I've decided I'm ring to try to learn how to cast a conventional reel. I'm using a Penn Long Beach for this exercise. Please let me know what rod would work well with this reel for casting.
Quote from: Legal Bill on January 12, 2014, 08:33:00 PM
I've decided I'm ring to try to learn how to cast a conventional reel. I'm using a Penn Long Beach for this exercise. Please let me know what rod would work well with this reel for casting.
i think Penn slammer surf rods would be good and affordable.
Quote from: Legal Bill on January 12, 2014, 08:33:00 PM
I've decided I'm ring to try to learn how to cast a conventional reel. I'm using a Penn Long Beach for this exercise. Please let me know what rod would work well with this reel for casting.
A bit off topic but if you remove 50' of line more than you are casting, put tape around the spool and wind the line back on it will save you hours of frustration.
Their are a lot of Penn Long Beaches, what is the model number of your reel? I really really like the Torque surf rods, where will you be casting from?
Ron
Thanks Bryan.
Keta, what a great piece of advice. I think you just saved me about 10 hours of picking out bird's nests.
noyb72, this will be from a boat 90% of the time.
What pound test are you looking to fish on the reel?
For casting, I would think 20 lb would be the most.
We still need to know what size Longbeach. A Longbeach 60 is totally different than a 66-68. If you are casting 20# then I'm guessing your using the 60. A medium-fast 8ft. rod rated for 20# would be good unless you are on a smaller boat and the rod is to long. If you are looking for an inexpensive option I like the Tiger-lite rods. If you are willing to spend a little more then I really like the Seeker in shore rods, but their are literally hundreds of rods in this class so the more detailed information you can give us the better.
Ron
It is a 65. Sorry for the delay in answering your question.
I really like the light Seeker for that size reel. Although a 25 pound 7-8ft Sabre would be vintage appropriate.
Ron
Like this Pacifica?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sabre-rod-pacifica-sp270c-7-15-35lb-nice-fishing-rod-/181325157843?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a37d255d3
I could be mistaken, but that looks like a newer production Sabre that was not made by the California tackle company. I am certain it would be a perfectly serviceable rod, but from what I understand the actions aren't as nice and casting is what the original Sabre boat rods were all about.
Ron
The rod in your auction link may be the same as the ones sold by Big 5 Sporting Goods. You may want to have a look if you live near one..
I think you want he honey colored ones. I bought two of them this week which are 20-50 Sabre Strokers with a soft tip for casting and when I put a reel on each I easily lifted a 15 lb dumbbell for a test.
Don't know if you picked up a rod yet or not? If not look at a look at a Calstar 800 XLH but 20 lb is max for that rod or go with a 800 L, this is what I use for a 20lb test rod and you could bump it to 25lb if needed. These are composite rods and are more pricey than all glass. If looking for all glass look at a Calstar 270-8. Also Seeker makes great rods check out a Super Seeker 270-8, Black Steel 270-8 for composites and in glass a West Coast Black Classic 270-8 or their Pinhead line D8.
As you can see I listed all 8' rods. I think you can cast 8 foot rods very far with little force. Go slow and practice.
What do you think of this graphite model?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Factory-wrapped-Sabre-GRAFAST-STROKER-GX1970C-7-Conventional-Saltwater-Rod-/231152700588?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d1c64cac
That is a cool old rod. I haven't fished a grafast but it was one of the earlier hybrid rods. To be honest when these things were made they were normally bolted to nicer reels than a Longbeach 65, but the combo would be really cool. Great rod with a reel that you can turn into something cool with some work and the tutorials on here.
Ron
Quote from: Legal Bill on February 17, 2014, 08:36:24 PM
What do you think of this graphite model?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Factory-wrapped-Sabre-GRAFAST-STROKER-GX1970C-7-Conventional-Saltwater-Rod-/231152700588?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d1c64cac
It's only a 7' rod, not an orignal Sabre and at that price I'd lood to pick up a used but in good shape 270-8. I picked up a new Calstar 800 L for only $75 more out the door. It's not a bad price but not a grate one either IMO for what your getting.
SoCalAngler,
I know you've been around but I always thought the Grafast's were built by the Ca Tackle Company.
Ron
Let me be a little more clear. You are correct Ron the Gafast's were built by California Tackle Co. and I think all came from the Carson location. I should of said that the "original" Sabra's were the all glass models and have more of a following and are also fished/collected more making them a little higher in price than the Grafast rods. The Grafast were the first US composite rods built I know of. The numbering plan for these rods were a little different from their other lines. Now I have not pulled on this blank but the GX stood for the Grafast line and the 1970 was the blank number. Not sure what the 1 stands for but 9 is the blank type or mandrill number for the blank and the 70 stands for 7.0' long. I know in a Calstar and I believe in Sabre also the 970 is a 30lb test blank but like I said I have not pulled on this GX blank so maybe it would fish 20lb fine. In Calstar glass rods there are two rods that fish 30lb best the 870 and 970 with the 970 being a bit stiffer than the 870. So if the numbering is the same with the Grafast rods it would be a little stiffer in the tip making it a higher drag setting 30lb test blank. I fish a Calstar BWC 970 as a 30lb test rod and set my drag around 9-10lbs for dropper loop and yoyo iron so my drags are set a bit higher than fishing the surface. My 970 will fish bait well also but not cast light baits as far as a 870.
