Learn How To Fish

Finding Fish

Learn how to put everything together and identify the places where fish are most likely to be holding from shore.

Fish Need Two Things

When shore fishing in a lake, river or stream, always remember that fish like two things: food and shelter.

Start looking for places where those two things come together. That simple idea can help you decide where to make your first cast.

Don't Just Pick A Spot

Look at the water and ask yourself: Where would food collect, and where could a fish stay protected?

Look For A Break In The Water

If you see an area where the water slows down, pay attention to it.

The original ShoreFishing.net guide identifies these breaks as places where fish may be holding because food can collect there.

Faster Water

Water Break

Fish Zone

Find Deep Water Close To Shore

A hole or deeper section close to shore is another place worth investigating.

Try casting beyond the deeper area and retrieving your lure through it.

Shallow

Deep Water

← Retrieve

Find Structure

Structure provides fish with places to shelter and can also concentrate food.

Weed Edges

Fish can hold around the edge of vegetation.

Bridge Pillars

Current and structure can make bridge areas worth investigating.

Docks

Try casting toward docks when conditions allow.

Logs & Trees

Fallen trees and overhanging trees can provide cover.

Rock Piles

Rocky structure can be another productive area to explore.

Sloping Shorelines

Changes in shoreline depth and shape can be important.

Look For Bottom Transitions

Pay attention to places where the bottom changes.

A transition from rocks or sand to mud, or from mud back to rocks or sand, is specifically identified in the original ShoreFishing.net guide as a place worth trying.

Rock

Sand

Transition

Mud

Fish The Current

When fishing moving water, the original guide recommends casting upstream and allowing the current to bring your lure past the location you want to fish.

Think about where the current is moving and where a fish might be able to hold while food moves past.

↓

Target Area

Cast Upstream

Don't Always Cast Farther

One of the original guide's most useful observations is that casting as far from shore as possible doesn't necessarily mean catching more fish.

Smaller bait fish may stay closer to shore, away from currents, near structure or around a drop-off.

That means the water immediately in front of you can sometimes be worth more attention than the water far away.

Shore

Potential Fish Area

Farther Water

Cast Here

Try Different Angles

Don't limit yourself to casting straight out from shore.

The original guide suggests trying a diagonal cast when conditions allow. This can keep your hook in a potential strike zone longer.

Change Your Angle

If one direction isn't producing, change the angle of your cast and work another part of the shoreline.

Angler

Cast

Experiment

This is one of the biggest lessons from the original ShoreFishing.net guide.

Try different locations, different lures and different times of the day or night.

Location Move along the shoreline and look for another feature.

Lure Change what you're presenting to the fish.

Time Try another period of the day or night.

Put It All Together

Start with food and shelter. Then look for current, depth, structure, bottom changes and shoreline shape.

Once you find something interesting, make a thoughtful cast and pay attention to what happens.

If it doesn't work, change something.

Keep Exploring

Don't limit yourself to one location or one technique. Finding fish from shore is a process of observation and experimentation.