casting with conventional reels

[Ron Jones]

John also has several you tube videos on the subject. I watch them all periodically just to enjoy the art of a master executing his craft.
Ron

[valkie]

Well, Im back from my Xmas holidays.

I had a very memorable time practicing casting with my conventional reel and long rod.
I have tried larger and smaller weights.
I have tried heavy and lighter lines.
I have even tried praying to my chosen deity.

All to no avail.

Several rolls of line and many naughty words have passed by me in my efforts.
I CAN HEAR YOU GIGGLING OUT THERE.

My most interesting was while on a break wall at Forster.
I believe it will make the news, due to the truly momentous series of events that followed my failed cast.

It all started so well, my first cast was a beautiful cast around 50-60 meters, and not a snangle to be seen.
Everyone around me nodded their heads in awe and recognition of my skill.

My second cast was exactly the opposite.
Im not sure what happened, but somewhere during tghe cast something happened and a clump of line tangled in the runners.
Noting the tangle, my attention to the spool lapsed and it spun unimpeded to a point of impossible entanglement.

Now it gets interesting, the line cast forth to fish, for once did its intended and caught a fish.
The fish, obviously recognizing the severe lack of skill of the angler started swimming up and down the break wall entangling the other anglers lines as I was so busy attempting to fix my mess that I still hadn't noticed the fish fighting on the end of my line.

In time I noted the predicament and tried to bring in my fish by hand, but it was a reasonably large fish.
Now cutting into my fingers with copious amounts of claret flowing from the cuts, I managed to get said fish to the rocks.
Only to be broken off as another angler angrily pulled his line in a vain attempt to disentangle it from my mess.
IT WERE A BIG FISH
STOP LAUGHING, ITS NOT FUNNY

Realizing that my life was in danger from several angry anglers, I cut my line and left the scene of destruction.

Using a conventional reel has now been relegated to the back burner.
I have realized that this form of fishing takes a skill I appear to lack.

Maybe when my notoriety dies down and I can show my face ip public again, Ill have another go.
For the time being, its Alvey side casts for me.

SOB SOB

[sdlehr]

Valkie, you're too funny! I'm about to concentrate on surf casting, but I'm going to practice, practice, practice on the lake behind my house before I go out and cause trouble for myself and/or others. I also bought "Long Distance Casting", by John Holden, which I haven't yet sunk my teeth into, but I've only had it for two days. I have to finish Mike's chapter on Long Beaches first....

[Jeri]

Hi Valkie,

Take solace in the fact that here in southern Africa, where the conventional reel ruled supreme, and spinners were only seen in the hands of occassional fishermen, usually farmers from inland. Conventionals were mastered, and all was going well, even ladies and young kids were seen with long poles, launching sinkers and bait at the surf.

Now the twist in the tail - a couple of years ago, several of the competition associations allowed braid to be used as the main line, and obviously that couldn't be used in such fury as we cast the nylon lines to distance with conventional reel. So, now we are all busy mastering a whole new evolution of surf fishing with spinners and braid, and because of the style of our rods and the composition, we are having to have new rods built to cast our new reels and lines. This evolution hasn't beena great success for everyone, but the majority are going down this route, and actually improving on the distances they are achieving, some are now placing baits out at about 200 metres, and getting some fine fish into the bargain.

This evolution is now spreading to the more social anglers, and they too are getting improved catches, probably purely due to the better bite detection. So, now we are all running around comparing specs on spinners and trying to get even further with our distances.

The point is that while a lot of time is spent on this forum discussing and fine tuning our reels, and pouring loving attention on them, we do miss a very valid point, there is also a lot of technology in the rods which we strap our prized reels to. This technology is never more apparent than in surf fishing, and a lot of long rods sold as 'surf' should really be consigned to the garden to hold up tall plants, as they are absolutely useless on the beach - usually way too soft in action, which is what would appear to be your biggest issue.

Years ago, I was given some advice to do with another sport, but it equally applies to surf casting - 'Go fast, slowly'. It should actually be a very relaxed action that gets you the best performance.

Hope that helps and that the experience hasn't driven you away from the sandy shores.

Cheers from sunny Africa,

Jeri

[valkie]

I here you Jeri;

But my golf game sucks badly as well

One day I might even tell you about the time I put two golfers in hospital in the one day.

Cheers

[Tiddlerbasher]

  I can't wait

[CapeFish]

Well, Im back from my Xmas holidays.

I had a very memorable time practicing casting with my conventional reel and long rod.
I have tried larger and smaller weights.
I have tried heavy and lighter lines.
I have even tried praying to my chosen deity.

All to no avail.

Several rolls of line and many naughty words have passed by me in my efforts.
I CAN HEAR YOU GIGGLING OUT THERE.

My most interesting was while on a break wall at Forster.
I believe it will make the news, due to the truly momentous series of events that followed my failed cast.

