Casting (Cast Envy)

[Cholgerson]

I have always been envious of of those guys launching their bait twice as far as I seem to be able to do. I try to pair up types of line and line weight with the weight range noted on the rods. I have quality rods and reels but I can't seem to stay cosistant with my cast. Of coarse the weight of the bait makes a difference but when I tie on an obviously heavy bait I loose acuracy and finesse. I have been trying different types of line like braided and fluorocarbon. For the most part I'm liking the fluorocarbon. I assume there is a formula or a rule of thumb for setting up your rods to get the most distance from a cast. Oh and I've tried the two handed cast I'm seeing guys do but I only seem to slam my bait into the water. Can anyone help me figure out how to get a further reach with my casts?

[fishinwrench]

It's basic trajectory really. What type of gear are you seeking more distance with? Typically heavier (yet compact) baits or smaller line will increase distance. But spool tension and/or how full your spool is has a mechanical effect on your casting abilities.

All in all though, accuracy is more important in most instances.

[soxpac]

Could be a braking issue Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

[Quillback]

Here's a video to watch:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/how-to-cast-baitcast.html

[Al Agnew]

In order to give you any kind of further suggestions we'd need to know what reels and rods you are using. But distance is a factor of your equipment, lures, reel adjustment, and the mechanics of your casting.

I usually have my baitcast reels set for optimum performance with a variety of lures, which means that I might not be getting the maximum distance I could get with a given lure, but I'm getting good enough distance along with accuracy and trouble-free casting. If I wanted maximum distance with a certain lure I might have to re-adjust the reel settings, but I'm almost never going for maximum distance.

[Feathers and Fins]

Chol, you used the number 1 thing in your post "thumb" I have entered many long cast competitions and its is guys who have the feel in their thumbs that win with baitcasters.

Knowing your set-up will help a lot in further helping but let me try some details.

First I used Calcutta's and Penns casting. For Baitcasting I would completely gut the reel and clean it out then change out the stock gear to aftermarket gears I used and still today use Vaseline in the reels. Your tension control bearing or magnet/ whatever back all the way off ( for beginners don't do it but practice gradually backing off till there is none ) Casting I prefer the "ENGLISH PENDULIUM CAST" for distance casting. for every day casting I drop the bait depending on weight of lure or bait where I can maximize rod load that is normally 6 to 8 inches below the tip for live bait it can be as much as rod lengths. On casting have thumb pressure on the spool and as line goes out remove it or add to it, in time you will be able to do it in the dark by the feel of everything.

As time goes on you will find your comfort zone but its truly thumb control that wins. Get some of the surf-casting books and read them they will really help as no one beats surf casters for distance and accuracy.

[Al Agnew]

I agree with F&F...with today's baitcasters, it's easy to become reasonably proficient as long as your rod is well matched to the weight of the lures you're throwing. But the difference between "reasonably proficient" and getting everything possible out of the reel is still all in your thumb, once you have the reel properly set.

Since I've been casting baitcasters for more than 50 years, I think my thumb is educated enough. The way I get the most distance if I wish is to go to the spool tension adjustment knob first (the little knob on the side of the reel next to the handle). I loosen it with my thumb on the spool, trying to move the spool side to side. At a certain point, the spool will start to wobble from side to side like it was a little loose in the housing. At that point, slowly tighten the knob again until the spool just stops wobbling. That's the loosest you can set that knob and still have everything working properly, so now your spool is a free to turn as it can be. Then I go to the centrifugal brakes. These are the little plastic thingies on spokes on the spool itself, reached by removing the side plate opposite the reel handle...on many reels like the Shimano low profile reels, there's a handy "gate" that you open on that side plate to reach them, but on other reels you may have to remove that side plate. There are usually six of them on radial spokes around the reel. They will be either pushed out or pushed in. Push them all in.

