Major League Fishing pro, Jeremy Lawyer, is no stranger to targeting big bass hanging around docks. Jeremy's home lake, Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma, has an abundance of boat docks that hold big bass and is where he learned the many nuances of fishing boat docks. Depending on the season or conditions, there are many techniques that work when fishing around docks. One of the most well-rounded ways of fishing docks is with a jig. Using a heavy power rod and heavy line, such as 25lb Sunline Shooter, anglers can easily skip or pitch a half-ounce jig into tight places where big bass hide. One aspect that many anglers get caught up in is jig color, where Jeremy believes the trailer that controls the rate of fall is a more key determining factor in getting bites. For example, if throwing a kicking-style trailer, such as a Zoom Z Craw Jr., isn't getting bites, try a more subtle trailer such as a Big Salty Chunk that has less action and may be slower-falling. Jeremy believes in keeping jig color simple, with a green pumpkin crawdad color, a natural perch color, and a dark black and blue.
All year long, boat dock fishing is a reliable technique throughout the country, however throughout the season there are going to be varying applications that garner the most bites. Whether it's a crankbait during the prespawn, a slower-moving finesse bait around the spawn, topwater later in the summer, or a jig all year round, fishing boat docks is a great way to cover water and find bass.
