I am still learning how to best utilize my Helix SI unit and beginning to venture further and further from the protection of the bank lol  I have just been using land markers and aligning myself to fish certain structures etc...and have had some success.  Anyways, i recently bought a book on amazon for my class and forgot that i had some marker buoys in my cart from before and lo and behold, they were delivered today.  

So my question is, if i am paddling around and see something on either SI or sonar that i want to fish, do i simply chuck the buoy out and then position myself to fish said buoy or do you wait for a few feet before tossing it overboard to mark the area to be fished?  I am usually paddling between 2.5-3.5 MPH when searching for an area to fish.

being in a kayak it isn't real easy to stay in position and after you catch a fish you are always going to be moved unless you are anchored.
 

I usually will wait and throw it out a short distance from where I seen the fish. I certainly don't want to throw it right on top of them. All depends on what you are seeing really. If it's just a good ledge or hump or something like that you don't see any fish on but you want to fish the area then sure, plop it right down. I'm no expert though. I haven't had many issues with those practices though.

I feel your pain. I have a 14' John boat that I fish small lakes with and I can't stay still to save my life so marker bouys are a must!

Still perfecting this but when I find a spot to fish I will drop the buoy within casting distance right next to boat. I then pick something on land to line myself up with. This helps me make semi accurate cast while not dropping buoy on top of the cover or fish.