Reel Repair by Alan Tani

What is the longest cast you would be required to make with surface irons? 

  if you can get 40-50 yds no birdnest and where you want it, most of the time you'll be fine. Doesn't sound like much but on a boat that's rocking, not a great foot plant, watching behind you that's pretty good. Casting on flat land is different

Depends on how close the boat gets to the fish 

What Sheridan stated above is just fine most of the time

The answer is - to the fish.  Coming from myself as someone that is mediocre at best on casting, you will be fine. I used to really stress it to, but it's not that big a deal. Bomber casts are cool but keep in mind there is a deckhand lobbing sardines out there by hand - and they don't go very far.  But the basics:  ALWAYS look behind you at your iron, and follow it as you cast.  As many a Captain has said: "The ocean is over there, you're not gonna miss it."  But there are a lotta things/people you can nail on the backside if you are not careful. - john

Quote from: Swami805 on May 29, 2026, 09:09:05 PM if you can get 40-50 yds no birdnest and where you want it, most of the time you'll be fine. Doesn't sound like much but on a boat that's rocking, not a great foot plant, watching behind you that's pretty good. Casting on flat land is different

Wait.

You guys are using 10 ft and longer rods with cast control reels so you can throw a surface iron typically no more than 120-150 feet?

Something does not compute.

-J

Quote from: jurelometer on Today at 02:42:01 AM

Quote from: Swami805 on May 29, 2026, 09:09:05 PM if you can get 40-50 yds no birdnest and where you want it, most of the time you'll be fine. Doesn't sound like much but on a boat that's rocking, not a great foot plant, watching behind you that's pretty good. Casting on flat land is different

Wait.

You guys are using 10 ft and longer rods with cast control reels so you can throw a surface iron typically no more than 120-150 feet?

Something does not compute.

-J

Not to mention these lures are kinda heavy. But then I've always been very distance- oriented. I even learned how to build my own rods so I could get further casts.

Would say as far as you can. Casting is not hard with some practice.

Cheers

Todd

I should have mentioned I only have an 8' rod, Fishing Syndicate 800M.  At this point, using an Avet MXL, I can reach ~210'.  I will soon be switching to an Okuma PCH 801H with a Fathom 25NSD for surface irons.  Not sure how much more distance, if any, I need.

Could somebody enlighten me about surface irons?  Seems to be a left coast thing. What might a mid Atlantic fisherman catch with one?  Do they break the surface of the water?  Last time I tried an overhead cast on a party boat I got smacked down by the captain on the PA. I could imagine they might be good for mahi.

Quote from: Decker on Today at 03:30:50 AMCould somebody enlighten me about surface irons?  Seems to be a left coast thing. What might a mid Atlantic fisherman catch with one?  Do they break the surface of the water?  Last time I tried an overhead cast on a party boat I got smacked down by the captain on the PA. I could imagine they might be good for mahi.

Cast aluminum jigs, typically  with a treble out the back. Average length around 6-8 inch, average weight 2-3 oz.  Completely flat on one side, so the flat side rides up.  You cast out and fish them near the surface with a medium fast to fast retrieve. You have to control the speed to optimize the action.  There is a fairly narrow speed range where the action is optimal.  They don't break the surface much unless there is a chop.  They typically run very shallow though. A preferred jig in Southern California and Mexico (Pacific/Sea of Cortez) when yellowtail jack are feeding on he surface. Yellowtail love them.  But they also love lots of other surface lures in this situation.  So it is sort of a regional bias.

The Tady 45 is considered a classic:

https://charkbait.com/products/tady-45-light-surface-irons

They are extremely easy to cast.  And as saltwater lures go, they are on the inexpensive side.

You can catch tuna, mahi, amberjack, striped bass, and anything else that feed on the surface and want a lure of this size and speed. But lots of other lures work in this situation, as the target species are actively feeding.

-J

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on Today at 02:50:15 AMNot to mention these lures are kinda heavy. But then I've always been very distance- oriented. I even learned how to build my own rods so I could get further casts.

Surface irons are just about as easy as it gets for lure casting if the rod is matched. Very streamlined and the density is not so high, so you don't have to be as perfect on your timing, but not so low that it doesn't carry far far when you launch it.

IMHO, 120 feet is about the minimum that you can cast easily with this payload. To cast overhead a shorter distance should actually require more skill.  And these guys are something like 8 ft above the water on the casting deck.

I was recently teaching an inexperienced person to cast with a 400 series saltwater levelwind and a two ounce plug at the local fly casting pond that is marked out at 100ft.  The goal was to land the plug within three feet of the pond edge.   More casts cleared the three foot fence at the end of the pond than landed short.

Something does not compute.

-J

And while we are on the subject, avoid the number one rookie mistake:  Don't try to set the hook when your surface iron gets bit.  Just keep winding the same until the fish hooks itself.  The stop and swing is not a very productive way to get the hook set.

-J

Casting off flat ground is one thing, casting off the bow of a sport boat is another. Surface irons aren't very aerodynamic, a 2-3 oz hung of lead will go much farther. 
The conditions for getting a long bomber cast usually aren't available.