Boat Dock Bass

From the North to the South, the East to the West, on a lake or a river, during the hot, sunny summer months, largemouth bass seek shade and position themselves under that shade. Shade could be a boat dock, lily pads, overhanging trees or the shady side of the river.

- Glenn Walker

Positioned in shade, bass stay cooler because water temperatures are slightly less than the sunlit water of the lake or river. Also, shade gives bass a better location to ambush food, because minnows and panfish also seek shade.

On many lakes and rivers, the endless number of boat docks represent an exceptional source of shade. These docks are prime targets for bass anglers. To fish these locations, it’s important to identify key boat dock features and understand how to fish them.

When beginning a quest for boatdock bass, you want to identify where bass are positioned.

During low-light periods of the day, or if there is cloud cover, bass will likely not be up underneath a dock. You’ll find them on the edge of the dock, or in secondary cover nearby. I target these bass with moving baits that mimic the food bass feed on around the docks – bluegills or small baitfish.

My first choice is a buzzbait. It’ll capture attention and bring in bass that may be cruising around the boat dock. A buzzbait can be cast into the tight quarters that go hand-in-hand with fishing boat docks, and you won’t have to worry about getting hung up on snags.