Cast up current or down current?

[Crotalus]

So most of my fishing experience has been for largemouth in reservoirs where I haven't had to deal with current much. When I recently moved to the area I picked up a few books on fishing the Chesapeake and for stripers and current is obviously a big factor here, and they seem to contradict each other. A couple books say to position the boat down current and cast up current (working the lure with the current). The reason being that the predatory fish are positioned into the current waiting for food to be brought to them. And a couple books say the opposite, position up current and cast down current (working the lure against the current). The reason being that baitfish also orient into the current and the predatory fish will be wary of anything swimming in an unnatural way. I'm mostly just interested in casting artificial lures and jigs, not in live or cut bait (though if it differs, that would be interesting to note).

So which tactic do you find the most effective? (I will, of course, experiment with both. Just curious what others have found to be the best method)

[Jimbo]

Either up current or 45deg up current and let it swing down.


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[Pat Smith]

I think I read in Bautista's book that Stripers will tend to look for things floating with the current and will tend to ignore things (bait) floating against the current. I could be wrong on where I read that.

[Yak Fish]

I think I read in Bautista's book that Stripers will tend to look for things floating with the current and will tend to ignore things (bait) floating against the current. I could be wrong on where I read that.

Yup, that's true. Most of your strikes will come moving the lure with the current, not against it. ....just like Jimbo said above.
However, there are some situations that is not true. For example in the spring (now) it's typically better to pull against the current, yes against. It's counterintuitive, but at this time of year schools of bait swim upstream, following current and predatory fish are looking for them like that.

In general, cast into the current and retrieve with it at an angle.

[Crotalus]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Alan's book was one that mentioned to work the lure with the current (as well as Shawn Kimbro's book). Two books by Lenny Rudow clearly said to position up current and cast down, with illustrations to go along with it. This is what spurred my question.

[ComeOnFish]

I am a troller more than a jigger or caster.
For stripers, I troll against the current. But I zigzag at 45 (usually to cross the edge line) or 30 degree (once I know the hot spot). When I get a strike, immediately, I come back to the originating spot and repeat what I did, the same direction, the same lure, the same line length and the same speed (not in 45-90' of water in the Upper Chesapeake Bay). For me trolling has a lot to do with the direction at a given time.

My trolling tactic works for specks and other predators. I do the same thing as I fish for stripers crossing the edge line. But I troll with the current for specks at slower speed range.

BTW, I usually don't jig and cast if I don't see the fish image on the FF in 17' of water or deeper.

Joe

[J.A. Veil]

I will add a slightly different take. Typically, when casting I start by tossing the lure upcurrent and working it back with the current. I give that some tries. If that is not productive, I try to fan cast to different angles (cross current, downcurrent) until I get bites or have completed the arc of casts.

If I am working a shoreline, I may sit in my kayak one cast length or less offshore and cast in toward the shoreline at different angles.

I have not found any one technique that works all the time. Go out with a plan but be prepared to modify it as you go along based on what has worked or not worked that day.

[bignose]

Generally speaking, predatory fish face into the current and wait for their dinner to drift down.
I find that it also depends…...fishing structure like the Bay Bridge, the fish who are actively feeding sit in front of the pilings on the up current side and we often catch them by allowing bait to come to them. So when fishing this area, I cast up current and allow the lures/bait/etc. to drift down to the fish.

The fish on the down current side are resting in the current break, and are less aggressive.
They'll still eat, I mean if a steak hits you in the face, you aren't going to refuse it.

Of course, if the steak is moving in an unusual manner across your plate, you may have second thoughts.

Lures in open water, it's a bit different, they will chase them out of aggression, but I will still drift down current before I retrieve with the current.
Stripers also tend to swim into the current, and I find that they won't hit a lure that approaches them from behind as often.

Working the shoreline, much like John says above, the current is less important than the lure moving away from the shore towards deeper water.

Now, if you are fishing a river, say for Shad (you can tell what I've been fishing for recently), I prefer to cast straight out or slightly down stream an allow the lure to "swing" with the current before retrieving. Casting upstream will cause you to get hung up as the lure moves down current.

[Crotalus]

Great info guys. Keep it up.

Generally speaking, predatory fish face into the current and wait for their dinner to drift down.
I find that it also depends…...fishing structure like the Bay Bridge, the fish who are actively feeding sit in front of the pilings on the up current side and we often catch them by allowing bait to come to them. So when fishing this area, I cast up current and allow the lures/bait/etc. to drift down to the fish.

The fish on the down current side are resting in the current break, and are less aggressive.
They'll still eat, I mean if a steak hits you in the face, you aren't going to refuse it.

Interesting. The Rudow book said to position up current and focus on casting to the rips on either side of the piling and that most of the feeding fish would be darting into the rip to feed. Good to know some of the feeding fish may be positioned in front of the pilings. (He did mention the fish in the eddy behind the piling were mostly resting and less likely to bite)

The Kimbro book does concur with you on the fish holding in front of the piling and says to cast several yards in front and let the current take the lure/bait right along the side of the piling.

Of course, if the steak is moving in an unusual manner across your plate, you may have second thoughts.

I don't know. If the steak is still moving then it is cooked perfectly and I'd probably eat it regardless.