Critique my casting technique!

[pjstevko]

One of my goals for 2023 is to catch a yt on a surface iron and seeing as how I'm not great at casting conventional reels I figured I better start practicing. I've been going down to the local lake once a week and spend 2 hours practicing my casting. I've been practicing several times now and can get the surface iron out about 140-170' fairly consistently and the sniper gets launched 180-210'. I figured if I wanted help with my technique I better video a practice session so.....

I went down to the lake this morning, setup the tri pod and took a bunch of casts. I started out casting a 4oz sinker, then a 3.6oz surface iron and finished with a 120g coltsniper.

If you're not interested in watching the sinker casting fast forward to about the 4 minute mark.

If anyone has any guesses on the brand and model of the jig stick I'd appreciate the information.

Hope you enjoy the video

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Bmkq5bP9IaU&feature=shares

[MarkT]

I wouldn't just extend my left hard but would pull back with the left hand on the cast to decrease the radius of the curve and increase the speed of the jig... more snap!

As Jamie said, you need to tighten it up!

[Cor]

This is the way I fish so I should be able to do what's requested.
At my own peril, no critique just some light hearted general comments!

    • When practice casting in an area with a foul bottom or on a field, best to remove the hooks and just use a sinker.
    • With some casts it looks like you're not loading the rod but with others it looks fine.  I think on that rig a casting weigh of 120 gr should be plenty. 
    • You probably want your lure to pop on to the surface sometimes and if your lure is too heavy it will only do that with a very fast wind.
    • Your retrieve speed looks spot on.
    • Watch your lure not the reel........  I know, if you don't lay the line on to the reel properly your next cast could be a disaster.
    • Those gold Trinidad's are still considered very suitable for the job!
    • Your casting style is fine and will become more relaxed with another 10 000 casts.
    • Usually casting distance is not important, especially if you're not sight fishing and on a boat.
     

[steelfish]

I wouldn't just extend my left hard but would pull back with the left hand on the cast to decrease the radius of the curve and increase the speed of the jig... more snap!

2x



Im not an expert but like to casting from the beach with casting reels so, I have some experience and read and practiced a lot few years ago, then just applied the same for surface irons casting and heavy spoons.

As my amigo Mark said, you need to pull with your left elbow and arm (like if you were using a Axe to cut wood) at the end of the casting and made sudden stop to catapult the lure

also, I noticed that your body is not aligned with the direction of the cast (and your head), both feet are pointing to the left in every moment of the cast while you end the cast with your head, arms and lure to the front of the lake, you have two options, stand with you body (shoulders and feet) already pointing to the spot where you want to cast and just make the casting with your arms again like if you were using an Axe, or you can stand as you are doing it on the video (both feet to the left) but during the cast you have to rotate you body and both feet to the direction of the cast, check my arrows in RED and GREEN

also check the surf fishing powercast image Im posting, try to follow the BODY Movements in your next practice but without starting with the lure on the floor as that only works for surffishing style OTG (off the Ground).

lastly, try to relax your right shoulder and keep it at the same height of your left shoulder, the more relaxed your body is when casting the less tired you will be when casting 200 times on a day or more.

[Donnyboat]

Yes his left hand should be pulling the but of the rod in as the rod tip passes over his should, also when that man started casting his luer should have been down near the plastic container, on the ground behind him, some other points I learnt recently, braid line sometime digs in to itself on the spool, if that happens then your line will snap, best to use mono, also un lubed ceramic bearings will turn much faster than lube metal bearings. I spent a day with some long distance caster recently,  they were constantly casting 175 Metres, one bloke was geting over 200 metre most of the time, his best cast on the day was 220 metres, but a lot of his casts were not all that straight, like the bloke casting 175 meters. hope this helps, cheers Don.

[pjstevko]

I removed the butt cap (size 22) on the rod and didn't see any markings so I'm still trying to figure out the brand and model....

[Bill B]

Good advice from all above.  I have no critique but would recommend casting underhand.  So when you are next to the boat cabin and unable to overhead cast you can pitch out underhand.  That's something I need to practice.  Bill

[Gfish]

Good. You seem to be paying attention to the back-cast, both the lure location and the pendulum motion and not trying for distance/accuracy. That's how I'd do it. Once you get that down, then I'd concentrate on accuracy first, then distance.
The golf dudes prolly teach people to swing like that, first hit the ball level, then straight, then for distance.

Yeah, an underhand cast and maybe a sidearm'er.

[MarkT]

Underhand works better with a Sardine than a surface iron although a spinner cast underhand can get it out there pretty good.