Casting to Waypoints

[GoneFishingLTN]

I’m marking the way point and stoping about 40 feet away from the way point. I have the bow arrow lined up to the waypoint make my cast and it feels like I’m off the target instantly while I still didn’t hit the way point on that initial cast

notes my point one is right in front of the console so half of the length of the boat I think I account for that 8 foot difference as much as I can I don’t know what my normal cast length is though so maybe 48 foot is to much but then again I don’t hit it when I’m 30 foot away 

I have a tracker v-18 and get pushed by the wind quiet a bit 

I can’t think of any other factors or notes I should add besides I should have the back unit making way points at the item since I’m using a touch screen carbon.  

[Tennessee Boy]

Keep in mind the accuracy limits of your GPS.   It could easily be off by 10 feet when you set the waypoint and when you return to the waypoint.   Most of the time it should be within 5 feet.  I would suggest you assume that what you’re trying to hit is in a 10 ft diameter area and just keep casting till you find it.  What I do these days is cheat and use 360 imaging to find my target once I get close with the GPS.

[NHBull]

Try going over your way point then going over it again perpendicular to it. Both marks are not likely to be perfect.  Move off the poimt and think of them as an area to throw  to.  Remember your speed is also going to effect the marks.

 

It does get easier?

 

[TOXIC]

I never have just 1 waypoint on any spot and I never waypoint the actual spot or structure.  If for example I am way pointing a wreck on St Clair, I will have waypoints a cast out from the beginning of the wreck, the middle of the wreck and the end of the wreck.  This gives me the basic orientation of what I am fishing and with sidescan I can actually see the wreck from my waypoints. It also allows me to motor up to the actual waypoint.  

[gim]

In certain situations, primarily when I'm targeting smallmouth on bigger water, when I catch a fish I immediately mark it with a waypoint.  I have found that these smallmouth gravitate to the same location year after year during specific times of the year.

 

When I go back later that season or again the following year, I keep my distance and cast to many of my previous waypoints where I caught fish.  A lot of these spots are big isolated boulders or patches of boulders that attract brown bass.  The water is clear and they can get spooked out of there so I make long casts before I get to them.

[TOXIC]

19 minutes ago, gimruis said:

In certain situations, primarily when I'm targeting smallmouth on bigger water, when I catch a fish I immediately mark it with a waypoint.  I have found that these smallmouth gravitate to the same location year after year during specific times of the year.

 

When I go back later that season or again the following year, I keep my distance and cast to many of my previous waypoints where I caught fish.  A lot of these spots are big isolated boulders or patches of boulders that attract brown bass.  The water is clear and they can get spooked out of there so I make long casts before I get to them.

Exactly….I forgot about drifting or dragging.  If we catch fish while drifting or dragging baits, we will hit waypoints all down the drift when we catch fish.  Makes it easier to run back to the start of your drift and repeat it.  

[GaryH]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

In certain situations, primarily when I'm targeting smallmouth on bigger water, when I catch a fish I immediately mark it with a waypoint.  I have found that these smallmouth gravitate to the same location year after year during specific times of the year.

 

When I go back later that season or again the following year, I keep my distance and cast to many of my previous waypoints where I caught fish.  A lot of these spots are big isolated boulders or patches of boulders that attract brown bass.  The water is clear and they can get spooked out of there so I make long casts before I get to them.

Dang sounds like we’re fishing in the same boat. 

[Ratherbfishing]

I'm not sure this addresses the question/concern but assuming the waypoint isn't in shallow water where you'll scare the fish, first thing you should do is stealthily toss a marker buoy (sp?) as close as you can to the waypoint as you can.  It's a heck of a lot easier to cast to (or beyond) an orange or yellow marker than it is to try constantly watch a little screen and cast to it-especially in windy conditions.  And get some kind of a long "grabber" for retrieving the buoy's when you are through.  I've nearly fallen in several times when trying to reach down over the side of the boat.  Oh, and don't forget and motor off without the buoy.  I've lost one or two thataway.

[evo2s197]

My question is, do you have a heading sensor that's above or as near as can be to your transducer or just relying on the GPS built into your head unit?

 

If you don't have a networked heading sensor (such as a point 1 for lowrance products) what you see on your graph and what you mark as a waypoint is based off your graph location on the boat not the transducers location.

 

For example if you have a 50 foot boat and the graph is at the center of the boat while the transducer is at the stern, then without a heading sensor set at the gps location, your waypoint is gonna be off by 25 feet at best.

 

Also without a heading sensor installed, if you mark a waypoint only using your graph, you have to circle back and approach the waypoint at the same angle and direction to come close and even then your nearly on top of the marked waypoint by then.

[gim]

15 hours ago, Ratherbfishing said:

first thing you should do is stealthily toss a marker buoy (sp?) as close as you can to the waypoint as you can

The problem with a visual marker is that everyone else can see it. The last time I pitched one of those things out walleye fishing there was 10 boats nearby within 30 minutes. Then someone else came along and picked it up.

[GaryH]

3 hours ago, gimruis said:

The problem with a visual marker is that everyone else can see it. The last time I pitched one of those things out walleye fishing there was 10 boats nearby within 30 minutes. Then someone else came along and picked it up.

Those dang Minnesodians…???