[Lil-Chaz]

I spend most of the fall chunking in the bay and have heard guys talking about fishing the back bays for spring stripers. Everyone talks about fishing the "sod banks" What is that??:huh: I'd love to do some more active fishing...casting lures, softs, poppers, etc.
Thanks:thumbsup:

 

[JoeyZac]

Sod banks are the areas of marsh that meet the water. You can usually see a few feet of mud, depending on the tide, with grass on top of it.

Some sods are along flats (only 1-4 feet of water), some are in areas of heavy current, some are very deep cut (10-30 deep in a steep dropoff), and they all have their merits.

Fishing the sod banks simply means fishing "up against the land", where the land isn't a pier, or dock, or bridge, or some other structure.

 

[Lil-Chaz]

Sod banks are the areas of marsh that meet the water. You can usually see a few feet of mud, depending on the tide, with grass on top of it.

Some sods are along flats (only 1-4 feet of water), some are in areas of heavy current, some are very deep cut (10-30 deep in a steep dropoff), and they all have their merits.

Fishing the sod banks simply means fishing "up against the land", where the land isn't a pier, or dock, or bridge, or some other structure.

Joey...thanks for the lesson. That what i thought but you cleared it up!! :thumbsup:

 

[JoeyZac]

Joey...thanks for the lesson. That what i thought but you cleared it up!! :thumbsup:

Anytime. Sod bank fish is both an art and a science. The sharpest sharpies that I know do it at night by walking the banks (no boat).

Rule #1 with that is to ABSOLUTELY be safe as walking around on unstable ground at night is an easy way to die if you don't know EXACTLY what you're doing and where your walking.

Aside from that, by land, by boat, deep, shallow, night, ealy am, etc, there is a TON of experimenting and GREAT FISHING that can be done on/near the sod banks.

Tog and Stripers are my fish of choice off the banks, but you can catch just about anything depending on where you are and when.

Experiment, be safe, and have fun. :thumbsup:

 

[Tony Mig]

I won't walk a sod bank at night until I've walked it, and carefully mapped it out during the day. Too many holes, and weak ledges that could break off and take you down with them. Even then I wear an LED flashlight around my neck, and have no problem using it for my own safety....

 

[RyanF]

Scout them out at low tide before you fish them - this is a must. You want to fish them after dark so you sure as hell better know where you are walking. You also want to make note of cuts, points and broken off chunks as this is where the fish will be waiting in ambush - think trout stream?? You want to fish sods that have some depth and some current and dont pull that lure out too early, bring it right back to your feet - most fish will be less than 30 feet from where you are standing, and depending on the scattered break offs right under your feet.

RyanF

RyanF

 

[Keeper Seeker]

True, True, and True.... Most important is safety and knowing every inch of the location you are fishing. I will "never" venture to a location at night that I have not scouted in the daylight. Along with the surf and rocks, this is the type of fishing that I do most of the time. There ARE many hazards as have been mentioned. Cracks, holes, loose ledges, and crack *** mud. You could be walking along, nowhere near the edge, or on the edge, seemingly solid ground and step into an invisible pothole (they are everywhere). Could be mud.... could be a hollow connected to the edge of the bank several feet or yards away. Depending on how fast you are walking a broken leg an absolute possibility, or a broken rod or a ........... Well you get the idea. It realy can be quite dangerous. For those who havn't done it and plan to, scout it out and tread lightly. And never run.

Oh, and stealth will help your chances of catching tremendously. Vibrations are transmitted through the mud to the water and any fish that are hanging on the bank under a ledge will spook. So SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH.......

 

[swampfox422]

also need to be mindful of the incoming rising tide... u may find urself getting swamped....very quickly

 

[bdubbs]

BRING A WALKING STICK! i usually break a tree branch off or carry a sandspike with me on the way out depending on where im fishing.

you can use this to feel the ground ahead of you as your walking out making sure there isnt any holes,large logs,dead bodies or things like that you may trip over.

Then once you get to where u wanna fish just stick it in the edge of the sodbank so you have marked your farthest point you can walk without falling off the bank this will become a lifesaver once the tide comes over the sod bank.:thumbsup: