casting with conventional reels

[swill88]

Here's a pretty good teacher...

[Reel 224]

Here's a pretty good teacher...

Excellent advice with wetting you line, that is an important fact on using a open reel. I like the plug he gave all of his sponsors.


Joe   

[SoCalAngler]

I held off showing the same video just because it did not deal with long distance shore casting. The casts can and most likely will be very different from one another.

If you would like to see a video about casting from a boat there is a very good one out there. Advanced Casting with Frank LoPreste & Randy Toussaint filmed by Inside Sport Fishing if I remember correctly shows several casts that we do here on the left coast from boats. The vid does not get into surf casting but if your looking to see how the pro's do here on a sport boat or private boat this vid is what you should look for.

The cost of the vid will be offset by many hours of practice and several cuss words as you pick out those backlashes. Still you will need to practice but when you see how it should be done for me it makes it easier to duplicate.

[CapeFish]

I held off showing the same video just because it did not deal with long distance shore casting. The casts can and most likely will be very different from one another.

If you would like to see a video about casting from a boat there is a very good one out there. Advanced Casting with Frank LoPreste & Randy Toussaint filmed by Inside Sport Fishing if I remember correctly shows several casts that we do here on the left coast from boats. The vid does not get into surf casting but if your looking to see how the pro's do here on a sport boat or private boat this vid is what you should look for.

The cost of the vid will be offset by many hours of practice and several cuss words as you pick out those backlashes. Still you will need to practice but when you see how it should be done for me it makes it easier to duplicate.

I was going to say, this is not exactly distance casting from the shore, it's not going to get you into fish where I live, particularly on a windy day. Do take note of the swinging action though, he is basically simulating an off the ground cast by waiting for the bait to swing back into the rod, John Holden demonstrates this cast very well (he is on Youtube and has an instructional DVD). In shore casting with a multiplier, half the battle is won by using the right tackle, if you use boat gear as shown in this video you are going to struggle your #### off it is as simple as that. You need the reel to match the weight you want to cast (a small reel can cast from light to heavy weights but a big reel needs bigger weights e.g. if you want to use a jig master you should look at 4-6 oz). Similarly a heavy brass spool will add to your woes and dramatically increase the speed at which skin is ripped off your thumb. The other thing is to have the right rod, a floppy, short fiber glass rod is not the best rod to use and just make learning so much more difficult.

Then you need to have the reel in the right position on the rod, either at the bottom (I only fish like this, much easier to bring in a big fish and control line retrieve) or high up, otherwise you can't get proper leverage. I have been through this entire process since I could first afford to buy a multiplier and struggled for years until I finally fished in Namibia with some real pros which opened my eyes and then moved to the coast and met up with experienced shore anglers and then a whole new world opened to me. Choice is yours how long you want to struggle, otherwise just move over to a coffee grinder, but even with that - wrong rod and wrong line = limited distance, but less frustration.

[oc1]

Then you need to have the reel in the right position on the rod, either at the bottom (I only fish like this, much easier to bring in a big fish and control line retrieve) or high up, otherwise you can't get proper leverage.

I'm a little dense and can't picture having the reel positioned at the bottom of the rod.  Are you thumbing the reel with your lower hand?
-steve

[Jeri]

Hi Steve,

That is exactly what we are doing. For a right handed person, the left hand now needs to be eductaed to control the reel, while the right hand and arm does the 'dumb work' of motivating the rod and controlling the direction.

The benefits for surf casting with this style are two fold. First the weight of the reel is being motivated downwards, and with the aid of gravity helps achieve a much more positive loading of the rod during the cast, as opposed to the angler trying to push the weight of the reel upwards. Once used to it, it is very comfortable, and allows a lot more control of the power being pulled into the cast.

Secondly, with big fish on long surf rods, trying to stabilise and control where to put the long lower handle (below the reel) on traditional - 'reel up' designs becomes a serious issue.By changing to 'reel down', and using a boat anglers butt pad or rod belt, then the bottom of the rod is easily controlled, and allows the angler to easily fight big fish or sharks. Here in southern Africa, we see this style as near universal, and even kids as young as 6 years old are wearinga  rod belt with their fishing, and it doesn't matter which style of reel that you use.

It does seem odd, especially if you are in an environment where everybody fishes 'reel up', but once you try it, and master the technique, you are almost put in the position, that you will never revert to 'reel up' rods. And here I speak from experience, having spent my entire youth fishing lakes and rivers in the UK with long rods with the reel up, but give me a surf rod, and I will now certainly look to have the reel down the bottom. It is the control factor during the fighting of large fish and sharks where the system comes into its own, and the reasoning behind why we are building a lot of rods in southern Africa, and exporting them to customers in places like Australia, as they have a similar 'surf fish control' issue. The side benefit, is that they can now also cast further.

