With jigs and soft plastic baits, I've always kept my rod tip up, around 10 or 11o clock position after a cast. Make the cast, let the bait sink on a slack line, and retrieve the lure with short lifts between 10 and 12oclock. I can see the point where the line enters the water better, and always felt like I could sense strikes better with this method. With spinnerbaits, lipless lures, and moving baits, I keep my rod tip low, and slightly to the right on the retrieve. I have known a good jig fisherman , who fished with his rod down low, about one foot from the surface.This worked well for him. What's your method? Where do you like your rod position after a cast with various lures?

Up, 10:00.

 

After casting or pitching a bottom contact bait I keep the tip where it ends up’s (about 11) and pull off a few feet of line before lowering to about 10. 
 

If flipping or reeling moving baits I keep the tip parallel or lower. 
 

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

Fishing from shore my surroundings most often dictate position of the rod more than lure selection. A honey hole requires rod nearly vertical due to all the brush. Other spot its rod low set hook to left only. One area paralleling the bank its rod straight out and extended.