In areas that have current pushing through them, the fish commonly feed more actively on the moving-water side than the lee side, especially if docks create eddies and ambush points. That said, it's usually worth probing at least a few docks that are both in and out of the current to let fish reveal which they are relating to and where they are feeding most actively.

Water color can have a couple of important effects that anglers should consider. First, when the color varies in different parts of a lake, it will affect the areas (and therefore the docks) that hold the most actively feeding fish. If the water is quite clear overall, for example, docks in creeks that have been stained by wind, wave action or a recent rainfall may hold more active fish. If much of a lake has turned ultra muddy, on the other hand, docks that stretch into the clearest water remaining in the lake may be the most productive.

Even when water color is uniform, the color can help dictate which docks will hold the most fish and how the fish will relate to those docks. If the water is significantly stained, fish will relate to the docks that offer the most cover in shallow water, and they will hold very tight to the cover. In clear water, fish will be off the deep ends of docks, often relating more loosely to them and will be more apt to relate to scattered surrounding brush.

ADDED ATTRACTIONS
Before examining the dock structures themselves, it's important to consider all the "extras" that commonly make certain docks extra inviting to bass. Stands of aquatic grass, deep riprap banks, brushpiles, rockpiles and other physical features commonly combine with docks to create outstanding complexes for the fish to use under various conditions. As an example, a dock that is bordered by floating vegetation at the shallow end and has brush sunk off its deep end will tend to hold more fish than an otherwise similar dock in the same area that lacks these extras.

Among the most important extras are brushpiles, which often are put out by property owners so they can catch more fish off their own docks. Brush might be stuffed under the dock itself, sunk off the sides or directly off the end, or it might be placed a cast's length away. The best docks, of course, offer all of those options.

At times, the tips of brushpiles will extend out of the water, making brush easy to locate. More often, the cover will be fully submerged, and finding it requires peering carefully into the water, searching with electronics and paying close attention to any extra "bumps" when working waters around docks. Anglers also should pay attention to clues that brush might be present -- the most obvious of those being fishing benches, rod holders and lights that are pointed toward the water. Similarly, a dock that harbors a boat that looks like it's really used for fishing is far more apt to have brush sunk around it than one that appears to be a water skier's.