What is the proper setup or rigging for your line when bank fishing from a point? I tried this Saturday with a 3/8 oz. weight and a 12" leader without a single bite using live shiner. Any suggestions greatlya appreciated.

tx_hunter24,

The rig doesn't sound bad. What was the water depth ?
Back in the day, when I had to bank fish (pre-boat days), I would go early and fish a shad under a bobber. Tried to keep about 3 feet or more ( difficult to cast ) of line between the bobber and shad.

Before my boating days I had great luck with shad, no weight and a balloon 5 foot up. It's a blast watching that balloon go sailing or even under water!

I'd lose the weight and go with the bobber as Spike suggested. That's what worked best for me when I bank fished.

IMO, morning bite would use a bobber....noon to afternoon to evening, bottom....after that bottom all the way. Nothing is wrong with that rig, keep at it, won't catch them all the time! If you are not sure if you should use the bobber or go on the bottom...use both!

Your rig sounds good, but I agree that using a bobber early is better. The more important thought here is where you are fishing and how long are you staying in that spot. Don't be afraid to move and never assume that a point is where the fish are. Sometimes the most unlikely spot will hold fish, because you have no idea what type of structure is beneath the water at any given spot. After/during each trip, make a log of the time, date, temp, wind and location and whether or not you caught fish. This won't help you now, but after a year or two, it will pay huge dividends, because you will know what spots did or didn't produce the same time the year previous. It's a simple thing to do, but requires a little entry after every trip. Also, you can use it to log info you receive from other anglers. Good luck and tight lines

Guys, thanks for the tips and info. I just wanted to make sure iwas not crazy. I will try using bobbers for early morning trips next time. The cooler weather saturday morning may have greatyl affected the fishing as well. Thanks

I bank fish all the time. Use a white slab, 3/4 oz. Cast out 20-40 yards. If the fish aren't hitting the top of the water, let is sink to bottom, then jig back to shore, either slowly or aggressively. Make sure to keep lifting to avoid snagging. If they are hitting the top of the water, start jigging after 4 seconds - don't let it drop to bottom. They may hit at 7, 10, 15 feet, etc.