Ok, this might be a really stupid question...

But if you're cast and reel fishing, with a Rapala, spinner, spoon, or any other such lure you like to cast and reel - and you're near a shoreline (on a boat or even standing on shore) - is there any general wisdom, or even personal anecdotal wisdom, about casting:

a) Toward shore and reeling back away from shore (from shallow to deep).

b) Parallel to shore

c) Away from shore and back toward shore (from deep to shallow, like you pretty much have to do if fishing from shore).

When I'm working a lake/shoreline like this, I'm usually just spraying in all directions, and was wondering if it might be smarter to lean toward one method or the other.

Not sure if one is universally better than the other but I do try to be aware of how I'm working it so that I can start repeating once I start hooking up.

All of the above. Whatever works and wherever you can cast a lure. What works better in one spot won't work in another due the the type of bottom structure, weeds, etc.

I do find it funny on walleye opener here in the Iowa Great Lakes, that shore/wader fishermen cast out from shore, and boats seem to get as close as they can and cast towards shore. I have even had a few of my casts land on the deck of a boat that got way to close.

Great question, this is what I’ve found true and my thoughts on why. It really depends on how fast the transition from shore to deep water is.

On Clearwater lake you can have your bow touching the shore and the stern will be in 18’ of water. When in these situations you want to try to fish with the shoreline left and right, then move to a new area. This is because fish like Smallmouth don’t like chasing food from the safety of the shallows to the scary deep. They much more like to stay in the same depth to feed. When fishing from the deep to shallows your bait will be in the target zone for a short amount of time for the fish to decide to strike. Then as your bait gets deeper they will not chase it anymore even though you think there is plenty of lake left. When fishing parallel to the shore your bait will be in the target zone for a long time. Don’t cast as far as you can on the first cast because if you catch a fish a long ways out you will spook all the fish that are near you. Start closer to you and go out parallel to the shore further each time until you are at your casting limit.

Second type of water is a sunken island or shallow point that hold bass or pike. I will anchor right in the center of that island and cast out into deeper water. This way the fish will chase your bait to the safety of shallow water. This is because baitfish will act this way. Bait fish will not be hanging out in 30’ of water. Baitfish will be in the shallows. So if you are trying to reel your lure from shallow to deep water this is not what baitfish do.

If the transition from shore to deep is gradual then it really doesn’t matter. what matters is what’s underwater.

I agree with much of what Savage said. In general I treat shorelines and weedlines similarly. If the fish are holding right on the weed edge or at a particular depth on a shoreline I will cast parallel so as to keep my lure in the strike zone as much as possible. There are occasions when the fish want the lure coming over a breakline or from over the weeds to open water. In those cases I cast perpendicular or nearly so. I rarely cast away from shore when in a boat but will if I think the fish are suspended in open water. If I'm working a shoreline that is normally productive and getting little action I will cast away from shore, toward open water, to see if fish are suspended. This tactic works more often with LMB and muskies but I've caught walleye and pike that way also.

I would add that it also depends on if you are fishing solo or with someone. I do the vast majority of my fishing solo so I position the boat so my own efficiency is maximized. When you have a boat partner you have to give them casting room too.

If I'm near shore I'm mainly throwing somewhat parallel. Trying to keep my lure in a target depth depending on what I'm throwing. Buzzbait? As close to the shore as possible...whole length right along the bank or weeds. Med running crank? Maybe 10 yards or whatever from shore to get it in the right zone. Something deep? Farther out and so on. But rarely in a boat am I casting like I would from shore

treehorn: "... was wondering if it might be smarter to lean toward one method or the other."

The simple answer to that question is "No".

There are too many other factors to consider before throwing that lure. Water depth, distance to shore, hazards (tree limbs, weeds, rock, etc.), previous cast, canoe partners line location, target species, cover, lure and on and on.

Don't overthink your question too much, but remember.... "more fish are caught when your bait is in the water". Keep fishing!

For me, it depends on a couple factors. What time of year is it? What fish are you targeting? Is it a straight shoreline , a bay, little cove, or a point? What does the bottom look like?

You want to fish near structure and where you think the fish are going to be. Sometimes that's deeper, sometimes that's shallower. Even when the fish are shallow though, they can swim over deeper water or hang out there. Always cast where you think the fish should be, but once in a while you should also mix it up and cast in different directions just in case you are wrong or a fish is randomly in a different area. Maybe you scared them off when you paddled in.

Then there is the drift factor. Rarely do you sit in one spot without moving, unless you are using an anchor. So this means that you tend to cast into shore, parallel to shore and away from shore as you work a spot. This is good because there are too many factors to always know exactly what is best. Variety is better in this case than always doing the "right" thing.

I cast to shorelines with surface lures for smallmouth. My longtime fishing partner never caught as many smallmouth as me and his were smaller too.

One day, he said, "I've spent the last five minutes watching your lure land and you're always inches from a log or rock."

Now, that's not true. I sometimes cast a lure into a log, but accuracy is the key. Bass relate to logs and rocks and often they're only a couple inches away. So, if you want to provoke a reflexive strike, you have to land it on them.

The fish will tell you. Pay attention.

SV summed it up pretty well I think.

When I'm casting lures of any type the number one thing I think about is how do I keep my bait in the strike zone for as long as possible. How you cast will vary by lure or bait type, the structure you are fishing, and the type of fish you are targeting.

You need to look at all our potential variables (casting location, structure/geography, lure type, and suspected fish location) and do your best to get them all aligned to give you the best chance to catch the fish.

If you can't change your casting location then pick a bait that works with the casting location and structure you've got to work with. If for some reason you're limited on lure choices than pick a casting location that gives you the best chance with the lures you have. The big thing is knowing the characteristics of each bait and how deep it runs at.

Personally I like pitching jigs. When I target walleye I know they are most often going to be in the bottom 18". Pitching jigs I know I'm bouncing that thing in the strike zone almost the entire time and it works weather I'm casting from deep to shallow, shallow to deep, or parallel to the structure where I'm at a consistent depth.

if i'm working a deep diver shore to deep ,
structure obviously cast towards shore.
parallel to shoreline , the front guy usually gets the action ;)

Cc26: "I do find it funny on walleye opener here in the Iowa Great Lakes, that shore/wader fishermen cast out from shore, and boats seem to get as close as they can and cast towards shore. I have even had a few of my casts land on the deck of a boat that got way to close."

Happens a lot. We were out wading one spring evening and a local boater trolled between me and the shore, talking smart about "people in their rubber pants..." Was tempted to sacrifice a Rapala to wrap some line in his prop...

casualbriday: "Not sure if one is universally better than the other but I do try to be aware of how I'm working it so that I can start repeating once I start hooking up."

Exactly!

In the back of the canoe...you only get the direction that is left!