The thick grass areas that force you to dig deep in the grass are not productive bank areas. Look for the bank to be reachable with a single cast from the deeper water. When you have found this type of bank you have a start of a productive bank. Next I believe that a bank must have stumps, trees laying in the water or docks to hold fish. If you pull up to the edge and it appears to be void of structure it's probably also void of fish.
Certainly, at times of the year baitfish is also a must on the bank you are trying to fish. There is an old Guntersville saying that if you find the bait you have found the bass and it is very true when trying to bang the banks.
A presentation that most people fail to do when bank fishing, especially along the grass edges, is to fish a worm to the inside of the grass line. As we move toward cooler water temperatures the shallow water will cool quicker than the deep water. This allows the grass to vacate on the very edge of the bank first, and leaves a empty area along the bank. This is generally a great way to catch a good fish in the fall. The baitfish will be on the inside grass line to hide from the wind and the bass will be there with them. A little patience and visual inspection will and does produce productive bank fishing, just keep working them and you will catch good fish.
Do you have much luck fishing the bank?
