First cast-itis -- not today

[J.A. Veil]

In a surprising number of cases, if I catch a fish on the first cast (or even on the first few casts), it may lead to a slow catching day the rest of the trip. I call this malady "first cast-itis".

I fished this morning in a tidal pond. I made one cast, wound it in, and set the rod on the kayak deck, leaving a foot of line in the water. I lifted my hands to adjust my sunglasses. I heard a scraping noise and saw my rod being pulled off the kayak. Fortunately, I was able to grab the rod and wind in a 20" pickerel. Of course, the next thing that went through my mind was that maybe I had triggered a case of first cast-itis.

In most of the bodies of water that I fish frequently, I try to follow the same routes on every trip and fish the same series of spots. In this case, I worked my way to one end of the pond. 10 minutes later I had not had any more bites. By then, I had moved around to the same spot where I caught the first fish. I began casting there and caught 5 more pickerel on the next 10 casts -- all 18" to 21". The bite was red hot.

I moved off of that spot and kept going around the rest of the pond. I fished the shallow edges and the slightly deeper water in the center, but had no bites. After 45 minutes of lots of casts but no bites or follows, I returned to the first location and once again caught more fish. By the end of two hours, I had caught 11 pickerel from an area the size of a tennis court, but had no bites anywhere else in the 3-acre pond.

In my 15 years of experience fishing for pickerel in tidal creeks and ponds, they tend not to congregate in the same small location very often. They usually are scattered around shorelines. But today they were all packed in the same area. I don't have an explanation for what I observed, but was quite pleased to catch a bunch of fish today.

[CaptCHawk]

In a surprising number of cases, if I catch a fish on the first cast (or even on the first few casts), it may lead to a slow catching day the rest of the trip. I call this malady "first cast-itis".

I fished this morning in a tidal pond. I made one cast, wound it in, and set the rod on the kayak deck, leaving a foot of line in the water. I lifted my hands to adjust my sunglasses. I heard a scraping noise and saw my rod being pulled off the kayak. Fortunately, I was able to grab the rod and wind in a 20" pickerel. Of course, the next thing that went through my mind was that maybe I had triggered a case of first cast-itis.

In most of the bodies of water that I fish frequently, I try to follow the same routes on every trip and fish the same series of spots. In this case, I worked my way to one end of the pond. 10 minutes later I had not had any more bites. By then, I had moved around to the same spot where I caught the first fish. I began casting there and caught 5 more pickerel on the next 10 casts -- all 18" to 21". The bite was red hot.

I moved off of that spot and kept going around the rest of the pond. I fished the shallow edges and the slightly deeper water in the center, but had no bites. After 45 minutes of lots of casts but no bites or follows, I returned to the first location and once again caught more fish. By the end of two hours, I had caught 11 pickerel from an area the size of a tennis court, but had no bites anywhere else in the 3-acre pond.

In my 15 years of experience fishing for pickerel in tidal creeks and ponds, they tend not to congregate in the same small location very often. They usually are scattered around shorelines. But today they were all packed in the same area. I don't have an explanation for what I observed, but was quite pleased to catch a bunch of fish today.

Best guess.... spawning season is close.

[dsaavedra]

John, I had a similar experience today. I caught five pickerel on more-or-less consecutive casts within the first 15 minutes of fishing, all in one very specific spot, maybe within a 20x20 foot area. Then the bite just vanished - not surprising given all the commotion in such a small spot. I tried all the other usual spots in the creek and got almost no action. Returning to the hot spot I hooked one more and lost it, but that was all the action I got for the rest of the short trip. The fish I caught were on the smaller side but they were plump... either they're eating really well or the spawn is just around the corner.

[J.A. Veil]

I have returned three times to the tributary where I had the hot bite on Feb 17 (11 pickerel). On each of those three subsequent visits, I caught just a single pickerel. I worked the area that had the strong bite repeatedly, but found the fish have left that spot or are not interested.

[UnkleRob2020]

John, I have no doubt that you worked that area thoroughly. During our pickerel outing late last year, I was extremely impressed with how you methodically approach and work an area from the shore outwards, almost surgically.

Seeing you made me realize that neither my mind nor my casting ability are helping me to optimize my casts.

A confounding factor for me is that I was trying to cast as I was instructed by Walleye Pete. Because it is a new method for me, I am much less accurate than I am with my "normal cast" but he made a lot of good points for why he casts the way he does.

I will have plenty of practice this year. Funny...I always thought I was a good caster until I met some better anglers :--)

[J.A. Veil]

John, I have no doubt that you worked that area thoroughly. During our pickerel outing late last year, I was extremely impressed with how you methodically approach and work an area from the shore outwards, almost surgically.

Seeing you made me realize that neither my mind nor my casting ability are helping me to optimize my casts.

A confounding factor for me is that I was trying to cast as I was instructed by Walleye Pete. Because it is a new method for me, I am much less accurate than I am with my "normal cast" but he made a lot of good points for why he casts the way he does.

I will have plenty of practice this year. Funny...I always thought I was a good caster until I met some better anglers :--)

All of us have room to learn more fishing skills, including things like the mechanics of casting. Here is an anecdote that I included at the start of my first fishing book "Fishing in the Comfort Zone".

"In July 1993 I was in the Florida Keys with my family. A friend and I booked a half-day flats charter with a local guide who worked at the hotel’s marina. In those days I fished some at home in Maryland but was not particularly skilled at casting. The guide watched me casting one of his spinning reels for the first few minutes of the trip then told me he would not let me fish anymore unless I learned how to cast his way. He proceeded to show me his way of casting and insisted that I do it that way. He was not encouraging or coaching in his approach -- he was bossy and cranky. I complied with the instructions and undoubtedly did cast better after that. But what I remember from that day is that he imposed his will and fishing technique on me, even though I was a paying customer. I have little recollection of what we caught, if anything, but I will never forget the crusty old guide treating me in a heavy-handed way."

Remember that for nearly all of us on Snaggedline, fishing is a hobby and not a primary means for obtaining food for the family. It should be fun and not stressful. While it is admirable to want to improve your skills, getting out there and fishing in the way you enjoy is more important. Whether you cast in the Walleye Pete way or in your own way, I hope you will catch many fish in 2022.