Tips for learning to cast a conventional reel

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

i don't know what you are throwing but if you are throwing heavier baits lures leads etc, i begin by turning the mag all the way and lightly toss it. and then i  slowly and gradually put more force into my cast and slowly lessen the mag control until i get the hang of it. the heavier the weight the less force i use when casting, taking into consideration everything remains the same except for the weight of the lure lead etc. hope this helps...

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

Good casting is technique and power applied in harmony. Over head thump cast vesus a pendulum style, overhead looses everytime

[wallacewt]

1. dont cast hard,nice and smooth,no jerk.
2. jam your thumb on the spool just before the lure or bait hits your target.

[SoCalAngler]

There is a very good DVD called "Advanced Casting with Frank LoPreste & Randy Toussaint", done by the TV show Inside Sportfishing, that you still can find on the net. Watching something done right from the get go makes it easier for me to try to copy. Frank and Randy are two well known long range captains here on the left coast and for the small price of the DVD it may be worth it to advance your abilities quicker and take alot of the headaches out of the learning curve.

[Dave Bentley]

Daft question perhaps, but are you casting from a boat? the rod set up is very important and the correct weight to load rod and get the reel going. Also start with mono, not braid.

I mainly fish from a boat, so long distance casting isn't necessary.  The rod is a 6'6" medium heavy jigging rid rated for 1-6 oz lures, it has a slow action and bends pretty easy.   That's the rod I have the star drag Cortez on, and this is the combo I'm more interested in casting. The cavalla gets used only live abut fishing offshore.


That's a great tip about taping the spool. I'll do that and add 75 yds or so of mono on top. Is 20-25 lb a good choice?

Hello Three se7ens, I have been casting these reels for over 20 years and I think your Rod is half the problem, I reckon most experienced casters would have trouble let alone a newbie to the art.

Both length and lure rating is questionable, especially 1-6 oz, can I suggest that relates to jig size and not casting lure size.

[Three se7ens]

Hello Three se7ens, I have been casting these reels for over 20 years and I think your Rod is half the problem, I reckon most experienced casters would have trouble let alone a newbie to the art.

Both length and lure rating is questionable, especially 1-6 oz, can I suggest that relates to jig size and not casting lure size.

It's a jigging rod, so those numbers may be a bit misleading. It's fairly light with a slow action, so it bends through the entire length of the rod when it's loaded.

I would think the slow action would be easier to cast since it accelerates the spool more gradually than a fast action. As for the length, it's a boat rod.  I don't need this for long distance casting, I have other rigs better suited to casting that I'm far more comfortable with.

[Ron Jones]

While a slow action does allow "softer" presentations it is not necessarily easier to cast. A stiff rod loads rapidly and it is relativly easier to keep it loaded through the swing, all that energy can be difficult to control as far as making the bate go in the direction you want. A slow rod takes time to load and the swing has to be consistent to keep the rod loaded. The fast rod will also almost always cast farther with the same level of effort. This allows you to concentrate on spool control and not worry so much about the rod.

This is in some ways like trying to learn to shoot a shotgun with a 410. More gun means more hits and once you are hitting you can start working on technique.

Ron

[Three se7ens]

Gotcha. Thanks!

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

But then I take the .410 and murder some squirrels with head shots   Everything is different for everyone including rods, you seem to need a stiffer action. They will sling heavy weights further

[Ron Jones]

Yes but you didn't head shot squirrels with a 410 when you started shooting. A slow rod is nice for things like tossing collar hooked live chovies without tossing them off, but only when you have your technique down to where you can get the distance you need and keep the bait on.

Ron

[Shark Hunter]

Yea! Grayson! Don't be head shottin' those squirrels! When you started shooting!
Its called Hunting, not Murder.
This is about casting, not killer head shots!

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

Gotta save the meat! For slingin live bait, what about a rod with a nice soft tip and a stiff back bone?

[Ron Jones]

Everything works. I grew up fishing livve chovies and the old man liked soft rods so that's what I learned to cast with. Up until not to long ago I wasn't interested in a 20# or lighter rod that wouldn't let the tip touch the but. I maybe didn't cast as far but I rarely tossed my bait off. I have learned to apreciate stiff backbones, especially for tossing swimbaits and such.

Ron

[otghoyt]

All good stuff here.  I am sure this has been said here and there but this is what works for me.

I found that any changes in your line weight or lure weight will drive you batty.  I only cast 4 oz. or 6 oz lures!  That's all I have in my box.  If it needs to be heavier just free spool to the bottom and work it up.  Using the quick change spool on a Jigmaster or Squidder for heaver line will mess you all up.  Dirty bearings vs. clean = disaster on your first cast.  Tell the guy that puts on your top shots to apply more brake on the spooling machine or the first cast will backlash.

In MHO it's all about consistency.  I don't have the where-with-all to make big cast to cast adjustments on the fly.  Sure I know how to turn the rod over and ride some thumb on the drop but I simply find the sweet spot and stay there!  If you change lure weight go easy for 2-5 casts.  The rod loads and unloads differently.  Your timing changes and everything changes.

I will find the vid mentioned before.