Casting Distance

S
Shadelady
can i have some opinions about where the distance in casting comes from?

i just got a new Shimano Sahara 2500 its got 10# floro on it i am using a fairly stiff Berkley i think its 6 or 6.5.

i see lots of guys tying their lures stright to their mainlines and throwing 40 yards or so. i do well to get 40 feet.

help me i am getting a "short cast complex"!!

i'd really like to hear from ither females out there- i have been told the distance is not a strength issue, but i interested in hearing it from a woman.

i'd still love to hear from the men, there's more of you and i know you know a lot of stuff that i dont have a clue about.

if i posted this in the wrong area i apologize, i wasn't too sure where to put it.
 
M
madoc
Normally lures are tied onto the mainline - sometimes I put on a swivel and a leader, but I'm going more and more to just tying it to the main.

40 yards is respectable. I can normally get a 1/2oz weight out to about 40-45 without much effort on my midweight steelhead rod. I also can get about 40 yards with 1/8th oz on my smallest spinning rod (4.5 ft, 2 lb test). I haven't measured, but I think I am making 60-75 yards with my surf rod and 4 ozs. of weight

Casting is absolutely not about strength. If you try and muscle a cast, you will probably cast short.

I tend to flick when I am using my spinning rod. very rarely do I find myself casting truly overhand, as I am generally in bushes or with heavy obstruction behind me. So I have tried to get good at a sideways flick, or a really short forward roll. The best cast I had today was a very short forward flick, and I think I made about 30 yards, with what was basically a punch with a wrist flick.

I'd go onto youtube and see if you can find some videos about casting technique, so much easier to see than describe with words.

Cheers,
Madoc
 
S
SNDSLGR
How close to your rod tip do you stop your gear when casting? Leaving about 10-12" hanging can really improve distance... more cantilever force on the pole.
 
S
Shadelady
i dont usually leave a lot of line hanging. i usually have just about 4-8 inches from tip to lure. tomorrow i'll try a little more. just frustrating not be able to out-throw a 6 year old unless i have a bunch of weight on....
 
G
grampa ron
casting distance

casting distance

The rod you are using may be too stiff. It sounds like you could use a different and possibly a longer rod. Most people I know use 8 1/2 ft. medium rod, rated 8# to 12# line, for steelhead. Even with the short rod, it's not all about power, it's tecnique. More distance from the rod tip to the lure will help. Using 2 hands helps a lot also.
 
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N
ninja2010
here's my 2 pesos...

one mistake i observe a lot is peeps whipping the rod really hard. that cuts down the distance because the tip actually pulls back the line as it's shooting out when it dips down at the end of the whip. (hope that makes sense)

the key is to use the flex of the rod to propel the lure, using a smooth motion of 1) point the tip forward at the start of the cast, 2) swing the lure back smoothly using the wrist as the pivot point, and 3) when the lure is at the furthest point behind you, swing the rod tip back to the front and as the lure is released, follow through with the tip so the rod provides the straightest line for the line to shoot out.

practice by starting slow and as you get the motion down, increase the speed and force. it'll eventually become second nature and you can apply this to side casting or overhead casting. once you get this down, work on accuracy and you'll soon be a pro caster.

and using the right rod rated for the weight of the lure helps a lot too.

okay, that was more like 200 pesos...
 
S
Shadelady
hurumph... ok when i bought the rod the fella who sold it to me wanted me to get a much longer 8- 8.5 and most places i just know that about 2-3 feet of that will be in bushes or trees or anything else i dont really want it in... so i was a sissy and went with the shorter one. he was very firm about needing a stiffer rod. and i was thinking like you guys are saying that a "flippier" (new word) rod would be the way to go... its funny, i have fished off and on all my life, but now i really want to be good at it- not just drop in some PowerBait and hope for the best. i am NOT knocking PowerBait, i am just trying to take the next step- seems my feet are getting in my way. i'll keep checking in here- and of course keep practicing.
 
