Spin fishing is usually considered to be searching. But especially the
beginner often doesn't know what that really means and if he doesn't have the
chance to watch a seasoned spin fisherman he will probably be much to slow. It
has to be said, that searching is not always the right method, but it is
essential to know, what it really means. So basically, when you're searching you
try to cover as much water as you can in the shortest possible time hoping to
encounter a fish in aggressive or feeding mood. To do this efficiently you
should follow some rules:
No lure changing!
Changing lures all the time losses you a lot of time, especially because
then you tend to cast to the same place again with your new lure and maybe
even with a third, etc. Don't do it! You should stick to a few proven lures
an change them on the way from one place to another, if there has been no
action for a while. The idea that all you have to do is to find that magic
lure to catch fish is wrong! If you got a reasonable lure rigged and there
is no reaction of a fish to be noticed, there simply isn't an aggressive or
hungry fish nearby and that means: time to move on.
No fan casting!
Contrarily to what you might read in a lot of books, casting fan patterns
from a standing point is a rather inefficient way of searching. The paths
the lure describes in the water all run together in one point (you) while
they are quite far apart where the lure enters the water. That means you are
covering the distant regions badly, while covering the area around you much
to dense. On uniform waters, such as canals it can be sensible to evenly
cover the water, but even then you will be better off by doing a few steps
between each cast in a right angle to the bank and once in a while adding a
cast parallel to the shoreline. On most waters you will be much better off
aiming at potential holding places while skipping the monotonous parts altogether.
Don't get stuck!
If a fish follows your lure, maybe even touches it or you see a giveaway
swirl in the water it is very inviting to try to get that fish to take the
hook. And certainly it is worth a few tries; change your presentation, the
lure or just do few more casts but know when to stop: more than 10 casts or
2 changes of lure seldom make sense. It is a much better idea to try again
on your way back with a lure/a presentation which has meanwhile been proven
effective.
A fish is rarely alone!
If you have caught a fish or even after a follow or a foul bite you should
fish the surrounding more closely than usual, because usually there is a
reason for the fish being just there ( food, hiding place, oxygen,
temperature) and probably it wasn't the only one to notice. Even fish which
are not normally considered swarm fish, i.e. pike and trout, can hold quite
close together. But don't forget the above rules: if you have no further
success after a few casts, move on!
