The author is all smiles over his nice stringer of bluegills caught from the bank. Photo by Keith Sutton.

Fishing from the bank is the reason many of us love fishing. It's the simplest, most cost-effective way to have a maximum amount of fun. It's recreation in its purest form -- no muss, no fuss. Just you, a simple pole or rod and reel, a bobber or bottom-sinker, a hook, some bait or simple lures, the sky and the water, a warm day and fish.

When we think of bank-fishing, we often remember childhood fishing trips with friends or relatives, dunking worms or crickets in a farm pond, and thrilling to the pulse of scrappy sunfish dashing to and fro at the end of the line. We conjure up memories of days on the lakeshore as crappie were pulled one after another from a shallow-water brushpile. We think back to that just-right summer afternoon when the catfish in our favorite fishing hole snatched up every bait thrown their way.

Of course, it's never too late for making memories. Fishing from a quiet shore clears the mind and soothes the soul. It's a great way to introduce kids to the joys of fishing. And the fish you catch will provide the makings for many delicious meals.

Recapture that feeling. Leave your boat at home, and go bank-fishing again. The following recipes for success will give you some options to consider.

CRAPPIE
Many bank-fishermen consider crappie special prizes --not because they fight especially hard, nor because they're particularly challenging to catch, but because they're abundant in many of our waters and, when rolled in cornmeal and deep-fried, incredibly delicious. Fortunately, in spring, when water temperatures are moderate, crappie invade shallow cover in ponds, lakes and reservoirs, thus putting them within reach of bank-fishing enthusiasts.

It helps to know one special quirk of crappie. They like food (live minnows and small jigs are unbeatable) that's doing nothing at all, just hanging there, immobile. Making a presentation in this fashion takes patience and practice, but do it right and watch your catch increase.

Use a thin, sensitive bobber to detect delicate pickups. It also helps to use a bobber with a brightly colored tip, and keep your eyes locked on its messages. If the float tilts left, a crappie has taken the lure from the right side. Vice versa if it tilts right. And if it rises the slightest bit, a crappie has inhaled the lure from above. Set the hook on any of these -- even on suspicion!

Small crappie are good practice subjects, but if you start catching runts and you'd rather be landing slabs, relocate to another bank-fishing area. The little guys are fun, but big ones aren't likely to be among them.