We all have a secret little pond or lake we like to hit after work, or on a weekend morning. Problem is that there just are'nt enough casting angles due to overhanging trees, weeds, or some other obstacle preventing us from making close quarter casts.

Maybe your favorite honey hole is overgrown and doesn't provide enough shoreline access... Sure you can see some great spots; stumps, pads, treelines and shade, but you just can't get a good angle to make a presentation.

We've all been there.

This is where an investment in a pair of hip boots can give you an edge for those precious couple hours. Throw on a trout vest loaded with your favorite bassin lures, slip on some hip boots and you may all but forget about that $30,000 bass boat sitting in your driveway.

Entering the water wearing hip boots and not having to carry a big tackle box opens up access to the casting angles you need to get to those bank hugging bass under those low overhanging trees.

Also wearing hip boots will give you more areas along the banks to fish without having to walk through or over brush, stickers, and the other unsightly obstacles we often face while trying to get to those hard to reach places. Not to mention the fact that while fishing in the late spring or summer you will actually be a bit cooler by standing in the water.

Shallow running crankbaits, spinnerbaits, unweighted soft plastics can now be cast to even the most unlikely looking places with all the more ease. Landing bass while wearing hip boots is quite easy as well; tire the bass out then simply swim him over to your legs, lip him, kiss the boney lip, then release him. You do practice catch and release right? Most pf the time the bass need not even be taken from the water.

While this may seem like a common sense solution, you'd be surprised how many shoreline bass fishermen never try it.

Grab a pair of hip boots and a trout vest for your next day out on the pond or little lake, or river, and chances are you too will forget all about that bass boat at home!

Tight lines!

Mike Panek