Casting/Fishing Weed Edges

When fishing a weed edge, you should always try to be in control of your lure. You want to avoid sloppy casts at all costs to minimize fouled hooks and wasted casts. I prefer shorter casts to the weed edge with lures like buck tails, crank baits, or jerk baits to maintain optimum control. 

Surface lures can be thrown as far as possible if the weeds are not matted up on the surface that could kill the action of the lure. With crank baits or jerkbaits, I recommend casting out your lure parallel to the weed edge. 

During the retrieve, if you contact weeds on your lure, give your rod a hard rip to “clean” your offering and regain the proper action of the lure. You will feel the lure working properly once again if it is cleaned in the right manner. 

Using shorter casts with braided line gives you the control, feel, and power you need to clean your lures effectively if you snag some weeds. 

With buck tails, this is not as critical since the lures inherently travel shallower, but it is still important to strive for precise casts to indentations or pockets along the weed edge, using your polarized glasses as a visual aid the whole time.   

When night fishing, short castsare extremely critical to avoid wasted casts. The whole presentation when fishing crank bait along the weed edge after dark is based more on feel than sight. 

Tight lines!
Ron