Boat Positioning for SRC

[MarshRat]

Curious to hear from those chasing beach-oriented SRC from boats. Is the spot-lock trolling motor the only practical way to effectively position a boat for these fish? Are you ever able to just drift at an appropriate pace/distance to cast? Do you ever anchor/stake out at a point or creek mouth? Or is a boat without a spot lock trolling motor just wasting its time?

 

[adamcu280]

I anchor in my rowboat and fish for SRC all the time. Gotta take current and wind into account before dropping anchor but I've caught many fish from anchor. Once I've covered the water I can cover I'll pull anchor (or let out more rode) and reset somewhere down the line.

I've rarely had success just drifting and fishing because the drift is rarely what I want it to be.

 

[ffb]

No, Yes/sometimes, Yes, No.

I fished a few years without spot lock. Totally doable. Position boat off shore and drift with the current, bump motor in and out of gear to hold the position you want. This is very current dependent though. @Nick Clayton had many laughs sitting on spot lock while I drifted past spinning in circles in heavy current.

I would sometimes anchor up if it was a spot I knew well. Fish a bit, lift anchor and drift 50ft down current, anchor again.

If it's a new to me beach I will sometimes drift with the current and make some exploratory casts still, before deploying the trolling motor if I'm just trying to cover a lot of water.

When you pick your new boat at least make sure it can accommodate the trolling motor if/when you decide to add it.

 

[Scudley Do Right]

People were catching them long before spot lock was a thing. Drift, anchor or kicker I do any of these.

 

[MarshRat]

I’ll add another question to the thread then, favorite anchor style for this sort of fishing? Assuming 16-18’ boat, mixed rock bottom. Fluke/danforth?

 

[jasmillo]

100% doable. Anchoring. Using the main to control drift. As has already been mentioned, how effective those methods are depends on wind, tides, etc.

That said, for me a bow mounted troller was a true game changer. It really does make all the things you can do with your anchor, the main, etc. way easier and effective and the ability to set a course and slowly work a shoreline in any direction is not something that is easily done without one.

 

[albula]

Since I am usually in less than 5-6 ft of water I have my skiff set up with a PowerPole so I don't have to deal with lines and setting an anchor. If I want to maintain position it's pretty easy to push a button on the remote.

 

[adamcu280]

I’ll add another question to the thread then, favorite anchor style for this sort of fishing? Assuming 16-18’ boat, mixed rock bottom. Fluke/danforth?

I just use a little 3lb grapple anchor and about 2m of chain plus line for my little rowboat. I've fished with a buddy in a 17' aluminum CC and he uses a ~15lb lead pyramid anchor a la drift boat rig. Rig up something that's easy to deploy/recover a lot and don't worry about maximum hold and "by the book scope" and all that. This is your fishing spot anchor, not your overnight anchor. You're just plunking down for one spot for a little while then likely moving again.

I'd love a bow mount motor someday but that'll have to wait until the next boat.

 

[Scudley Do Right]

I second the lead pyramid. You don't want to keep messing with chain.

 

[Sam Roffe]

No, Yes/sometimes, Yes, No.

What he said, and...

It depends. I do not have a way to hold position with my boat. So I either anchor up, or will drift with the current or wind.

On one point I like to fish, there is a cool tide rip that comes off the point and pulls the fly into deeper water. I'll anchor up and let the current pull my fly into that. Gotten some good cutts and a few coho.

So it depends on conditions and the beach your fishing off of. I would say there is no right way. What ever works best for the beach and conditions. And that changes all the time.

 

[SeaRunner]

Anchor the vast majority of the time.

 

[skyriver]

I haven't done it for years, but I had a couple beaches I really enjoyed where I could float the boat about 60-70' off the beach and just ride the tide. I would use my transom mount trolling motor to correct if need be, but there are times when you can float a LONG ways without much correction. The wind has something to say about it.

