When fishing in a new body of water or one you haven’t visited in a while, the first trick is locating the fish. You could study contour maps, question locals, or even try the hit-and-miss game, or you can play a card that is almost always a winner. Learning to fish docks can let you find and boat fish during any season on nearly every waterway.

Almost every angler knows that docks hold fish; after all, that is where many of us learned to fish. Dad, grandpa, or a big brother took you down to the lake and let you drown a worm off the dock. Within minutes, you saw how many fish of all sizes and species that called the dock home came out to see what you were offering. But, over time, many of us moved away from the dock and onto the water itself. As we started fishing from a boat or kayak, we forgot that the dock is still home to plenty of fish, including some of the big ones that spent all day looking for them.

Dock hold fish because they provide both shelter and ambush points. Small fish use the structure to hide from larger fish. Larger fish know the small fish are there, so they soon move in to hunt. Plus, both classes of fish benefit from the shade a dock provides once the warm summer days arrive. Food and shelter are everything a fish needs to be happy.

Before you fire up the boat and head to the nearest dock, let’s look at which docks are most likely to hold a trophy. First, you want docks that are away from natural cover, such as grass flats or weed beds. Second, bigger is better. Not only do bigger docks offer more room for competing species, but they also provide more cover. Third, floating docks are generally better than stationary ones. This is because a floating dock will rise and fall with changing water levels, providing the same sense of security 24/7.

Once you find a likely candidate, it comes down to technique. Start by fishing the shaded area first. The shade offers a sense of security and protection from the heat. This will change as the sun changes position, so be ready to move. Next, use a lure that features a lot of action. Big fish are sitting in ambush, so action is what will grab their attention. Although a dangling worm worked as a kid, it is time to get a little more sophisticated. Finally, fish as deep into the shadows as possible. This often requires pitching or skipping your lure far under the dock, which can take practice, but this is where the biggest fish are likely to be.

Finally, we come to etiquette. We have all seen the videos of anglers and dock owners in arguments about being able to fish around or under docks. While the dock owner is often portrayed as the villain, their attitude is usually not entirely without provocation. While it is generally legal to fish near or even under a privately owned dock, the dock itself remains private property. This means you can not go onto, tie up to, or even contact the dock without some legal backlash if the owner is so inclined. However, most confrontations have nothing to do with access or damaging the dock; they have to do with simple courtesy. Leaving trash or dead fish in the area, making excessive noise at unusual hours, or damaging personal property will never be appreciated and only lead to more confrontations. It is also courteous to avoid marked swim areas, those with water slides or floating toys, or directly in front of beaches. While you may have a fish right in these areas, those who use them also have a right to do so without fear; they will find you lost hooks and lures with their bare feet.

Next time you find yourself searching for the fish, follow the map back to the dock.