Long distance casting

[Donnygooner]

Just looking for tips on how to improve my casting. My technique I don't think is too bad. I'm just wondering what leads achieve the most distance, and how to avoid snap offs( havnt had this happen, though it worries me). I use fox 12000 reels, and 3lb tc rods. 3oz leads generally but I'm unsure what shape lead gets the best distance, Thanks

[Gazlaaar]

I'm not as good as some of the guys on here and I can only suggest what I do and use.

Firstly convert the poundage of your test curve into ounces then add half an ounce, that'll give you your optimum casting weight.

Tighten your clutch right up

Have a good drop on your line, the lead around the spigot joint on your rod is a good point.

I use a braided shockleader 

Most importantly use a finger stall, generally speaking, if you aren't putting your casting finger at risk, your not casting hard enough.

Try to get the cast as near to 45 degrees as possible.

If your right handed, left foot in front, right foot behind and transfer your weight from the back foot to the front whilst casting.

That's how I do it, I'm sure there will be other methods

Ooo last but not least, tournament leads and helicopter rigs. Make sure your rod rings are wet. 

 

Edited November 7, 2017 by Gazlaaar

[Donnygooner]

That method of what weight to use will now stick in my mind so cheers for that. Are shock leaders a absolulute necessity? I'm pretty new to carping and heard talk of shock leaders but have yet tried to tie one. I definitely go gentle in my cast so as not to get a snap off. I havnt had one yet thankfully. But it is on my mind always. Think i need to watch some YouTube videos on how to tie these 😓. Also off to google tournament leads . Thanks mate 👍🏻

[Gazlaaar]

Chillfactor  (phil) will be able to tell you more, he's a good caster, he's done some tuition with Terry Edmonds. If you look on YouTube,  look up Terry Edmonds and Mark Hutchinson, both are at the top of the game. 

I was using 12lb daiwa sensor with esp 45lb shockleader and getting roughly 115 to 120 yards waste deep in water, I'm sure I could of gotten further from the bank.

The length of shockleader I keep fairly simple, from bail are to bail arm. In other words, from the bail arm all the way up to the tip ring and back.

 

Edited November 7, 2017 by Gazlaaar

[chillfactor]

What sort of distance are you looking for Danny ? there may be no need for a leader 

[yonny]

Get on YouTube buddy , you'll learn more than we can explain on here in half the time. Video yourself casting to see what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. If you're worried about  cracking off you'll lose a lot of distance Mate, you really need the confidence to hit it.

[nigewoodcock]

During our first day with Terry Edmonds, I was hitting 150 easily with 12ft 3lb rods, 3oz zip lead and .35mm line straight through. My biggest cast was just shy of 160yards on that set up. 

It is more technique than equipment. Although the latter does play its part.

film yourself side on, in slow motion. Then watch terry Edmonds in slow mo on you tube. This will show you when you are loading the rod. I actually slowed the first part of my cast down after advice from terry.  Giving the rod more time to load before generating maximum lead speed. 

I could cast pretty tidy before our lessons but having him tweak my technique, and practising it since, I can now hit what was my maximum with greater ease and far more accuracy. I can cast longer now but my main objective from the lessons was casting straight, at distance. Now, if I am faced with big winds etc, I can still fish comfortably at big distances if needed. 

[salokcinnodrog]

1 hour ago, Dannygooner said:

Just looking for tips on how to improve my casting. My technique I don't think is too bad. I'm just wondering what leads achieve the most distance, and how to avoid snap offs( havnt had this happen, though it worries me). I use fox 12000 reels, and 3lb tc rods. 3oz leads generally but I'm unsure what shape lead gets the best distance, Thanks

You may find that you can cast as far with 2.75lb TC rods as you can with 3.25lb; it is very much down to technique, and being able to generate the tip speed on the cast.

 

For example, bank to bank at Wick lane dam is around 125metres, I could cast that with 2.75lb TC rods, 15lb line Aerlex 8000's and 3oz leads.

To get the best out of my 3.25lb TC's I have to go up to 3.5oz leads.

 

The rod itself, you are not going to cast as far with a cheap budget blank as a more expensive better built rod, with better materials, despite what the lovely manufacturers tell you. The technology and materials of my Century SP's is better than the materials of my Rod Hutchinson The Ones, and The Ones do not add much more distance, as much as I practise casting.