I still think a 8' rod rated with 20lb test as its optimal line rating would fish and cast better than a 7' rod with 30lb and maybe a stiff 30lb at that as its best test.
Edit: IMO he still get a good used Calstar 270-8 cheaper than what their asking for the Grafast.
So I ended up with a 7 foot Shimano Teramar casting rod rated for 15 to 25 pound test. I tried two or three casts and I am having trouble with the initial launch of the lure. It just wants to shoot down into the water about 10 feet away after I release the reel with my thumb. Am I holding the reel too long? The spool seems VERY free and I get about 15 seconds of rotation time out of it when I spin it with my thumb. Yet there seems to be a good bit of inertia that I am havign trouble overcoming. Could the rod be too stiff? Should I have bought something with a real whipping action?
It is hard to diagnose this over the internet, but I would say you are holding on to the spool to long. A mentor of mine came up with an analogy that has helped many people.
Imagine you have a paint brush and you want to sling paint from a bucket on a wall in front of you. If you stop your arm or flick your wrist to early the paint goes straight up in the air, if you hold on to long the paint hits the ground in front of you. Only when you let your arm come just over your head and flick you wrist just right will the paint hit the wall. Casting is the same way, it is a feeling and is very hard to describe, but if you imagine the pole to be a long paint brush you can sling that bait against the wall.
Ron
Technique is the key. Try to find someone that can show you and once you get the feeling it is easy. The simple little longbeach 65s on the headboat cast great with crapped up rods. It is all technique.
Leave it to Lee to awnser with one word!!
Ron
Thanks guys. Next time out, I'll try for an earlier release.
Start out slow and don't try heave, sling, whip or chuck your lure or bait out. Get the feeling of casting down first, your movement should be smooth and fluid through your cast. Start by casting out maybe only 25 yards at first, get the feeling of the rod, reel and what ever your casting to work together. Notice how the rod tip will load and unload as you cast. There is no need to look where the lure is going to land at first, it should hit the water and there is alot of it around a beach, pier and boat. :) Here on the left coast we use more of a pendulum type cast and not the whip and sling type stuff you see on bass fishing shows. After you get the 25 yard cast down then go for 30 and increase your yardage little by little. Thats what I ment when I said go slow at first in a earlier post.
There is a DVD called Advanced Casting with Frank LoPreste & Randy Toussaint filmed by the TV show Inside Sportfishing by two every well know Long Range captians. For anyone new to fishing long range or just trying to learn to cast correctly with little effort this DVD is a god send. A new DVD at around $25-$30 is not cheap but the time saved by by watching someone doing it right and explaining the how and why's of what their doing could take many headaches and several hours if not days off the learning curve.
I saw some of the DVD's going for as low as $17 plus shipping.
Thanks so-cal. I'll try the pendulum like movement. I think I was whipping it like a spinning reel.
Practiced for another half hour. I think I'm getting worse. Maybe I'll do better when the weather warms up.
Is it safe to say that people can cast a whole lot further with a spinning reel?
Not really but the learning curve is steep.
The vast majority of competitive casters use conventional reels. It is like driving a station wagon or driving a Corvette on a track. It is easier to drive the wagon, but the Corvette has much more potential once you learn to unlock it.
Ron
Quote from: Keta on January 12, 2014, 09:14:02 PM
Quote from: Legal Bill on January 12, 2014, 08:33:00 PM
I've decided I'm ring to try to learn how to cast a conventional reel. I'm using a Penn Long Beach for this exercise. Please let me know what rod would work well with this reel for casting.
A bit off topic but if you remove 50' of line more than you are casting, put tape around the spool and wind the line back on it will save you hours of frustration.
This is a fantastic idea although knowing what will happen if you don't get it right is also good incentive to get it right.
Legal Bill stick with it, there is a certain satisfaction that comes from casting an overhead that isn't there when you throw a spinner...you just get addicted to that whizzing noise that spool makes.
I'm wondering about the chrome plated spool. It's heavy and seems to have a lot of inertia to overcome.
Well, I think I'm now on the right track. The trick was to use a MUCH larger lure than waht I was practicing with. I had a small 1/2 to 3/4 oz metal lure and it just could not overcome the inertia of the spool before it was heading straight down into the water. So I changed to some 6 to 8 inch wooden plugs and off they zoomed into the distance.
So my "tip" to a new-be like myself is to start with fairly large plugs. They really help you get the feel of casting a conventional reel.