Hope that helps.

Cheers from sunny Africa.

Jeri

[oc1]

That sounds interesting Jeri.  I'm going to try it.  So, how much rod butt is below the reel?  Don't want to hit yourself in the groin with the reel handle 

This must be for bait fishing only (cast and wait) because the balance must be very top heavy and it would wear you out if throwing lures (cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve)
-steve

[Jeri]

Hi Steve,

We leave about 8" below the reel seat to be comfortable for reeling in. The system does actually work well with lure fishing as well. I have 12' light lure rod with a fixed spool reel and braid for casting 3oz jigheads. With a bionic finger to cope with the braid, it casts a mile - well about 135 metres, and with a rod belt it is comfortable, as the rod is naturally held high, so actions can be imparted.

It just looks strange.

Cheers from sunny Africa,

Jeri

[CapeFish]

Hi Steve,

We leave about 8" below the reel seat to be comfortable for reeling in. The system does actually work well with lure fishing as well. I have 12' light lure rod with a fixed spool reel and braid for casting 3oz jigheads. With a bionic finger to cope with the braid, it casts a mile - well about 135 metres, and with a rod belt it is comfortable, as the rod is naturally held high, so actions can be imparted.

It just looks strange.

Cheers from sunny Africa,

Jeri

I do this with a multiplier as illustrated before with disastrous consequences :-) I am looking at a grinder Jeri, it's just that our free falling currency has made this now an even more expensive exercise.

[Jeri]

Hi Capefish,

We have been through every catalogue and spec sheet on the 'grinders', trying to come up with a series of reels to go with our custom rods. No mentioning the names of all the ones that just simply fail, but being positive, we have found that the Quantum Cabo PTSe series are truly the 'bee's knees'. Awesomely strong drag, correspondingly strong drive and main shaft, relatively simple to work on, and very few aluminium components, especially not in the 'gearbox'.

The big issue for us down here in Africa, is the fact that we 'swim' with our reels - so assuming that no fixed spool reels are waterproof to our standards of usage. Now we need something that won't trap sea water in the gearbox and eat away at all the non-stainless components. The only ones that we have found are the Quantum and the Van Staal. However, the VS is a little to rich for most folks pockets so the Quantum came out on top in our selection.

I'm using the 60 for my 30lb braid work in the surf, and it has a 45lb drag (stronger than a Stella), and I haven't managed to have any problems with it yet. Not the ultimate distance casting reels, but if they developa  long spool version, I will buy them like candy. However, every long spool reel that we checked out, was just a glorified 'carp reel', so too weak for long term usage in our environment.

the close second behind the Cabo was the new Finnor Lethal, strong enough drag if you don't abuse it, and a strong enough main shaft - the biggest issue with our reels and usage - we get hooked up on submerged Africa, then pulling for a break against the drag, usually bends the main shaft on most reels - exit one reel, as spares are like chicken's teeth!!!

Just my 2 cents worth.

Cheers

Jeri

[CapeFish]

That sounds interesting Jeri.  I'm going to try it.  So, how much rod butt is below the reel?  Don't want to hit yourself in the groin with the reel handle 

This must be for bait fishing only (cast and wait) because the balance must be very top heavy and it would wear you out if throwing lures (cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve)
-steve

There you go, these rods range between 11 and 14 ft

[Mattman NZ]

Hi valkie - and im not laughing at you because 25 years ago your sharing my frustrations as I too borrowed my mates level wind real and attempted what you did and ended up with the same result - the first words out of my mouth = ill leave that up to your imagination because what ever you can think of I probably said it . I wont repeat them on here . The only thing I could suggest is disable the level wind and if its has an alloy spool mag it - Start casting heaver weights around 4-5oz - and try not to put too much effort into it - concentrate on techneak and find out whats best for you - every ones different and the hardest part is keeping the cast smooth and knowing when to release the spool with your thumb and feathering the spool edge as your sinker heads for the horizon .
Ill try and post a video the 1st part normal speed last part 1/2 speed - This cast suits me as I have a fused wrist and elbow both on the right side - you can see the sinker hit the water below the white building on the right hand side - between 100 - 110 meters with just a flick with the 975 and the rivers edge is 180 meters across and my rod is 12' Beach Barron - 3oz torpedo sand grabber - 975 - 15lb mainline - 20' 25lb leader.

Rgds

Matt...            


Video

[Alto Mare]

Matt, watch the windows on that building accross from you . Very nice casting  .

Sal

[Reel 224]

What Does everybody think of balancing the rod before building it? I think when building up a new rod blank you should first find the balancing point and then center the reel seat at that point. I feel that is most important for a good casting rod.


Joe

[oc1]

I agree Joe and like the balance point to be about three inches in front of the reel.  A top-heavy rod will wear you out.

-steve