You need to figure 8 after every cast.
    Our dad always told us this but we admittedly didn't always do it until that one fateful day. We were in Canada and had been fishing all day, in fact we had fished for over 12 hours and we only saw two fish and those were in the morning. We were getting tired and unfortunately a little lazy. We stopped doing our figure 8 after ever cast. It became more of a figure "J". We were fishing off Sunset Island on Eagle lake in Ontario Canada. That is where it happened. I casted to a weed bed and watched about 2' behind my buck tail as I always do when reeling in. I didn't see a thing. So as the lure came towards the boat I did a figure J. As I pulled the lure out of the water a HUGE fish..... the biggest I have ever seen shot out from under the boat and tried to grab my lure as I pulled it out of the water. This fish was huge we guessed it to be over 50" long and it was fat! Needless to say I missed that fish and have done a figure 8 after every cast from then on! Don't be Jared...... figure 8 after every cast!
How to figure 8:
    As you reel in your lure always watch behind the lure look for a follow. Whether or not you see a fish be sure to figure 8. Put your rod tip into the water as the lure gets close. Reel until your leader is about 6" away from the tip. Be sure to hit the free spool button so that if a fish hits you can let him out to fight a bit. We learned this one the hard way too. Move your rod while the tip is underwater in the shape of an 8 or you can to a large oval which is what we prefer. If a fish is chasing the lure vary the speed and depth to try and induce a strike.