J
Jig'n
It sounds like the rod is your main problem, too stiff & short. My favorite float rod is my 9'6" 6-10 lb Berkley. Favorite drift rod is my Loomis IMX 9' 8-10 lb.

Play with the action of your rod next time you’re out. When you cast, bring your rod back at a slow and steady motion until the rod tip and lure reaches furthest point behind you, then with a smooth and fluid motion make the transition to the forward motion loading the rod tip with energy from the flex of the rod. It should almost be like a catapult motion.

I hope that make sense, it's kind of hard to explain without physically showing you.


Jig'n
 
S
Shadelady
Jign- yeah i think my pole is my problem too... i am really disappointed that the guy sold me the pole- its bascially the same thing i have already, and i showed him all my poles. guess its my fault for not paying more attention- i got way too excited. i think i am going to call tomorrow and see if he'll give me my money back for the pole- it was used when i bought it and i havent abused in in the 2 days i have had it.
i also think i going to scout out my dad's garage and see if theres anything in there he's not using... we've got an 8' eagle claw tactical, maybe i'll put the new reel on that and see what happens. i can see that i am going to be doing more experimenting and less catching for a while.
 
S
SNDSLGR
For what its worth, I disagree. You should be able to cast any pole well if your technique is right. I have two 6' Berkley poles and can cast the hell out of them both, not as far as my salmon or steel poles but I bet I could still cast across most coastal rivers with them.

Is there a hole you can't quite get to or why this need to cast far? My wife is terrible at casting and I can't think of many holes where her skills are not at least sufficient.
 
S
Shadelady
SNDSLGR- i usually fish the Salmon river, devils lake, town lake, am starting to get into the Siletz. and when throwing a lure (blue fox spinner type) i can only toss it about 40 FEET. i have been sitting here thinking about how i cast, and comparing to things i have been reading- its all in the wrist is what i am gathering... i dont think i use my wrist at all... so the way i ahve been doing it is by using a weight and a leader with my lure on the end. i'd like to graduate to not needing the weight, or least a lot less weight. to get across the Salmon river (not a real wide one) i need 1.5 to 2 ounces.
 
K
Kodiak
"now i really want to be good at it- not just drop in some PowerBait and hope for the best. i am NOT knocking PowerBait"

I am...:dance::dance:. This fall I will show you places on salmon where casting is highly overated. In a couple of slots away from the masses I put an even dozen coho on the bank in about 1 1/2 hrs., and that was a slow day.
 
Raincatcher
Raincatcher
Lots of practice

Lots of practice

Shadelady;
You are not alone and it isn't a 'female only' issue. Right now, I struggle with accuracy. That is from not having enough time on the water. When I put in my time,I relax and do fairly well with both distance and accuracy. Take the time you need and develop a style/technique that suits you. I am always jealous of the folks here who have time to be out there several days a week. But that is what it takes to get to the point we are all striving for. With time and practice,women are just as accomplished at fishing. Well, not me,but there are some somewhere in this world. :lol: Keep at it and do take Kodiak up on his OFFer. He will teach you more in one outing than you will believe possible.
Be safe.
Barb
 
P
PDXKush
I just started fishing 11 days ago :). At first casting was my scariest issue. I reccomend going to your local park or wide open space and practice some dry casting. Place a can on the ground and extend it farther out and just keep practicing hitting it. I thought I had it down but then I decided to be cool and get a baitcasting reel and that kicked me right in the a&&. Luckily Ninja2010 took the time to give me some pointers and help me respool my reel about 3 times after I kept birdsnesting. Remember that it's not about how much strength you use or the speed in which you swing the rod. It's about feeling comfortable and feeling your gears weight and getting the weight of it at the right angle when you release your cast. Dry casting really helps and there isn't any fisherman around to make you nervous. Just try to not hit those powerwalkers or the hobo on the bench :)
 
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F
fishnquest
I think ninja said it well; moving the rod back to a point, watching the end of the line, etc. I was taught at a fly casting to clinic to "accelerate and then stop" when you do your cast. In slow motion, when you start your cast, start slow, go faster, faster, faster, STOP. It helped me gain a lot of distance; I changed from just "throwing" the pole tip. It works no matter how long or short you are trying to cast. Where you start the cast, and where you end the cast determine where the end of the line will go; how long that acceleration lasts determines the distance. Trying to do it every time and hit a specific spot is another story. Practice, practice, practice...good luck, hope it helps.
 
