Boat Positioning

[LrgmouthShad]

I cannot know for sure, but I believe half of my problems fishing are caused by improper boat positioning and improper approach to that position. A lot of the time, I won't even know my boat is positioned improperly. 

[gim]

Boat positioning can be a challenge because of a variety of factors like wind, current, waves, and other watercraft. If I am finding it too difficult to keep my boat in a location to effectively fish, I probably shouldn’t be out there.

 

Casting angles when I am fishing docks is highly dependent on my boat positioning. I’ve become pretty good at it the last few seasons. The quick response of a cable steer bow mount helps, as does a talon.

[Pat Brown]

I learned a LOT about boat positioning from bed fishing from the bank and from learning what creek and river waders have to use routinely.

 

I try to stay downwind/downcurrent so I don't disturb dust or debris or water that fish 'feel' that I'm fishing for.  I try to be conscious of my boats shadow in relation to targets as I approach them and while I fish them.

 

I make as little noise as possible when fishing shallow or clear water.

[A-Jay]

 

Talking about boat position – IMO it is SUPER critical to learn why & how to use it to your advantage.  Every cast I make, every bait I throw, they’re level of effectiveness is predicated on where & how my rig is positioned on the structure I am fishing.  There’s no way around it – that’s just how it is.  These are the things I take into account when determining how & where to position my boat to fish anything.   The depth of water I’m planning to fish and the depth of water I need to be positioned in, water clarity, wind speed & direction, the position of the sun (where it is the sky as it relates to the structure and how high or low in the sky it is), The type of lure(s) I’m planning on using, as well as any boating traffic in the area including other anglers.  OK so let’s break all that down – one at a time. 

  First, if I have the choice, I prefer to fish from shallow to deep – every spot - all year round – just how I like to do it – because it works.  Also because going deep to shallow, although easier I guess, often positions the boat on or directly over the bass and I may end up casting into dead water. Instead, I’ve had much more success sneaking over to the shallow side so as not to burn the spot and casting off to the front/sides of the point.   I commonly will use one of three ways or methods to hold/ position my boat – first is the common anchor & rope – total PIA but once you know how to do it – it works.  Did it for years – still do in the canoe and will continue to do so.  Then there’s ‘holding’ on a spot with the trolling motor – I do not like to do that but will when I have to.  The new Ultrex with the spot-lock is sweeping the bass fishing world – I’m not ready to cash in the Fortrex just yet.  So my left foot will continue to get a workout until I am.   Then there are the shallow water anchors – for me, it’s the Talons – might be the best investment I ever made after the Lund itself – Love the Talons.  Super effective. 

Here a few more things to think about when fishing a point and even a drop off for that matter.  The first one is something I call “The Angle of the Dangle” ( I know – sounds silly)  And it has to do with the type of bait I’m presenting, the depth & angle of the structure I’m fishing, My boat position, and finally, rod angle & line.  Wow, that’s a lot of stuff.  OK so here it is;

 

  Imagine you are casting your ¾ oz football jig & craw off the end of the point from your rig that is positioned back on top in the shallow area.  You expect the bass to be positioned right at the bottom of the drop in front of you in 20 feet.   You plan on casting past them and then working the bait back to them and eventually up the ‘slope’ of the point or drop off. 

  Here’s where ‘the Angle of the Dangle’ comes into play.  If you’re too far back from the ‘strike zone’ – as you work your bait along and to the bottom of the drop, at some point your line is going to come into contact with the bottom at the top of the drop in front of you.  Might not help detect strikes, might fray the heck out of your line on a big hookset if its rock or zebra mussels, might jack up the way your bait is presented if there’s a thick weedline on top as well.  So none of that is very good at all. 

And if you’re positioned too close to the bottom of the drop and you’re not watching your rod angle, you could end up having your bait start to ‘come up’ well before it even reached the fish.  This can be especially prevalent with moving baits.  That’s not the best case scenario either.   So what’s a Basshead to do ?  You fix the angle of the dangle that’s what – reposition the boat so that whatever bait you’re presenting is running where & how you want & need it to.  This gives you the best opportunity to first elicit a strike, then hopefully be able to detect it and then hook & land that trophy.   SO yea – the “Angle of the Dangle” - it’s actually a thing after all.

