Title photo - Author with a 12.01 lb. Lake Pyramid northern-strain largemouth bass back-deck swimbait
catch.
Back Deck Tip: The Reverse Angle
Have you ever been on the back deck, frustrated with boat position and
casting opportunities? Remember, the fish do not know which way the boat is
going.
“Life is not always a
matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well,” – Jack
London. London's
quote about life also provides an excellent mindset for anglers fishing from
the back deck. Often,
on the boat's back deck, the challenge is to fish the circumstances you're
confronted with, not the situation you select. This condition is intensified in non-shared-weight draw bass tournaments.
Reverse Angle Illustration by DSF
Imagine a front-deck angler controlling the boat and fishing a spinnerbait pattern. As the front-deck angler maneuvers the boat, their targets will likely be obvious. Let's
say they are working a stretch of the bank
from left to right (see illustration above). Imagine those same targets coming down the same bank from the
opposite direction, right to the left.
With excellent casts
and a relatively 'snag-proof' lure such as a frog, spinnerbait, or topwater
plug… those targets going the other way are there for the back-deck angler to
exploit. There will be prime predator fish ambush angles that can only be targeted effectively from the Reverse Angle.
At each spot, there will be a moment when the back deck
angler has the best position for the reverse-angle cast. Based on microtopography and cover elements, the Reverse Angle can
produce strikes that the forward presentation can't effectively target. That's the reverse
angle, and that is why the fish do not know which way the boat is going.
The author and
some of his best catches have occurred while fishing on the back deck.
Casting
Angles: Setting Up the Retrieve Line
Regardless of which area of the boat an angler is casting from,
you should consider where ambush zones are and how the line of the retrieve can
maximize the amount of time your presentation remains in a potential predator
kill zone. The longer you can keep your retrieve in the strike zone, the higher
your odds are for convincing a bass to commit to your deception.
Time spent in the ambush zone is critical when techniques
require your lure to remain in motion. If the bass are staging on cover
elements, such as submerged brush at a particular depth, your goal is to create
a retrieve line that contacts as many bushes as possible along that contour
depth. A cast that crosses perpendicular to an optimum retrieve line is going
to be in the strike zone briefly, greatly diminishing the opportunity to fool
your quarry.
On bodies of water with high angling pressure or during a stingy
bite, this dynamic becomes even more critical. Beck deck anglers who
understand this tactic will have better odds of identifying and capitalizing on
opportunities, especially when prospects are limited. That is the magic of the
reverse angle, and why back-deck anglers should understand that the fish don't
know which way the boat is going.
Remain positive,
learn what works, look for more, envision success, and keep casting.
