Yesterday, Saturday, it seems all the summer tourists were out. Summer is winding down, labor day next weekend. Skiers, Tons of jetskis, swimmers, etc. It was a little windy. Fishing on a day like that is an effort in futility. Ya, the lake is 4 1/2 miles long but there are a lot of camps on it. Hence.. a noisy busy lake. That's okay. It's what people enjoy and it's all good. But no point fishing. During the weekdays it mostly becomes a ghost lake. Thankful for that. Well, accept for that guy who keeps practicing skiing on his feet nearly every morning at 6 am. He and I are waving buddies. He always passes me while I'm out fishing.

I went down to the dock to try out a new chatterbait/trailer combo. I started casting. After awhile I kept telling myself "this is the last one then I've got to go"....then, "this is the last one", over and over again. Well, an hour later I did pin the lure on the keeper and went up to the house. I had casted into a choppy, wavy lake with kids swimming and diving on the right of me and someone trying to learn how to get up on skis on the left of me. And me casting, I sort of felt foolish. There's no fish there. No fish in their right fishy minds would be there. Casting must have looked like a stupid activity in the current lake climate.

 

Yes, mindless casting. I've been doing it since I was a kid. I'll bet some of you do it too... But why?

Why not? That's the thing with fishing, you never know.

I'm not patient enough for that, after about the fifth cast to an area or spot, I'm looking for another target or spot.  If I've fanned the whole area, I'm moving on.  Even if bank fishing a small pond, once I've circled it, I quit and wait a while.

2 hours ago, Way2slow said:

I'm not patient enough for that, after about the fifth cast to an area or spot, I'm looking for another target or spot.  If I've fanned the whole area, I'm moving on.  Even if bank fishing a small pond, once I've circled it, I quit and wait a while.

I think I sometimes cast off the dock just because I like to cast. Even on a quiet day after I've covered the area around the dock in a fan pattern a few times I just cast to see where the lure lands and watch the line spool out. At this point, the word 'mindless' is more appropriate! I do think it's therapeutic for me though. Calming maybe?

On 8/19/2019 at 7:23 AM, DanielG said:

I think I sometimes cast off the dock just because I like to cast. Even on a quiet day after I've covered the area around the dock in a fan pattern a few times I just cast to see where the lure lands and watch the line spool out. At this point, the word 'mindless' is more appropriate! I do think it's therapeutic for me though. Calming maybe?

 I can relate -

 

and at least your doing it in soft water . . . 

A-Jay

Labor Day is two weeks away.

About the only time I do "mindless casting" is very early in the season when I just GOT to wet a line and catching is highly unlikely.  Otherwise, as I always say to my friend, "You can't catch a fish if your bait isn't in the water."  If I think it's become "mindless", I'll try a different pattern.

21 hours ago, Ratherbfishing said:

 "You can't catch a fish if your bait isn't in the water."  

1 hour ago, BassNJake said:

true enough.