Best catches come from lakes where residents don’t fish

The world of nonfishing lakeside residents would rather I keep today’s topic to myself, but the truth must be told.

And that truth is this: Those folks often are sitting, literally, on top of some of the best fishing in their lakes.

Their docks are like ocean reefs, teaming with all the critters that comprise the food chain in our lakes and rivers. Experienced anglers know this fact and often target docks as a primary game plan.

While docks are fish magnets, catching the fish that live under them can be pretty challenging. Those who succeed around docks have learned the key locations to target and mastered the casting skills necessary to trick the fish.

But before we begin to explore the requisite skills, a few sportsmanship issues need to be addressed. Dock owners often are wary of anglers lurking around their structures. Many have had bad experiences with fishermen snagging hooks in boat covers and ropes, and clanking lures off their vessels.

The first thing anglers need to understand about dock fishing is that they need to be courteous. Anglers have the right to fish all unrestricted waters, including those near and even under docks, but those rights don’t extend to accessing or touching the structures themselves.

That means you can fish the waters around docks from your boat, but don’t climb on to the docks themselves or trespass on them from land.

Use discretion about which docks you approach. If people are swimming in the vicinity, move on to another dock.

If you don’t feel confident you can cast your lure without hitting something prized by dock owners, don’t even think about fishing them. Baits snagged on outboards, boats and other dockside paraphernalia contribute to owners’ frustrations with anglers who venture close to their property.

Love the shade

Docks are fish attractors because they provide overhead shady cover that hides predators from their prey. The vertical posts supporting docks contribute to the maze of cover, and are covered with algae that baitfish eat, but floating docks also can be productive.

Accurate casting is an absolute necessity in dock fishing, even if errant casts did not irritate lakeside residents. Presentations that bang off boats and aluminum posts or fall short of the target simply will not produce.

Successful dock anglers have learned how to get their lures back into the shady nooks and crannies where the big fish lurk. They can skip baits into places that are far from the reach of inexperienced casters.

The best docks are those with lots of surface area and, in most cases, boats tied to them, pontoon boats in particular. Skilled dock fishermen learn how to skip their lures way under the parallel pontoons without hitting the aluminum and alerting every fish within a mile that something bad has invaded their environment.

Soft plastic worms, tubes and jigs are great dock baits. Small crankbaits and spinnerbaits also produce when the fish are apt to be roaming and will venture out to hit them as anglers work them along the sides of the cover.

Bass, crappies, sunfish, perch and rock bass are the most common dock residents, but anglers occasionally catch walleyes and muskies off the structures.

Docks can save the day when other cover is failing to produce, but only for those who have learned how to work them effectively — and with as little disturbance as possible for the people who own them.

jwollitz@aol.com