How many times have you found yourself saying, “just one more cast”, before calling it a day? As avid fishermen we never seem to get enough and no day is long enough to satisfy our passion for catching fish. One of the ways to make the most of every day on the water, is to simply make the most of every cast.
Regardless of the species you’re targeting or the kind of lure you might be casting, making a longer cast covers more water and potentially contacts more fish. The key to making long casts isn’t just about winding up and letting it fly. A few carefully selected fishing aids can make every cast one to remember.
Some lures like crankbaits dive deeper when a long cast is made. This is especially true of smaller baits like the Flicker Shad that produced this nice slab crappie.
SOME LINES CAST BETTER THAN OTHERS
It’s an undeniable fact that some lines cast better than others. The more supple a line is, the better it comes off the reel and the better it slips through the rod guides. Because not all fishing lines are created equal it’s important to understand how line properties can improve your day on the water.
In general, monofilament is about the worst choice for most casting situations. On average monofilament is the thickest line for the break strength anglers can choose from. A better option would be to use a co-polymer line that is similar to monofilament, but thinner in diameter and more supple. Because co-polymer lines are softer on average they come off the reel more smoothly yielding longer casts in the bargain.
Co-polymer lines are a good choice for casting, but there are other line types worth noting. For the angler who needs extra sensitivity to detect subtle strikes, a fused line like Berkley Fireline is a good option. Fused lines are very thin, super supple and they yield pretty impressive casting distances.
Similar to fused lines are the wide variety of super braids made from Spectra Fibers on the market. Thin and exceptionally strong, a good example of a super braid would be Spider Wire. Super braids have exceptional sensitivity because they feature near zero stretch, but there are even more line categories that an avid caster must explore.
The ultimate line for casting presentations is something called NanoFil produced by Berkley. The thinnest super line on the market NanoFil is super slick and slides through line guides with next to zero friction.
Sometimes the best way to catch spooky fish from clear water is to wind up and make a mega long cast. The author used a nine foot steelhead rod to cast the Rooster Tail spinner that took this monster brook trout.
ROD LENGTH HELPS
Another way to gain valuable casting distance is to use a longer fishing rod. When we visit Lake Nipigon to target brook trout, we use or nine to 10 foot steelhead rods to cast Rooster Tail spinners. The longer rod provides more leverage to throw lighter lures further.
WHAT ABOUT MICRO GUIDES
Some rod manufacturers feature ultra small line guides called micro-guides on their premium fishing rods. The smaller guides prevent the line from slapping on the rod blank and creating extra friction during the cast. Micro guides are a cool thing, but expensive and normally found only on the most expensive graphite rods.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Making a monster long cast is a cool thing, but often a shorter but more accurate cast produces the best results. Of course making long and also accurate casts is the best of both worlds. The only way to develop exceptional casting accuracy is by fishing a lot and making tons of casts. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.