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F
FishFinger
Casting

Casting

Casting is one of those situation specific things. Quite often we can be like bulls in a china shop, attempting to get our gear out as far as possible, trying to cover as much water a one can. Often it's unnecessary and unproductive due to many extenuating factors. If say, you were to cast the width of a river, the increased drag of your line in the current can effect the presentation of your offering. Steelhead for example hold in marginal waters, those out of the direct effect of heavy current flows. Depending on how your situated on a given drift, a shorter cast is often more prudent than a bomber.

Previous post have nicely covered the mechanics of the cast. Glean all that you can and practice. I have a good friend who only uses a 6.6 medium heavy ugly stick and he's a fish catching monster. Practice and experience allows him to stick his casts constantly.

In younger days I'd always favored the side arm cast. Much like swinging a tennis racquet. A sweeping fluid motion where the line release would be a kin to where one would hit the ball and attempting to target it to a specific spot. I got quite good at it, as long as I didn't have anyone / thing within 10' to my right.

However, in close quarter situations like guerilla combat fishing when your shoulder to shoulder, side arming it is a real problem. First time you foul hook the angler next to you in the mug, is a moment you don't quickly forget....:shock:

The 12 o'clock high cast used scared the crap out of me. I was totally Re-Todd-Ed in my pathetic casting efforts. I spend hours of lost fishing time digging out MOBs (Mother Of all Backlashes) as I was a level wind purist at the time. :rolleyes:

Every time I stepped to the waters edge the specter of impending doom set in. The cardinal rule of bait casters is... "Never cut the line. The tangle is becasue of line wraps. The only knots you have are the ones you make". I carried special tools to dig out MOBs when forced to cast high noon style.

Now things are much better on the casting front. In summary it's due in part to muscle memory, and using very little shoulder, 30% elbow, and 65% wrist. A lot like throwing darts.

Kush

The issues you mentioned about birds nests are a result of two things. "Spin up": the speed of your line leaving the spoon based on velocity you which launch your gear and "over run": the speed of your spool when your gear contacts the water..

Your thumb is the definitive braking component to prevent over run. Before you make your first cast after rigging or re baiting you should take a moment to ensure your mechanical spool brake is adjusted to allow your gear to slowly drop towards the ground while free spooled. That will help mitigate the effects of spin up. The moment your gear contacts the water, stop the spool rotation with your thumb. Often you won't need to engage the gears, rather you can continue to drift with your thumb on the spool and simply release pressure to ad that little extra something - something to the swing at the end of your drift.

It's also a good way to release any accidental over run you might not have been able to stop. It's never a good idea to reeling line on top of loose loops on the spool. A wrap is bound to happen at some time and that stops casts like hitting a brick wall.
 
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S
Shadelady
i will surely try the things detailed here. i am also going to try a few different poles and see what i can figure out.

i get to fish most every day- weather permitting (which its not right now).

Kodiak, i am already looking forward to learning form you!!
 
W
watchout trout
In my experience, the line I'm using can have a great impact on my casting distance. I like to use a limp line. Braded lines work well. If your line is stiff and has reel memory it can really slow it down when its running through the guides. It's quite frustrating to fish around people who are hitting the holes perfectly when they are just out of your reach. Good luck. wt
 
S
steelheadstalker31
Sounds like a line issue to me. Try some 8lb fireline crystal as your main line. Casting problem solved. My 2cents
 
N
ninja2010
Shadelady said:
Kodiak, i am already looking forward to learning form you!!

you will surely learn a lot from this guru... i assure you.
 

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