Casting Report - 7/11/10

[wakina]

Thanks Wakina, one more silly question. Does that type of retrieve have an advantage over a straight in retrieve on the drift line of the boat?

When I was able to drift and cast (I can still drift but casting tears up my previously broken shoulder) the swing always seem to catch more fish than a straight retrieve, I think the swing keeps the bait in the strike zone longer and the movement of the lure may be more realistic to the fish.

[BILLY JOE]

just wanted to add I like keeping the slack out of the line also at the start of the swing so you can feel any hits when lure is dropping

[PZeiler]

Glad to see some of you replying to my post. I know most of the posters on this site discuss trolling but I usually cast when I walleye fish. I have all the gear to troll, but I haven't trolled in 4 years. I enjoy the feel of the bite, the weight and fight on the lighter rod and the frustration trying to figure out why the worm is missing on my lure sometimes when I get it back into the boat. I have been fishing for walleye on Erie since 1966 (I'm currently 56). I have experienced the years of 10 fish/day limits and have personally caught and released more the 100 walleye in a day twice (once jigging and once casting)in my life - and yes - my arm was tired at the end of the day. I started making Lake Erie Hellions when I was 10 years old. (Anyone remember them?) I make all of my harnesses and I am always experimenting. I will still use weight forwards and from time to time I will even throw a golden nugget.

Everything Wakina says is true. (Well said Wakina). I would also add that I find that the speed that you are retrieving a "weapon" makes a big difference. You must take into consideration how fast your boat is drifting as well when you think about your retrieval speed. On windy days, I actually will reel and then stop reeling allowing the drift of the boat to create the blade action.

In regard to fishing the swing, I find that you will get the most hits as the lure is transitioning from the "sideways" track to where the lure falls in-line with the drift of the boat.This is because the lure tends to speed up as it becomes more in-line with the boat.

My latest reports are telling me that anywhere from the area I was fishing in my original post over to about a mile NW of A Can have been producing. I had a buddy who caught 34 keepers casting on Tuesday morning in this general area.

I'm now heading off to Lake Ontario for a few days of salmon fishing in Point Breeze, New York.

Good Luck to all of you on Lake Erie.

[Hoytman86]

So many fisherman, so many different styles. I've never intentionally "fished the swing". I'm sure the boat was contributing to my cast, drag, reel up slack, repeat fishing motion while casting, but it's amazing to me that so many fisherman conquer this fishery with so many different styles. I like trolling, I like catching more fish faster due to covering more water and having 2 rods in the water per person, but there's no denying there's nothing like feeling that strike on a medium-light rod and fighting that fish to the boat. Hell, even when I went on a trolling trip in April, the captain (who I'll not name) was adamant that he preferred trolling got really pumped when a fish hit the crank while he was setting it out.

Good luck on Ontario. Be safe and tight lines. I'm heading up to Erie in 10 hours and I can't wait!

[StarViper11]

Thanks Wakina, one more silly question. Does that type of retrieve have an advantage over a straight in retrieve on the drift line of the boat?

Including what everyone has already said, the swing allows you to cover more area allowing more fish a chance at your bait.

[Zwis]

The swing has been recognized as the best technique when counting down. From the splash count to the bottom drag, the swing is efficient. Consider this question, why do charter captains position the best "stick" on the bow? Longer casts, extended time in the strike zone, greater cast directions and better hook sets are in play. The swing was the topic of an In-Fisherman article back in the 80's. Hope this helps.

[wakina]

There is one other trick that works while fishing the swing. Instead of just cranking the lure back slowly, you would count it down as usual and as mentioned trying to keep the slack out of the line as much as possible so you can feel any bites while the lure is falling. Next just reel in the slack until about tight then with the rod tip level or just lower than level toward the water slowly sweep your rod in the direction the lure is traveling and you can feel the wt of the lure and the thump of the blade spinning. If anything changes in that feel set the hook. Then once again take up the slack, reeling your rod back toward the lure, then sweep your rod slowly again and repeat until the lure is boatside. Cast and repeat. You can use this cast and sweep method any where on the boat, believe me it really does work.

Example~~ Cast out the corner of the boat on the windward side, count the lure down and then sweep the rod toward the bow. The object of this is to sweep slowly just so you can feel the wt. of the lure and the thump of the blade, if that feel stops then something has stopped it(fish on). Then reel the rod back until the rod tip is pointed at the lure then sweep again. While you are reeling back to the lure the lure is also falling again staying in the strike zone longer. Once again the sweep must be slow!

[Drifter]

I would like to hear more fisherman chime in on the longer cast being a good thing when working the swing. I am a long caster, but have seen and had success shortening the cast as the sweep of the swing is magnified with a shorter / medium swing.

Anyone else have an opinion or want to share experience.

[gill]

I agree with wakina about the drag and reel retrieve. Have been using it for years and it does put fish in the boat.
Heading out tomorrow for the first trip since June.

[EYE TAMER]

I would like to hear more fisherman chime in on the longer cast being a good thing when working the swing. I am a long caster, but have seen and had success shortening the cast as the sweep of the swing is magnified with a shorter / medium swing.

Anyone else have an opinion or want to share experience.

When I take my wife casting when we are not trolling, she is lucky if she can cast the harness out the back of the boat 30 feet. She counts to 8 and reels very slowly even stopping at times. Funny thing is that she almost always catches the most walleye every time we cast. I tell her she is just lucky. Hope she doesn't read this. She may be on to something. I cast as far as I can on the swing and catch my share of fish but she just always out fishes us.