aren’t permanent structures, but they do produce cover and shade during the summer months.
They’re hard to cast under as well, which is important to note when selecting which baits to throw. Rather than a heavy lure that rips to the bottom, typically a lighter, more subtle fall will be your best bet. That’s because under floating docks, the fish typically stage higher in the water column, directly under the floating structure.
Another common tactic is to fish moving baits like spinnerbaits or swimbaits parallel to the dock. This gives the fish beneath an opportunity to ambush your bait and swim out to strike, making it much easier to land the fish after the bite.
Docks with Poles
On the opposite side of the spectrum are docks with poles. Typically found in the southern states, docks with poles provide a year-round structure that fish can call home. Everything from baitfish to panfish to bass and other predators can be found and caught off these docks. The key to docks with poles is knowing the depth they’re placed in.
In the back of pockets, they might be as shallow as three feet. During the spawn, fish will push to these docks for safety purposes. But, in the dog days of summer, those same fish will be found on the deeper docks in 10 to 20 feet of water, closer to the main channel.
Unlike floating docks, you can catch fish throughout the water column when fishing this style of dock. That’s due to the structure being available all the way to the bottom. What I’ve found is that panfish and other baitfish will typically stage higher, while the bass are found lurking near the bottom. This is important to note, because it will help you target a specific species based on what bait and weight you choose to throw.
How to Fish a Dock
Whether you’re on a boat or fishing from the dock itself, knowing how to effectively target fish is the key to producing more bites. It’s not quite as simple as simply dropping your line anywhere along the dock and expecting every fish to bite. The fish will stage on different areas of the dock throughout the day. Also fish will use different parts of the dock based on fishing pressure. When there’s more pressure, the fish will go further and further under the dock and away from the edges. You can, and should, use this knowledge to your advantage.
Above is a general gameplan that I use for targeting docks. Whether there is grass surrounding the dock, or just a gravel or muddy bottom underneath, I’ve found this approach is the most effective at producing more than one bite when fish are present and feeding.
The first cast is to the deeper, outside corner of the dock. Typically, your most aggressive fish can be found on the edge of the dock, actively waiting for an opportunity to ambush a baitfish cruising past. This cast also allows you to hook a fish and not entirely spook the rest of the dock during the fight, as you’ll be hooking it and pulling it away from the dock.
Your second cast follows the same principle, just on the other outside corner. The ladder here is just added cover, increasing the potential of a bite on this cast.
The third cast requires a bit more skill, as you’ll need to skip or pitch your bait under the dock and to the shallower backside without slapping the water and spooking the fish. The softer the cast here, the better. During the summer months, when the sun is high, this cast should get your blood pumping. The shade gives fish a respite and your bait is an easy meal for anything looking to feed. If you do hook a fish here, you’ll likely create a commotion under the dock, so the next cast may be futile. But, I’ve also seen that fire the other fish up in rare circumstances.
Your fourth and final cast to this dock requires the most focus and skill. You’ll want to tuck it behind the front bars and get it as far under the dock as possible. Consider this your Hail Mary cast. It’s also the hardest for other anglers to get to and it provides the most shade and structure. The key when you get a bite is to prepare for battle. There’s a likelihood that the fish is going to wrap you up on one of the forward dock poles during the fight. By using quality gear, you should still be able to land the fish if and when this happens.
The Gear You Need to Catch Bass Under Docks
Picking the Right Rod
The rod you choose for targeting bass under docks is critical. Since you’ll be skipping, pitching, and casting, your rod needs to be versatile and ready for a fight. I like a medium-heavy rod with a fast action tip as it allows me to load and skip my bait while also providing a strong backbone when I need to set the hook hard and try to drag a big bass out from under the depths of a dock. My favorite rod for this is the Shimano Poison Adrena casting rod. While it fetches a pretty penny, in this instance, you truly get what you pay for.