When I get to cast out I physically go through my casting action, like a golfers practise swing. I check my feet, hand positions, even the swing. I also have a practise cast to wet the line and the rings.

 

Long distance casting in snag free waters mean you can use a shock leader, and to be honest, fine your line down. If you don't need 15lb line, and can safely drop to 12 or 10lb then do so. Before anyone calls me irresponsible, bear in mind, in water basically your line will take 4 times its breaking strain, so 40lb on 10lb, and playing a fish safely, carefully, you can land bigger than that. 

 

Ballistics:

Lead shapes, look at bullets, shells, for rifles, tapering down from a point, so go to tournament leads, they do get best distance with pears not far behind.

The angle that you cast at is the angle the lead hits the water, and 45degrees is the angle at which you gain most distance, obviously wind and feathering down will have an effect on that.

Keep your rigs tidy, as short as possible. I still prefer to use run rings, rather than helicopter leads, although I do know that sacrifices a few metres, but helicopter set-ups I have found give funny takes, and using that heli set-up, you will need a shockleader as the lead and rig do frag the line. (Incidentally it is that fragging the line that was the reason for leadcore, not its supposed sinking).

Inline leads, because of the swivel or rig coming out the front wobble in flight.

 

Give your cast everything you can, don't hold back, holding back will cost you distance. 

[chillfactor]

watching back a Video of yourself casting is a great tip , slow motion is even better ( most phones have this function ) you can break down  each individual part of the cast & really see what  huge differences there are when you get it right & wrong  & really see what your doing rather than what you think your doing . 

150 - 160 should be achievable without a leader 15lb straight through.  

Just practice is the best advice & try a selection of leads some distance leads really wabble through the air , some are better for cross winds etc .

 

 

 

[Donnygooner]

27 minutes ago, chillfactor said:

What sort of distance are you looking for Danny ? there may be no need for a leader 

I think I'm hitting 90 yards/ish anyways, without giving it too much force. I read an old post in here during the summer about snap offs and it made me proper wary. Last thing I wanna do is take a dog walkers head off with a stray lead lol.90 yards not much I know but that really is due to me not forcing it out of fear. I've seen fish crashing at around 120 yards a few times now and it's frustrating me

[Donnygooner]

Thanks fellas. I have 15lb Diawa line on a fox warrior z 3lb tc rod , So I think I'll give it a go without a shock leader for now. The water I'm fishing is vast and I'm pretty sure even if I did get a snap off it wouldn't hit the other side, I hope. Lol. I'm going to look online at casting videos before I go too. Advice much appreciated , cheers 👍🏻

[chillfactor]

if you can, practice giving it some stick out of harms way .... miss timing the release will be the biggest cause of cracking off with us mere mortals... blokes like Terry are a whole different level . 

[Donnygooner]

Yeah I'm actually pretty safe on the water I'm on to be honest. I'm going to give it some welly and see how i get on

[salokcinnodrog]

28 minutes ago, Dannygooner said:

Thanks fellas. I have 15lb Diawa line on a fox warrior z 3lb tc rod , So I think I'll give it a go without a shock leader for now. The water I'm fishing is vast and I'm pretty sure even if I did get a snap off it wouldn't hit the other side, I hope. Lol. I'm going to look online at casting videos before I go too. Advice much appreciated , cheers 👍🏻

Accept a crack-off will go roughly 4 times as far as a cast

[Donnygooner]

1 hour ago, salokcinnodrog said:

Accept a crack-off will go roughly 4 times as far as a cast

Haha now you've got me worried again mate, think I'll need to learn how to tie a shock leader. Fishing was all so simple as a kid 😂. But yeah in all seriousness, taking out someone with a stray lead isn't my aim. I've been fishing a swim near lodge lane salok. Only a few days. No luck but I'm not expecting anything to be honest. I found a nice drop of ledge not too far out. Pre baited it and fished it to no prevail. Anyhow I saw a few shows the last day at about 120 yards. Maybe a bit more. That's why I've been pondering my casting 

[chillfactor]

perhaps start with lighter leads say 2 oz even miss timing one your 15lb line will take the strain . Your get used to leaning into the cast & getting your weight forward onto your front leg & then casting.  as you get into a grove step the weight up . I really don't think you should need a leader for 120 & 15lb line especially sensor pretty tough so I here . 