It all started so well, my first cast was a beautiful cast around 50-60 meters, and not a snangle to be seen.
Everyone around me nodded their heads in awe and recognition of my skill.

My second cast was exactly the opposite.
Im not sure what happened, but somewhere during tghe cast something happened and a clump of line tangled in the runners.
Noting the tangle, my attention to the spool lapsed and it spun unimpeded to a point of impossible entanglement.

Now it gets interesting, the line cast forth to fish, for once did its intended and caught a fish.
The fish, obviously recognizing the severe lack of skill of the angler started swimming up and down the break wall entangling the other anglers lines as I was so busy attempting to fix my mess that I still hadn't noticed the fish fighting on the end of my line.

In time I noted the predicament and tried to bring in my fish by hand, but it was a reasonably large fish.
Now cutting into my fingers with copious amounts of claret flowing from the cuts, I managed to get said fish to the rocks.
Only to be broken off as another angler angrily pulled his line in a vain attempt to disentangle it from my mess.
IT WERE A BIG FISH
STOP LAUGHING, ITS NOT FUNNY

Realizing that my life was in danger from several angry anglers, I cut my line and left the scene of destruction.

Using a conventional reel has now been relegated to the back burner.
I have realized that this form of fishing takes a skill I appear to lack.

Maybe when my notoriety dies down and I can show my face ip public again, Ill have another go.
For the time being, its Alvey side casts for me.

SOB SOB

This is really funny, I took my newly acquired trinidad 40 loaded with 60lb topshot for a practice on a terrible windy day a while ago and caught 2 kite surfers, the one was absolutely furious with me, the other one headed off into the distance trailing some 60lb that I hastily bit off. After that, I had another disaster, I have been enjoying throwing plugs for yellow tail with a newly magged little saltist using braid, it worked so well and the next time I went the fish were actually there, chasing baitfish, they were just getting close enough when the FG knot to the leader neatly unravelled on the cast resulting in my worst worst over wind ever

[Jeri]

Hi Capefish,

That's what you get for putting braid on a casting multiplier, and not a grinder!!!!!!!! No sympathy - even with magnets, you should know better.

Look at the new Quantum Cabo series PTSE, and the drag ratings, then reconsider how you might fish for yellowtail - they won't stand a chance!!

Cheers from sunny Namibia.

Jeri

[Reel 224]

Valkie: Stick to it and get yourself a mag reel to practice with for awhile, and practice alone till you get the hag of it. Practice, practice, practice. Hang in there.

Joe

[cbar45]

Daiwa's Mangofuge system found on 7ht mag/mag ST reels is extremely tame out of the box...Have never been able to blow one of those reels up, even in a strong headwind and with the reel tuned such that the mag system kicks in later than normal..

Sid's recommendation to lay a piece of tape across the line deep in the spool is a good one...Another thought is the way in which the line gets spooled (thumbed) onto the reel...Next time you reel in your line, try to lay the last 50 yards or so in a coarse criss-cross pattern, rather than having the coils lay side-by-side..

As mentioned, over-runs are the result of line going out faster than the spool will allow...Thus a criss-cross pattern will allow less line to go out per spool revolution, while also preventing the line rom digging into itself..

Chad

[Ron Jones]

Thats really not all that horrific. Just keep working at it. Remember, I've been working at it non stop for 35 years or so and am still learning. Nothing worth doing is easy and gratification isn't instant, ever.
Ron

[sdlehr]

Sid's recommendation to lay a piece of tape across the line deep in the spool is a good one...
As mentioned, over-runs are the result of line going out faster than the spool will allow...Thus a criss-cross pattern will allow less line to go out per spool revolution, while also preventing the line rom digging into itself..

Chad

I'd be glad to take the credit, but that wasn't me that suggested that. But it's a great idea. And over-runs are a result of the spool moving faster than the line goes out, just the opposite of what you wrote, but what I'm sure you meant.

Sid

[cbar45]

Sid, yes you are correct, got my words mixed up...I meant to say the spool spins faster than the line, (being towed by the lead/lure), will allow...Oh and it was jcool3 who mentioned the tape trick...I used it effectively a long time ago when learning how to cast conventional...Half and half ulua rod, bronze spool 6/0...That was a bear of a combo for a beginner to learn on, and definitely not what someone starting out today would want to use...Plus side was that the learning curve was so steep, it made casting with just about any other rod/reel combo seem easy..

Chad

[valkie]

I have decided to give it another go.

I purchased an Okuma reel, quite cheap, but with the ability to slow the spool.
I plan to give it heaps and have been practicing in the back yard and seem to be able to cast reasonably consistently.
But all things may go astray when perched on rocks with waves trying to take me swimming.

It may be a few days, but Ill post my success/ failure.

Cheers guys and girls, thanks for the help

[Newell Nut]

Too bad you don't have a teacher near by. It is really easy. A $35 longbeach 65 cast okay once you get the fundamentals down. Hang in there and on one cast maybe the lights will come on and you got it.