Casting Distance vs. Strike Zone.
This time of year, do you notice that boat anglers are usually casting towards the bank and most of the time, trying to get their lure as close to the shore as possible?
In the Spring and early Summer, most fish are shallow to very shallow, cruising the warming water where their prey is. A shore fisherman can actually have an advantage over boat anglers this time of year. It’s much more effective to parallel cast along the shoreline from the bank rather than a straight retrieve from a boat.
It can seem as though you need to launch your cast as far out as possible to get your lure in the deeper water, but the opposite can be true. Be stealthy in your approach, the fish you are after could be right at your feet!
Take note of where bites occur, both in distance from shore and depth. If the majority of your bites are coming 5 feet from shore, stop casting 60 feet out and wasting that time with your lure outside of the strike zone. -Andy Cochran
Pro Tip: Take note of any baitfish in the area and “match the hatch.” Often times, the strike zone will be wherever the wind has pushed the baitfish or where they have balled up. You can increase your odds of landing a trophy fish by choosing the perfect lure to “match the hatch” and by casting it into the strike zone.
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