[Donnygooner]

I'm over there Friday so I think I'll drop the lead size as you say and give it some welly. But I'm going to start learning about shock leaders regardless, to add to my artillery. I only started fishing properly this summer and have been doing it on my own. Aided by YouTube and google. All advice greatly appreciated 👍🏻

[Gazlaaar]

I think the lads on here would all agree that most anglers subconsciously hold themselves back for fear of rod breakages or cracking off. Do as chilly suggests, start low until you get the feel, a day practicing on your water will bring you closer.

This is the knot I've used for years, as mentioned before, the length, bail arm to bail arm.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by Gazlaaar

[salokcinnodrog]

8 hours ago, chillfactor said:

perhaps start with lighter leads say 2 oz even miss timing one your 15lb line will take the strain . Your get used to leaning into the cast & getting your weight forward onto your front leg & then casting.  as you get into a grove step the weight up . I really don't think you should need a leader for 120 & 15lb line especially sensor pretty tough so I here . 

Starting with the lighter leads will actually get you to generate the tip speed for casting, although going to heavier leads will change the momentum slightly.

 

Its Daiwa Sensor I used for a lot of years, in 15lb, and its not a bad casting line, supple, not wiry. The theory is that for each ounce of lead, you need 10lb breaking strain of line, although as said 15lb Daiwa Sensor takes the brunt of a 3oz lead, anymore and make sure you shock up.

 

With shockleaders, I actually use a different knot to Gaz, that knot works with the overhand hitch on the thicker line, it works with braid to mono, mono to mono when there is quite a difference in diameters.

[Donnygooner]

More knot learning 😓. Haha. Currently fishing as we speak. Not on ardleigh though. Cheers salok, going to have a go at setting up my rods tonight ready for some heavy duty casting 

[marker]

good call, I leaned my casting by watching terry Edmonds and mark Hutchinson on youtube, I got a mate to film me then asked him and a few others to pick faults which over time I ironed out 

[Machali]

What are the best rigs to long cast?

Usually I use braided hoolink, but even using an antitangle, sometimes when I recover I see that the hooklink is rolled in the main line, so I'm spending hours without a functional rig 😕

[salokcinnodrog]

58 minutes ago, Machali said:

What are the best rigs to long cast?

Usually I use braided hoolink, but even using an antitangle, sometimes when I recover I see that the hooklink is rolled in the main line, so I'm spending hours without a functional rig 😕

Nice to see a new question on the same topic on a thread.

A lot of the time as you pick up the rod and move the lead, the hooklink can tangle around the mainline, especially with fine mono and braids.

When you cast, feather it down, that pushes the hook and bait away from the lead. As it falls, obviously the end tackle follows it down, it can coil around the lead as it lands. On picking up, it then tangles, making you wonder for how long. PVA'ing it up tidily can cure the problem, as can a stringer or mess.

Even coated braid can tangle if it has been stripped or hinged, or is fairly soft and supple.

With an anti-tangle, I found a stiff shrink tube is better than many softer anti-tangle sleeves which can bend and flex up.

 

Obviously PVA stringers, even a single bait on PVA, can reduce tangles, but sometimes to get maximum distance a single bait is best. For that I will often go to a stiffer hooklink material, a totally uncoated braid, a stiff mono or fluorocarbon. 

[elmoputney]

I was once Messing around with a putter on a driving range, that made the golf balls fly, one swing I snapped the head of the putter, that went about twice as far as the ball, 😀

 

On 07/11/2017 at 22:10, salokcinnodrog said:

Accept a crack-off will go roughly 4 times as far as a cast

That just reminded me of that so I thought I would share it, 

It would be quite handy having a driving range to practice casting on though

[chillfactor]

3 hours ago, Machali said:

What are the best rigs to long cast?

Usually I use braided hoolink, but even using an antitangle, sometimes when I recover I see that the hooklink is rolled in the main line, so I'm spending hours without a functional rig 😕

The helicopter lead set up will travel the furthest & is pretty bullet proof for presentation so might be worth a look for you . But like Nick mentions stopping that line & kicking it all out just before it hits the water & feeling the lead down,  should see a pendant set up fishing fine no matter what range . Try reeling in slower & smoother as it could be just tangling on the way in if the rods  bouncing around a lot .