Basic Boater Questions

[RobbyZ5001]

1. Do tournament anglers and professionals use anchors!?

2. Do they use lure retrievers?

3. What does it mean to take different angles?

I dont know why but I have been pondering about these three questions for quite awhile now! It seems like tournament boaters use their trolling moters as anchors. I have read a few books and many articles and I have seen angles come up a lot. I don't understand what they mean. I know that if there was a log laying in the water you would take different angles with topwaters and so on. I'm sure these will have simple answers I just need to get these simple questions off my chest and get them answered! Thank you!  

[Matt Fly]

I can only remember footage of seeing one Pro anchoring.    I do know in the lesser tourneys, I see guys anchoring or tieing up alot.

I have always preached a motto of "Time is money and money is Time during a tourney".   I, 99% of the time, break a crank off no matter what the cost, and you can bet I have alot more, cause it don't get tied on unless I got spares.    So on the lines of a pro, time is money, and they have alot of reserve tackle,  so again, I have never seen a pro go after a lure with a retriever.    

I have seen a pro or two go after a favorite that was tied on, not with a lure retriever.      I do own one, but seldom take time to use it.     I loose more money on cranks than any other tackle.

As for angles.    I will give you one angle to this question.

When you approach a dock or laydown tree.     Disect that tree at different angles or approach it from the back tossing out to the furthest point working your was towards the back.

Move out to one side and try those angles, back middle and furthiest point out.    

Move out to the front and pitch back the the trunk and work your way out.

Move out to the other side and work it the same.

Remember, there maybe twenty nice looking areas to pitch/flip to, and hitting them at all angles sometimes produces a hawg.     I have seen guys ahead of me make 10 casts and move on. where as I made 35, I got the big girl because of persistence and hitting the angles.    

As for a dock, lots of guys simply hit what they can from the front approach and move on.     When most boat docks have walk ways and lots of stuff located from the shore to the boat house that offers shade and habitat for smaller baitfish.

Work the shallow back sides of docks specially in winter were the water warms due to soft sand asorbing some heat.    I have found good patterns on the dock walk-ways from shore to the dock, I like the pilings to pitch and flip at.    So learn to take angles that don't get hit alot.

Learn to skip a tube under skinny docks.    Its a practive that isn't used as much as it should.   Thats an angle that can produce because of casting where most can't go.

[RobbyZ5001]

I just remembered the FLW magazine I have has David Dudley in the water holding a burlap bag with his crankbait on it. I just thought of that and how it relates it is just funny.

[Catt]

The only Pro I know of that anchors is Larry Nixon  

Tournament or not I always use my anchor  8-)

[frogtog]

I never leave home without my anchor. If you are on fish and the wind is blowing the anchor comes in handy.

[5bass]

I never leave home without my anchor. If you are on fish and the wind is blowing the anchor comes in handy.

What he said.

[fishfordollars]

I use an anchor to also help slow a drift across an area in high wind. I prefer it over a sock. Just use enough rope to keep it from bouncing. Angles are very important but Matt seemed to cover it well.

[Tin]

1. If you have to yes, but trolling motor is the best. Time is crucial in a tournament, I personally would rather use my trolling motor if it can do what I need it to do.

2. Once again dont waste time, just snap it unless it is the last one and it is working. And it retrieving a lure you will spook out the spot you are trying to fish and so it will trash your spot for a little while.

3. As I take it, dont just cast to a dock or laydown from straight-on, if their is a fish there, give him a lot of different looks and presentations.

Like I said about time, dont waste it, you could be making casts and possibly catching fish.