Mexico’s First Cast Advantage

There are times at Lake El Salto when the fish are so thick and so hungry on a given spot that you can take your time casting to them and you can experience success with any casting angle. On one May trip, Hanna and I caught 56 crankbait bass between 2 and 4 pounds in about two hours from an area little bigger than a bass boat. Then we left to look for bigger ones, nabbed a few similarly-sized fish, and came back to the sweet spot to finish out our 100 for the afternoon.

It’s not always that easy. Many times you have to hunt and peck to get things done.

Our last trip was like that. People would come back to the dinner table reporting, “We caught one on our first cast on every spot, and then things often dried up.”

Indeed, I’m convinced that the lake is so fertile that you can pull up on any seasonally-appropriate and condition-specific point or ridge or hump and you’re more than likely to get at least one bite. The challenge is finding the bigger concentrations.

There’s nothing that says that the one bite you get won’t be a giant, though. Those bigger fish tend to be loners.

That’s why it’s so critical not to waste time when you arrive at a new spot. You want to make the first cast, with the right lure, at the right angle, to maximize your chances. I’m not telling you to push your fishing partner backwards as you ascend to the front deck. I’m not telling you to sacrifice proper form or knots to get your lure in the strike zone. What I am advising is to get to the front quickly and to make that first cast count.

In the words of legendary basketball coach John Wooden, the key is to “Be quick but don’t hurry.”

There are several simple steps you can do to maximize this effort:

• Before you depart a spot, or as you make your way to the next one, ask your guide which lures you’ll be using.

• If you don’t already have the proper lures tied on, retrieve them from your tackle bag and tie up on the way.

• Keep your rods separated during the boat ride so that you can quickly pick up the one you need.

• Upon arrival, ask your guide the proper angle for the perfect cast. It’s not always the obvious one.

I’m always shocked to arrive somewhere and to see my partner dicking around with their phone or their tackle or working to untangle their rods. Meanwhile, I leisurely hop up front and start casting. I don’t mind their dilly-dallying, but when everyone is commenting on the first cast advantage, it seems remarkably self-defeating.