 

So along with boat position is lure presentation.  I cannot effectively fish ANY BAIT with a strong crosswind – cannot do it – tried as I may – just hate it.  So I’m either casting straight downwind or into the wind – either way, I can feel my bait, there’s no big sag or bend in my line and most importantly, I catch fish. 

 So when deciding where & how to position my rig, I’m generally either getting the wind right off the bow or right off the stern.  Now that’s all well & good but if the structure I want to fish doesn’t offer an area that is 10 or 11 feet deep for me to Talon down into – I’m pretty much stuck doing the one-legged trolling motor dance the whole time – it’s a skill and until you can do it well – you might struggle but it’s something you’ll need to be able to do – unless you’ve got the $3K plus to drop on and Ultrex – but I’m not bitter.

  When considering my position, I do not want to throw my rigs/ boats shadow down onto the fish if I can help it.  I want to be a FAR away as I can, provided I can still present my baits effectively (meaning reach the fish with the cast).  That said, I rarely like my baits landing & crashing right on the prime area or the spot on the spot.  Rather I prefer them to land some distance beyond that which will enable me to ‘work’ the bait to the fish, hopefully.   Steady wind makes wind current; which can be a factor depending on speed, direction, duration, and water depth.  There are times when the bass will only bite when a bait is come down current, meaning cast into the wind.  I’ve had times whereby simply re-positioning the boat so as to present baits for the opposite direction, I turned a “There’s no fish here spot” into a repeated camera & scale use day.  I like those.  

   I do something I call “Poach Prevention”.  Many lakes I fish have a fairly decent recreational boat population – pontoons, ski boats, and the dreaded jet ski.  And it’s all good, they have every right.  Most times I’m on & off the water well before they roll out of the rack but on the days when the bite may be extended, boat position can be key. This also works to an extent regarding other anglers, although you might not make many new friends doing it.   Clearly it’s Always Safety first, so I would never place my rig in any spot or position that would place me or anyone else in harm’s way, and I’m always in complete compliance with all local, state & federal rules & regulations – However, using my rig as a buffer between me & the spot / fish I’m on, can be pretty important.  And nowhere is this quite as obvious as when the pontoon parade gets on the lake in the summer right before sunset.  They all travel about the same distance from shore and go around and around and around the lake well into the night.   Unfortunately several of my best spots are right on their route.  And unless steps are taken, they will cruise ride up alongside my rig and want to have a nice talk and offer drinks and all kinds of generous propositions. I usually not interested.  And I love it when they go between me and the bank – especially when there’s like only 1 cast distance in there – OK I don’t love that.  So Poach Prevention is really a thing.

 So when deciding where & how to position my rig, I’m generally either getting the wind right off the bow or right off the stern.  Now that’s all well & good but if the structure I want to fish doesn’t offer an area that is 10 or 11 feet deep for me to Talon down into – I’m pretty much stuck doing the one-legged trolling motor dance the whole time – it’s a skill and until you can do it well – you might struggle but it’s something you’ll need to be able to do – unless you’ve got the $3K plus to drop on and Ultrex – but I’m not bitter. 

  Fish Hard

A-Jay

[LrgmouthShad]

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

Talking about boat position – IMO it is SUPER critical to learn why & how to use it to your advantage.  Every cast I make, every bait I throw, they’re level of effectiveness is predicated on where & how my rig is positioned on the structure I am fishing.  There’s no way around it – that’s just how it is.  These are the things I take into account when determining how & where to position my boat to fish anything.   The depth of water I’m planning to fish and the depth of water I need to be positioned in, water clarity, wind speed & direction, the position of the sun (where it is the sky as it relates to the structure and how high or low in the sky it is), The type of lure(s) I’m planning on using, as well as any boating traffic in the area including other anglers.  OK so let’s break all that down – one at a time. 

