Short casts

[fastbass]

As a newcomer to muskie fishing, I've often read and heard that 75-90% of strikes will come in the first five feet or the last five feet of a retrieve. Shorter casts decrease the time between the first and last five. But, since muskies have that annoying tendency to follow a bait instead of eating it, long casts will show the bait to more fish, and get more fish to the last five feet. What conditions dictate when you cast 100 or 150 feet or 50 feet? Do you feel that longer or shorter casts make much of a difference?

[HerbB]

I like to use whatever length casts it takes to cover the area. A short cast is best when up close to heavy structure and long casts are better for covering a lot of area like over a large weed bed or open water. I especially try to make longer casts in very clear water. It gives the bait more time in the water before the fish see the boat.

As far as the fish hitting in the first five or last five feet of the cast, thats another matter entirely. I believe that the reason most fish hit then is because most people use a straight retrieve on lures like bucktails and crankbaits. They simply cast the lure out and reel it back in. The problem with that is the only time any sort of "trigger" exists is when the lure hits the water and starts moving and when the lure changes direction at boat side on the figure-8. The lure just moves straight through the water during rest of the cast length.

I can't recall ever hooking a Muskie during the middle of a straight retrieve, but I have caught quite a few when adding some extra action to the lure like bulges, twitches, jerks, and changes of direction by swooping the rod tip from side to side. Even adding a slow up and down action to the rod while retrieving seems to help a lot at times. Any extra action can create a "trigger" which can turn into a strike. At least this works for me.

Anyone else have any similar experience?

[dougj]

Herb has it right, you make the cast length match the type of area you are fishing. I tend to make mostly short casts, not so much because of the fish hitting in the first or last part of the retrieve, but because the more casts I can make on a piece of structure the more different spots I can hit.

I also can't say that the first part or the last part of the retrieve is any better, I've caught all kinds of fish at any time during the retrieve. A certain percentage of the fish are caught at boatside (figure-8), but during the rest of the cast I don't really think there's too much differance.

Doug Johnson