If your reel has magnetic braking, usually a dial on that same side plate, crank it all the way to zero. Then make sure your reel is filled with line as full as possible, which means within no more than 1/16th of an inch from the rim of the spool. And the thinner the line, the more distance you'll get, all other things being equal, by the way, though most baitcasters don't do well with line that's thinner than about 8 pound test mono.

Now your reel is a free as it can possibly be, and theoretically will give you the most distance. I say theoretically, because now your thumb is EXTREMELY important. Start casting. Don't cast hard, don't try for any distance. Ride the spool with your thumb throughout the cast. Aim for something that's 20 feet away at the most. Make the cast, and try to keep from getting any loose line or backlash by riding the spool with your thumb, rather than trying to hit the target. You'll probably find that it's very difficult to do so. Practice a bit and see if you get better at it. Don't try for distance yet. Educate your thumb and get used to really feathering the spool with it, and especially stopping the spool the instant the lure hits.

If all goes well, gradually start trying for a little more distance, but keep feathering with your thumb. If all doesn't go well and you get loose line or a backlash with every cast, then go back into the centrifugal brakes. Pop two of them out, opposite each other. Try again. If you're still having a lot of trouble, pop two more out. If, after that, you're still having trouble, you probably won't be able to get much distance no matter what you do, but don't pull out the last two centrifugal brakes, instead tighten the spool tension knob just a tad. At some point, if you have magnetic braking as well, you can start to tighten it up a little, but it's been my experience that any tightening you do on it if everything else is adjusted right will only decrease performance.

At any rate, keep tinkering with the spool tension knob and the centrifugal brakes until you are casting without loose line; you might try just popping the brakes out one at a time, which seems to work well with some reels better than others. And that's the best you're going to be able to do unless you spend a lot of time practicing with things loosened up a little more than you are comfortable with.

Two other things. You can't always go by the ratings on the rod. Generally the stiffer and heavier the rod, the better it will cast heavy lures and the worse it will cast light ones. If you're casting and find yourself putting a very high arc on most overhand casts, or the lure is landing to the "on" side of where you're aiming with a sidearm cast (in other words, if casting right handed, your lure is often landing to the right of where you want it to), your lure is probably a little too heavy for your rod. If the lure is going out on a low trajectory or slamming the water way too short on your overhead cast, or landing to the off side of your casting arm if casting sidearm, your rod is too stiff for the lure. Doesn't matter what the ratings on the rod say, that's reality. It can be overcome to some extent with an educated thumb, but you'll never get perfect performance that way.

Finally, distance doesn't come by pure strength. You can't wind up and heave it and get it out there without backlashing. It comes with smoothness and a combination of power and timing. It comes in the loading of the rod and the finesse of your thumb. Like flycasting, the backcast is as important, if not more so, than the actual forward cast. The more you can load the rod on the backcast and start the forward cast at the perfect time, the more distance you get. That, too, comes with practice.

[Mitch f]

One thing I always think is important is leading the cast with the butt of the rod toward your target. When I think back about the times I have made bad casts, it's usually me getting too quick and trying to be fancy. A smooth accurate cast in the right location is better than 3 quick casts in the "area" of the location.

On the side arm cast, I heard Hank Parker describe the wrist action as turning a door knob. Like anything else, practicing is the way you'll get good and develop your own style.

[Gavin]

Casting is basic physics....Load your lever...You want to make a firm stop on your back cast to load the rod, then pull the rod through the fulcrum point to a firm stop on your forward...Its the same with a baitcaster, spinner, or fly rod...Lots of folks go overboard and try to push their forward cast (move the fulcrum forward) in hopes for distance...That does not work. You cant push on one end of a piece of spaghetti and make it move much, but you can yank on one end and send it across the room. Pull, not push, load your rod. Practice on a pond. Good luck.

[Gavin]

The other concept is what I call a controlled drift...move your elbow back and up after the stop on your backcast...cock your lever like your are throwing a spear...pull through and stop. It will sail..pull with your bottom hand if using a two handed cast...but make sure you have firm stops.