Shimano Poison Adrena Casting Rod
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Picking the Right Reel
When fishing a dock for bass, the reel you choose is just as important as the rod. You’ll want something that allows you to pick up line quickly and offers a hefty drag to keep things tight throughout the fight. My choice to pair with the Poison Adrena is the Shimano Metanium DC casting reel. This reel is buttery smooth, doesn’t backlash on a bad skip, and has a top of the line drag system to keep bass pinned. The extra bonus for me here is the 8.1:1 gear ratio, which allows me to pick up line quickly after a cast in an instance where a big bass eats my bait on the drop.
Shimano Metanium A DC
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Baits
The bait options you can fish a dock with are endless. You can throw moving baits like spinnerbaits or chatterbaits along the outside edge, you can skip a topwater frog up into the shade, or you can throw a jig or soft plastic bait all over the dock. To help narrow things down a bit, my two favorite baits for fishing a dock are a ½ ounce football jig and a wacky rig senko. These two baits are usually enough to convince any feeding bass under a dock to bite. As for colors, stick with green pumpkins for both baits.
Line
When you’re spooling up your casting reel to do battle with a big bass under a dock, I encourage you to lean on the heavy side for your pound test. My starting point is 16-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon, but I’m not afraid to jump up to 20-pound if there’s grass on the outside edge of the docks I’m fishing. There’s nothing worse than losing a fish because your line snapped when it wrapped you around a dock pole. A heavier fluoro will help prevent that heartbreak and ensure you have the best chance to land that giant bass.
The Gear You Need to Catch Panfish Under Docks
Picking the Right Rod
Targeting big bull bluegill or slammer crappie requires the proper gear as well. A lighter action rod is always recommended for panfish so you don’t rip the hook out of their mouths, but you don’t want to go too light. My favorite panfish rod for fishing a dock might surprise you, but hear me out. I tend to reach for a Lamiglas XP Bass Series spinning rod. It’s a 7’ option that comes in a light-moderate action. That’s the key that makes it just right for big panfish under docks. It’s sensitive, has an incredibly light tip, and the moderate action really allows the rod to bow up when you lean into a big crappie or bluegill. Another positive of using this rod is that if you just so happen to hook into a big bass while targeting panfish, you won’t be fully outgunned.
Lamiglas XP Bass Series Spinning Rod
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Picking the Right Reel
The reel you choose for targeting panfish on a dock is a little less imperative in my experience. You simply want something with a nice drag that allows you to gently fight a hard running bull bluegill. As a bass guy at heart, I typically use one of my 2500 size spinning reels and tie on a light line leader. Lately, I’ve been using the Shimano Vanford 2500 spinning reel. It’s an incredibly smooth reel with a great drag and solid handle. It’s more than enough reel for even the angriest bluegill and has yet to let me down during a day of panfishing.
Shimano Vanford FA 2500 Spinning Reel
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Baits
The baits you can fish for panfish under a dock are the very same baits you can fish for panfish around any type of structure. Small jigs with soft plastics or even live bait options won’t let you down. For a deeper dive, check out our full list of the best crappie fishing lures.
Line
The line you spool up can be either fluorocarbon or monofilament. The most important thing is to size up a pound or two. Rather than a 4-pound test, opt for 6-pound. Just like bass, a big panfish might wrap you around a dock pole or two, so having a stronger line will be imperative. My personal favorite is Berkley Trilene fluorocarbon due to its strength and affordability.
Final Thoughts on How to Fish a Dock
Whether you want to fish for panfish or bass, there’s no disputing that docks are a great place to target both. From the middle of spring through the middle of fall, you can pretty much bet that there will be fish around docks. They’re one of the most reliable places for anglers to target.
It’s important to remember that by tactically breaking down a dock, you’ll be greatly improving your odds of catching multiple fish off of the same dock. Rather than just blasting your first cast right into the money spot, take your time, fish effectively and you’ll find more success while fishing docks this year.
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