That was always the most enjoyable. There are also some fairly shallow areas where you can just float around willy-nilly and catch fish. The trolling motor is always your friend though.

I personally hate anchoring up for SRC. Seems like a waste of time and effort to me. It can mean more breaks...which I'm notorious for not taking. I'm trying to get better at slowing down and not sweat it if I don't fish for 10 or 15 or...oh God 30 minutes. Ok, maybe 10.
Weekend warrior syndrome I think. Can't wait until THAT's over.

 

[skyriver]

This video seems appropriate. Josh doesn't need no stinkin trolling motor. He can also stand on the gunwale and not fall in.



Go Zags!

 

[Smalma]

On the days that there is a breeze I find that deploying a drift/wind sox can be useful.

 

[Wadin' Boot]

I will anchor up in the kayak, and use the anchor trolley to orient to wind and current for the safest easiest cast angle. Over time I have found it is a lot more enjoyable, once I know where the fish are, to beach and then fish from shore. Casting from a kayak vs from shore- the latter is a lot safer and easier

 

[Mossback]

@Stonedfish says ''what it is this 'boat' you speak of ''...

 

[Theoutdoorsman]

I treat sound like a river when hunting SRC. This means you work the shoreline on a drift or if drift not perfect and most time it isn’t you do some back trolling off main or kicker. Which means you hitting reverse some w your nose point downriver (with the tide). You then cast from bow. Working water like ya would a drift boat on some blue ribbon river. So basically a two man deal to do it right cauce one needs to manning boat (motor) w little reverse hits here and there and watching for rocks as depth can change on ya before ya know it. But this the most effective cause you cover lots of water. Staying on one spot can be effective but either there or not and they cruise shoreline some but I find most hold in general area kind of thing. Also helps I got a center console w a deck to sling.

 

[Run-n-Gun]

Cool video. I have often thought to try to drift with the tide in my pontoon boat, casting and kicking while drifting to a takeout. Put in with a buddy, spot a rig at a take out, like floating a river. Have never seen it yet. I have a couple ideas where to do this, since the tide only flows a direction for 6 hrs. and of course you would not want get caught in a storm. I think you could at least drift/cover a mile or more of beach during the 6hr tide, avoiding private property and not have to deal with a boat and all the work that comes with it. Strategic access points would be crucial. May be more safety concerns than worth the effort, but could really be productive.

 

[Stonedfish]

Cool video. I have often thought to try to drift with the tide in my pontoon boat, casting and kicking while drifting to a takeout. Put in with a buddy, spot a rig at a take out, like floating a river. Have never seen it yet. I have a couple ideas where to do this, since the tide only flows a direction for 6 hrs. and of course you would not want get caught in a storm. I think you could at least drift/cover a mile or more of beach during the 6hr tide, avoiding private property and not have to deal with a boat and all the work that comes with it. Strategic access points would be crucial. May be more safety concerns than worth the effort, but could really be productive.

I can think of a few places this is possible, but sometimes the tides don’t move in the direction you’d think they would. With all the points on the sound, you can get some really odd back eddy movement. You might find yourself going the opposite direction of your intended takeout spot.
SF

 

[Wadin' Boot]

I have often thought to try to drift with the tide in my pontoon boat, casting and kicking while drifting to a takeout. Put in with a buddy, spot a rig at a take out, like floating a river. Have never seen it yet. I have a couple ideas where to do this, since the tide only flows a direction for 6 hrs. and of course you would not want get caught in a storm. I think you could at least drift/cover a mile or more of beach during the 6hr tide, avoiding private property and not have to deal with a boat and all the work that comes with it. Strategic access points would be crucial. May be more safety concerns than worth the effort, but could really be productive.

On Colvos Passage the tides mainly go North- low/high, doesn't matter. And then during various stages of the tide you can get big back eddies that go the opposite way in ways that are tricky to predict. Those multi-direction shifts per tide are fish magnets. They also make paddling or kicking through it more work.