  First, if I have the choice, I prefer to fish from shallow to deep – every spot - all year round – just how I like to do it – because it works.  Also because going deep to shallow, although easier I guess, often positions the boat on or directly over the bass and I may end up casting into dead water. Instead, I’ve had much more success sneaking over to the shallow side so as not to burn the spot and casting off to the front/sides of the point.   I commonly will use one of three ways or methods to hold/ position my boat – first is the common anchor & rope – total PIA but once you know how to do it – it works.  Did it for years – still do in the canoe and will continue to do so.  Then there’s ‘holding’ on a spot with the trolling motor – I do not like to do that but will when I have to.  The new Ultrex with the spot-lock is sweeping the bass fishing world – I’m not ready to cash in the Fortrex just yet.  So my left foot will continue to get a workout until I am.   Then there are the shallow water anchors – for me, it’s the Talons – might be the best investment I ever made after the Lund itself – Love the Talons.  Super effective. 

Here a few more things to think about when fishing a point and even a drop off for that matter.  The first one is something I call “The Angle of the Dangle” ( I know – sounds silly)  And it has to do with the type of bait I’m presenting, the depth & angle of the structure I’m fishing, My boat position, and finally, rod angle & line.  Wow, that’s a lot of stuff.  OK so here it is;

 

  Imagine you are casting your ¾ oz football jig & craw off the end of the point from your rig that is positioned back on top in the shallow area.  You expect the bass to be positioned right at the bottom of the drop in front of you in 20 feet.   You plan on casting past them and then working the bait back to them and eventually up the ‘slope’ of the point or drop off. 

  Here’s where ‘the Angle of the Dangle’ comes into play.  If you’re too far back from the ‘strike zone’ – as you work your bait along and to the bottom of the drop, at some point your line is going to come into contact with the bottom at the top of the drop in front of you.  Might not help detect strikes, might fray the heck out of your line on a big hookset if its rock or zebra mussels, might jack up the way your bait is presented if there’s a thick weedline on top as well.  So none of that is very good at all. 

And if you’re positioned too close to the bottom of the drop and you’re not watching your rod angle, you could end up having your bait start to ‘come up’ well before it even reached the fish.  This can be especially prevalent with moving baits.  That’s not the best case scenario either.   So what’s a Basshead to do ?  You fix the angle of the dangle that’s what – reposition the boat so that whatever bait you’re presenting is running where & how you want & need it to.  This gives you the best opportunity to first elicit a strike, then hopefully be able to detect it and then hook & land that trophy.   SO yea – the “Angle of the Dangle” - it’s actually a thing after all.

 

So along with boat position is lure presentation.  I cannot effectively fish ANY BAIT with a strong crosswind – cannot do it – tried as I may – just hate it.  So I’m either casting straight downwind or into the wind – either way, I can feel my bait, there’s no big sag or bend in my line and most importantly, I catch fish. 

 So when deciding where & how to position my rig, I’m generally either getting the wind right off the bow or right off the stern.  Now that’s all well & good but if the structure I want to fish doesn’t offer an area that is 10 or 11 feet deep for me to Talon down into – I’m pretty much stuck doing the one-legged trolling motor dance the whole time – it’s a skill and until you can do it well – you might struggle but it’s something you’ll need to be able to do – unless you’ve got the $3K plus to drop on and Ultrex – but I’m not bitter.

  When considering my position, I do not want to throw my rigs/ boats shadow down onto the fish if I can help it.  I want to be a FAR away as I can, provided I can still present my baits effectively (meaning reach the fish with the cast).  That said, I rarely like my baits landing & crashing right on the prime area or the spot on the spot.  Rather I prefer them to land some distance beyond that which will enable me to ‘work’ the bait to the fish, hopefully.   Steady wind makes wind current; which can be a factor depending on speed, direction, duration, and water depth.  There are times when the bass will only bite when a bait is come down current, meaning cast into the wind.  I’ve had times whereby simply re-positioning the boat so as to present baits for the opposite direction, I turned a “There’s no fish here spot” into a repeated camera & scale use day.  I like those.  

