Casting Tips

Ever had that “what is he doing differently and getting much more distance then what I am” feeling whilst casting? You are not the only one, the techniques below are sure to give you that extra distance you looking for.

Picture this: you’re throwing a ball, what comes first your bodyweight or the movement of your arms? If you’re throwing correctly your bodyweight should come first followed by your arms. The same applies for a cast; your arms stay behind you as your bodyweight is moved from your back foot to the front, only after the shift in bodyweight should your arms come to play.

But what do you do with your arms thereafter? If you are right handed it is important for all the work to be done with the left hand when bringing your arms into the cast, and vice versa if you are left-handed. Most of us face he common problem of punching the lead out with our dominant hand. Your dominant hand should merely be acting as a fulcrum while the non-dominant hand pulls the rod butt towards your chest. Using your arms correctly coupled with shifting your body weight is where the power in the cast comes from.

More importantly than power in a cast, is the speed and timing of it. You are supposed to be trying to get the lead to travel through the widest arc it can in the shortest period of time so that it is travelling as fast as it can before it’s released. The faster the lead moves the further it will fly. Your left arm should be used to pivot the rod around to the right causing the lead to travel in an arc, where it can build more speed and distance. If you are casting using your right hand, the lead follows the tip of the rod and catapults in a straight, giving you less distance. It is also essential for your right arm to be fully extended above your head. This technique increases the arc around which the lead travels. Longer rods may be helpful with this too.

Before casting you need to set your drop (the line between the tip and the lead). The lead should be in line with the spigot/joint, resulting in a drop that is half the length of the rod. Try to be consistent with the length of the drop on every cast; altering it will have an effect on the casting distance, and more crucially, your accuracy. To compensate for a difference in drop you will have to change the timing of your cast.

Ever wondered where you should be looking when casting? Most people look at the water, resulting in a lead being released too late in the cast and flying too low which hampers the distance. Try getting the lead to travel away from you at a 45° angle. Where you look is the direction the lead will travel, so look at treetops on the far bank, for example. Note that if you are casting at crosswind, casting lower and using a heavier lead will reduce the effect the wind has on its trajectory.

Another common error is stopping the rod too late. It may be difficult but you want to stop the rod dead at a 45° angle in front of you. The aim is to build the speed of the cast gradually then to stop it at its fastest point. Allowing the rod to follow through too far slows down the most important part of the cast, the end, before releasing the lead. Stopping the rod hard at the correct end point transfers all the power lead.

Timing is critical. There is less room for mistakes when a rod is more powerful and fast-auctioned. You want to load your road smoothly throughout the cast, building up to an explosive end before stopping the road. Like anything else, to master this you need to practise and gain the feel of it, but the correct timing together with the basics of casting (such as having your spool filled correctly) , will add metres to any cast.

For any angler crack-offs are a nightmare. They occur when the action of the rod is too soft. Slack lines are no less of a nightmare especially when it 4 to 5 metres long. They cause frap-ups around the butt ring. To combat this hold the line close to the reel as you cast.

With the tips listed above the Anglers around you will surely be having that “what is he doing differently and getting much more distance then what I am” feeling. This will also give you that Screamin Reels and Tight Lines you looking for.