How to Fish with a Panther Martin Lure in Fast Moving Water

1) Look for pockets of slow moving water. Trout tend to sit on the edges of these pockets, on the down-stream side of a large rock for instance, watching for their next meal to drift by. Work your lure through the edges of these pockets. Remember to keep tension on the line to keep your lure off the bottom and so you can feel any strikes.

2) After you have worked both sides of any slow pockets, start casting in a fan pattern from where you are standing. You want to start by casting almost straight up-stream, then work your way around to approximately straight across from you in about 10 degree increments. Use the current to help you determine how fast you need to retrieve your lure. When you’ve casted straight across from yourself and retrieved, work your way back through the sequence in the opposite direction.

3) Vary your retrieve speed. Many factors determine how a fish will hit a lure at different speeds. Consciously vary your retrieve speed to find what is working in the conditions at the time.

4) Fish up stream and down stream. Spinners have more action when being pulled against the current, but PM’s are designed to work in either direction. Don’t just focus on one or the other.

5) Allow the current to work for you. The current in a fast moving stream will carry your lure over a lot of real estate. Use it. You have to keep tension on your line to keep the lure off the bottom and to avoid snags, but other than that, allow the current to carry your lure where you want it to go.

6) Use stealth. Great fishermen think of fishing a lot like hunting. They move lightly and keep a low profile. Observations have shown fish will behave differently when they know there is someone on the bank. Don’t advertise your presence.

7) Explore. Walk a couple hundred yard upstream and down. Fish that whole section of the river. There are nice holes in places you would never notice from the road. Look for them. Watch the way the water moves. Fish the border areas between slower and faster moving water.

Fishing fast moving water is one of the most enjoyable and beautiful fishing experiences. Enjoy the scenery and the challenge.