I'm fairly new to the sport and still learning some basics so I am hoping yall will share some advice.
When I find a school of sandies on my sonar and the wind is blowing 15 mph I plan to go slightly upwind and drop anchor so I can work the school. I have not been very good at maintaining boat position with the trolling motor. Is the anchor the best way (don't have ipilot)?
Is it typically best to cast out and hop the slab on the retreave, cast and slowly retreave, vertical jig the slab, or try all of the above and see what works?
Thanks.

Mike,
Become friends with your trolling motor. It will allow you after some practice to anchor "electronically". As far as how to fish a slab....if the fish are blowing and going (moving fast) then cast out, let it hit the bottom and kind of bounce it back on the bottom to the boat. (make sure the bait bounces the bottom after every pickup) When you have a hit and/or catch one, move the boat to that spot and try fishing vertically. It's the same thing fishing vertically. Pick the bait up, hold it at it's apex for a second and let it hit the bottom. (when you drop the bait you want it to fall as fast as possible will keeping a tight line - so you feel the bite)
Tight Lines
Mitch "Rooster" Parker

First off, welcome to the forum! Dropping an anchor gets old fast however it is a good way to catch fish. My advise is that when you find them on your sonar, pitch out a buoy about 5 feet behind the boat motor. Use your trolling motor to stay in the area. Sometimes we like to throw out two buoys. Besides, it makes you look like you know what your doing! Try slabs, swim baits and Little George style baits. When they surface, be sure to have some sort of topwater handy. Any of these lures can and will catch fish. Live bait (shad) is also a tried and true method. Remember to follow birds, boats and bait fish. After a while, skip the boats part!

Mike , if you can avoid the anchor , try to do so ... Even though the guys have I Pilots , they still will drift slow with them .. Now I know they use the anchore feature , that's really cool ... But the fish move after a while and you need to move with them if you need any help just pm me : thumb:

Thanks guys. I guess I just need to practice more, hard to hold the foot steady while the boat is rolling, but if I put out a marker at least I will have a point of reference.
I've been reading this forum for a little while and it is full of great information.

Mike. Do you have a front seat in your boat? If not then I would invest in a half seat and pole. That is the way that my dad taught me to hold the boat with the trolling motor and still fish. We would sit in the middle of Cedar Creek and he would make me keep the boat next to our marker. I agree with the other guys. Throw a marker out, fish them until they stop biting, find them again and start fishing. They will move and you will have to move with them. Gonna take some practice, but I am sure you will get it.

Yes, I have a front pedistal seat on the boat. No substitute for practice. The Weather Channel says after the storm passes tonight the wind should be moderate in the morning, 11 mph is moderate these days.

If you have a 12 volt motor, then it might be difficult to hold position in the wind. Anchoring can be a very effective method, though I would recommend marking the spot with a buoy for reference ... the wind can push you off a spot while you're anchored & you might not realize it.

Another thing I was taught about anchors is don't let it drag through the school. It runs the fish off. I had a very productive day last fall anchored by a school on RC with three teens. Most of the time I use the marker to stay on fish with my trolling motor. You can fan cast some to locate the school as they move around. Using the trolling motor to stay in one spot is a skill I have not mastered yet...

I have an I pilot on my toon, and the anchor feature is great, but JV's advice is right on, my grandson and I fished with him not long ago and he is a pro at moving with the fish. You stay anchored too long and the fish move along without you!

Lose the anchor Mike! SandBass move, anchors do not. Use the trolling motor and you will get better.

I could not back a boat into the water, but FastGuy made me practice and now i'm ahhhhh ummmmm..........

Amazing...

Get a couple of buoys and practice holding on them, don't be "that guy". Point you bow, that's the front end, into the wind and practice.

Welcome... You are getting some sage advice from some of the sages here! I agree. No anchor. Before I ever had a trolling motor I would throw out a marker and drift and catch until the fish relocated and they will relocate. Sometimes they may only move 10-15 yards away but they will definitely reposition. As the water warms this time of year I like to "smoke" the slab through the fish. Five quick cranks up then hit the button and use your thumb to bounce the slab back down. The bouncing makes it look like a wounded shad falling down to the fish. Happy Fishing.

Depending on your rig(trolling motor size), a drift sock helps, you can keep it relatively close to the boat. They are typically weighted on the bottom and some type of foam or flotation up top...

Sand Johnny uses an anchor quite a bit from what I can tell and he has been known to catch a fish or two. Pulling the box type of anchor that Johnny uses gets old real fast.