Casting Technique

My preferred method of casting is to depress the casting button, rear back and let fly, all the while maintaining a very slight feel of my thumb on the spool. I obviously don’t want to impede the lure’s travel, yet I want to be able to control the flight of the lure instantaneously if I have too.

I then use my thumb to stop the lure’s travel a split second before the lure hits the water. This enables me to “hit the target” so to speak, and also lays out the lure flat just prior to hitting the water minimizing fouled hooks and wasted casts, especially on windy days. 

This technique is definitely needed when fishing on bodies of water with complex structural elements. I have seen less experienced casters often hang up their buck tails or other lures numerous times on prime spots', forcing us to ease the boat up to the reef to free the lure. At the same time, we were spooking away active muskies that were present on that piece of structure and wasting a fish catching opportunity. 

There are certain times when fishing tight to structure that I will use a flipping technique similar to what bass anglers use, since the heavier weight of the musky lure makes this quite simple to do. 

Excellent casting accuracy is also a must when sight fishing for early season muskies, as the proper presentation of the lure makes or breaks the opportunity to catchthe fish.   

When casting lures under very windy conditions, it is usually best to throw a heavier lure so you can maximize lure control and minimize backlashes. Windy days are usually frustrating for beginning musky anglers, because it makes casting that much more difficult. The key here again is lure control, so you have a better chance of reaching or hitting your intended target point on these windy days.

A good quality pair of polarized sunglasses will also do wonders for casting performance since you will be able to see underwater obstructions and weed edges much better, and therefore make a much better presentation to the fish. The thing to remember here is you always want to be in control of the lure while casting, rather than blindly lobbing the lure out there and hoping for the best. 

Another final important aspect that plays an integral part of making the best casts on a given spot is your knowledge of how the spot is laid out. Obviously, the more you fish a spot, the more intimate your understanding is of the particular structure, and the more apt you are to make better casts to enable you to catch more fish there. This comes with time on the water and often through trial and error.   

With all that being said, next we will post about fishing various structures and how casting performance and ability comes into play.

Tight lines!

Ron