Thursday, September 5, 2013

Thursday Tips: Remember Back Angles

Watch a pair of anglers casting to a bank as they work along it by boat, and you'll most likely see both fishermen oriented 45 degrees forward and toward the bank. It's natural to look ahead as you fish and to aim for cover and structural features as the come within casting range. And anglers who fish together frequently, especially as tournament partners, tend to get pretty good at alternating targets so they aren't just fishing the same stuff.

The problem with that approach is that roughly half the cover and structure along many banks is better suited for fishing from the opposite angle. Whether you're talking about trees that slant direction the boat is traveling and out from the bank, the back sides of points or boulders or the opposite sides of little shoreline cuts, many features can be fished more efficiently by angling 45 degrees back instead of 45 degrees forward.

If you're in the back of the boat, stay on the lookout for back angles and prioritize such casts over casts that angle forward. Let your partner aim forward and collectively you'll fish the bank much more thoroughly. Even as you fish alone, though, don't forget to look back. Be intentional about looking for and making back-angle casts, and you'll catch fish that otherwise would never get a good look at your lure.

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