Bud says there are big ones lurking around the ramps, but most anglers miss them

I am often asked for places to locate fish, especially bass, but what I am going to offer for consideration is not necessarily restricted to just bass. The spot many anglers tend to overlook has many times helped me place in the money of several bass tournaments. I also have caught countless numbers of bluegill, crappie, catfish, and carp in this spot.

I confess I mainly fish for bass, but even just fishing from shore, you can catch numerous fish without much difficulty in this special spot. The place I am telling you about is the boat ramp. You see many anglers launching their boats and heading out for their "secret" places. In my opinion, they might need to consider fishing around the boat ramps.

Why?

Boat ramps start from the bank in relatively shallow water, and they extend out quite some distance into deeper water. The ramps are usually made of concrete, and they have a tendency to warm up once the sun starts shining down on them. Usually, at the end of the ramps there will be clumps of concrete and rocks that attract algae and crawfish which are on the menu for practically every species of fish.

The change of depth also allows the fish safety. If they are disturbed, they simply drop off into deeper water and eventually move into the shallows to feed and nest.

Another reason to consider fishing around the boat ramps, especially for bass, is after the bass tournaments end, most anglers will release fish back into the water at the boat ramp. Many of those fish will not travel very far. They’ll set up residency at the ramp, and they will bite again.

I have even witnessed anglers releasing their crappie, bluegill, catfish, and carp rather than taking them home and cleaning and frying them. To some anglers, the fun of the catch is the main reason the spend time on the water.

I have started several bass tournaments within the boat ramp area. In one tournament, my partner and I caught three "keeper" largemouth bass before the last boat in our tournament had left the idle area. We hoped none of the guys competing against saw us catching those fish. Apparently, they did not!

We could see the places where the fish had been caught previously, and I honestly believe if we had stayed in the idle area longer, we could have eventually caught another couple keepers for our five-bass limit.

I have to admit my partner was not too excited about starting out in the boat ramp area. We normally head out and make long-distance runs. Even at 70 mph we actually lost fishing time by traveling. Sure, it's fun and exciting to run like that, but it’s often not necessary. We got more fishing time staying where we were, and after we started getting fish hitting our offering, my partner even started smiling.

There were 27 boats entered in that tournament, and we had three keepers before we fished more than 150 feet from the ramp. I caught a nice bass on the second cast, right off the end of the ramp where the rocks and clumps of concrete were located. We didn’t have to worry about boaters and jet skis speeding close to us because everyone had to idle out of the ramp area.

I have seen many bank fishermen sitting just off the edge of the boat ramp or pier, catching crappie as fast as they could present the bait. I saw many anglers catch bluegills right next to the ramp when they tossed out their redworms. Their bobbers went under within seconds.

Be advised, you will most likely encounter a lot of boat traffic with people launching their watercraft and loading back up, especially at public ramps, but everyone is entitled to use those facilities. Oftentimes, patience and attitudes can wear thin.

Most reservoirs and lakes will have idle zones, and anything within close proximity of the ramp, including businesses like marinas, tackle shops, etc., will be closely monitored. If you disobey the idle restriction, you will most likely be informed of it.

Some reservoirs have restrictions and have posted the ramp area as off limits. In those cases, once you have launched your boat, you are required to idle out to the marker buoys. Then you can "hammer down" to your fishing spot.

Also be advised it is not uncommon for a Conservation Officer to be patrolling the area. So, be sure to have your fishing license, boat registration, and launching decal on your boat. Give fishing boat ramps a try. You might be surprised.