   I do something I call “Poach Prevention”.  Many lakes I fish have a fairly decent recreational boat population – pontoons, ski boats, and the dreaded jet ski.  And it’s all good, they have every right.  Most times I’m on & off the water well before they roll out of the rack but on the days when the bite may be extended, boat position can be key. This also works to an extent regarding other anglers, although you might not make many new friends doing it.   Clearly it’s Always Safety first, so I would never place my rig in any spot or position that would place me or anyone else in harm’s way, and I’m always in complete compliance with all local, state & federal rules & regulations – However, using my rig as a buffer between me & the spot / fish I’m on, can be pretty important.  And nowhere is this quite as obvious as when the pontoon parade gets on the lake in the summer right before sunset.  They all travel about the same distance from shore and go around and around and around the lake well into the night.   Unfortunately several of my best spots are right on their route.  And unless steps are taken, they will cruise ride up alongside my rig and want to have a nice talk and offer drinks and all kinds of generous propositions. I usually not interested.  And I love it when they go between me and the bank – especially when there’s like only 1 cast distance in there – OK I don’t love that.  So Poach Prevention is really a thing.

 So when deciding where & how to position my rig, I’m generally either getting the wind right off the bow or right off the stern.  Now that’s all well & good but if the structure I want to fish doesn’t offer an area that is 10 or 11 feet deep for me to Talon down into – I’m pretty much stuck doing the one-legged trolling motor dance the whole time – it’s a skill and until you can do it well – you might struggle but it’s something you’ll need to be able to do – unless you’ve got the $3K plus to drop on and Ultrex – but I’m not bitter.

  When considering my position, I do not want to throw my rigs/ boats shadow down onto the fish if I can help it.  I want to be a FAR away as I can, provided I can still present my baits effectively (meaning reach the fish with the cast).  That said, I rarely like my baits landing & crashing right on the prime area or the spot on the spot.  Rather I prefer them to land some distance beyond that which will enable me to ‘work’ the bait to the fish, hopefully.   Steady wind makes wind current; which can be a factor depending on speed, direction, duration, and water depth.  There are times when the bass will only bite when a bait is come down current, meaning cast into the wind.  I’ve had times whereby simply re-positioning the boat so as to present baits for the opposite direction, I turned a “There’s no fish here spot” into a repeated camera & scale use day.  I like those.  

   I do something I call “Poach Prevention”.  Many lakes I fish have a fairly decent recreational boat population – pontoons, ski boats, and the dreaded jet ski.  And it’s all good, they have every right.  Most times I’m on & off the water well before they roll out of the rack but on the days when the bite may be extended, boat position can be key. This also works to an extent regarding other anglers, although you might not make many new friends doing it.   Clearly it’s Always Safety first, so I would never place my rig in any spot or position that would place me or anyone else in harm’s way, and I’m always in complete compliance with all local, state & federal rules & regulations – However, using my rig as a buffer between me & the spot / fish I’m on, can be pretty important.  And nowhere is this quite as obvious as when the pontoon parade gets on the lake in the summer right before sunset.  They all travel about the same distance from shore and go around and around and around the lake well into the night.   Unfortunately several of my best spots are right on their route.  And unless steps are taken, they will cruise ride up alongside my rig and want to have a nice talk and offer drinks and all kinds of generous propositions. I usually not interested.  And I love it when they go between me and the bank – especially when there’s like only 1 cast distance in there – OK I don’t love that.  So Poach Prevention is really a thing.

  Fish Hard

A-Jay

Yeah, that

[Catt]

Multiple angles at the same target

[A-Jay]

19 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Yeah, that

And this too ~

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2562970

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2701982

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2722900

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2849174

 

Might be a long winter.

A-Jay

[LrgmouthShad]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

And this too ~

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2562970

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2701982

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2722900

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2849174

 

Might be a long winter.

A-Jay

Come south, the weather is fine

 

You don’t have to shovel snow if you aren’t there 

[WRB]

Boat positioning is how to retrieve the lures path to get the bass to strike it and that depends on where the bass is located.

During my lifetime determining bass location was and is more trail and error. I can’t look at a lake and know where the bass are located, but I can eliminate a lot of water where the bass are not located. This is how reading lake maps and suggesting to members fishing lakes I never fished before areas that are higher % locations based on structure elements. What I can’t see on a structure elevation contour map is aquatic plant growth, that requires over head satellite study.

What does structure and cover have to do with boat positioning....everything.

LMB like to position themselves to ambush prey within their strike window, in front, above and to both sides. Bass can’t see behind them or underneath them without moving or turning. Ideally you want your lure to come into view within the sight window and without alarming them. A lure coming from behind or underneath them often alarms or spooks them. Above, in front or to one side or the other doesn't Spook the bass.

When fishing long major points 90% of bass boats approach from deeper water towards the shoreline. Bass get conditioned to boats approaching and simply swim away from shallower locations out to deeper water under and passed the boat and suspend until the boat leaves. 

If you approach the point into any wind close to the shore line and cast to the shore base of the point the bass isn’t alerted  lure is within their strike window. 

I like to:work points the base wider areas and fan cast  the point ridge retrieving from shallower to deeper water parallel to the points sides working all the way out to deeper water than fishing the opposite or down wind side all the back to the point base. Sometime with big top water and swimbaits I will cast to the other point side and retrieve up and over the ridge, especially casting into the wind from the opposite side.    

I like to approach and fish aquatic plant cover edges using the boat position, inside weed lines then outside weed line.

Boat control needs to quite and not getting on top of the bass before you have casted and fished the area.

Tom

 

[thediscochef]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

all kinds of generous propositions. I usually not interested.

 

I'm curious about the times when you are interested

 

This is one of those things that gives me pause about having a boat. It's just so much extra time, effort, and thought while still doing all the same stuff you do on the bank. I'm not sure my brain has enough wrinkles for that lol.

Furthermore the time commitments when you aren't on the water are times that I could be fishing 

[A-Jay]

9 hours ago, thediscochef said:

 

I'm curious about the times when you are interested

 

This is one of those things that gives me pause about having a boat. It's just so much extra time, effort, and thought while still doing all the same stuff you do on the bank. I'm not sure my brain has enough wrinkles for that lol.

Furthermore the time commitments when you aren't on the water are times that I could be fishing 

 

LOL ~ 

Well, first off, 'interested' rarely involves any type of physical gratuity

but instead could be more about 'the view'.

Every once in a while, it's pretty good. 

#ohmy

😉

As for boat ownership.

Doesn't have to be for everyone.

Bass fishing is such an individual deal, we do it how ever we like.

And you're right about how much it can add to the experience,

in both effort & rewards.

Either way, you certainly seem to do quite well. 

Personally, floating around is in my DNA.

So there's more to it than 'just fishing' for me.

May be what makes me a little grumpy for Nov thru Apr now.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[Jig Man]

Boat positioning is the most important aspect of fishing for me.  Fishing into the wind makes boat control easier.  Once you get the boat where you want it keep it there with the trolling motor.  A good mapping card in a front sonar is a must.

[thediscochef]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

LOL ~ 

Well, first off, 'interested' rarely involves any type of physical gratuity

but instead could be more about 'the view'.

Every once in a while, it's pretty good. 

#ohmy

😉

As for boat ownership.

Doesn't have to be for everyone.

Bass fishing is such an individual deal, we do it how ever we like.

And you're right about how much it can add to the experience,

in both effort & rewards.

Either way, you certainly seem to do quite well. 

Personally, floating around is in my DNA.

So there's more to it than 'just fishing' for me.

May be what makes me a little grumpy for Nov thru Apr now.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

I personally take that as a compliment from the resident trophy Brown Bass catcher 

 

There are some great views to be had on the water if one is lucky and timely 😇

[scaleface]

I routinely get in position then the wind shifts  .

[Susky River Rat]

Boat control is very important. If there is an area I want to hit I like to ease into it. I will start and cast to 2 cast lengths away from where my “goal” to end up is. I tend to do a very  methodical  break down of an area. I used to run in blow it up and be on my way. 

[Catt]

Boat positioning is determined in the moment.

 

With so many variables attached to this subject I would have to spend hours writing trying to cover all of them.

 

Only one I know that holds true; Multiple angles at the same target.

[BigAngus752]

This is going to sound humorous, but it's also totally true.  My top boat position for catching the highest number of bass is, "Blowing into the rocks" position.  Love those 15-20mph winds.  I even have my lake choices categorized by wind direction.