Casting Distances

[crankbait lover]

I am wondering just what is an average casting distance with a baitcasting rod n reel would be.i have the new curado I reel and an using a 7' med heavy rod 10 lb line and am getting a measley 30 yards average casting distance,is this any good I want to get say 45-50 yards average,so if you guy's can give me some pointers on rod's etc to get more distance on my casts,i would surely appreciate it.

[frogflogger]

two hand casting will help if your're not doing it - what weight are you throwing that distance? - one easy way to increase distance is have more line out between your rod tip and lure - practice -practice - there's a tendency to overestimate casting distance.

[Tartan34]

What are you throwing on it?  Bait and weight?

[MemphisFF]

Love my I...

Casting my red eye lipless a long way.. Like everyone says what are ya throwing..?

[crankbait lover]

am using a 1/2 oz crankbait ,, couple different makes,, am casting in backyard have marked off exactly 30 40 50 yards and can only achieve 30 yards on my casts..curado I reel,, 7 foot med-heavyrod,,,, 10 lb line I feel I should be getting more then 30 yards average cast

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

What are your brake settings?

1/2oz cranks should  fly with one internal brake on, and 1-3 on the dial, loose spool tension.

[WdyCrankbait]

Yeah, I dont have a Curado 200I, but my Curado E's can throw that size and type lure a long way!  

 

First, welcome to the forums!!

 

Second, try this, take your combo rigged up and go out in your backyard and hold it out parallel with the ground.  Release the spool and let the lure fall to the ground.  if the lure is falling very fast, stop it with your thumb before it hits the ground and you get a backlash.  My guess is with your 30 yard casts you have not backlashed often?  This exercise is designed to let the lure hit the ground and preventing the spool from free running.  Adjust the side tensioner knob to dial in the fall rate to prevent backlash.  Once you get that set, that should be your restrictive say "baseline," setting.  you can get more aggressive from there.  Meaning, freeing up the spool.

 

I use two hands to cast.  I would use my 7'-2" Med Heavy rod so, we are in the same ball park.  Also, do you step into the cast?  Try that, throw it like you're angry at it and let the reel sing!  

 

hope this helps and again welcome to the forums!!

[new2BC4bass]

How long have you been using a baitcast reel?  Obviously the harder you throw the further you can cast....within reason.  However, if your reel is set up right you can get some very good distances without pulling any muscles. 

 

Sometimes a little less power and a little more technique will result in a longer cast.

 

I can't honestly say how far I can cast.  Never measured any.   I do know that I can't reach the 100 yards some of these guys do.  I can unload over half a spool, so 60 yards is possible for me...maybe a tad further.

 

One tip I was told to do was fill the spool for max distance.  All my spools get filled to where the bevel starts on the reel.  Another was to keep spool tension just tight enough to remove side-to-side play.  Mine are almost alway set up this way.  It did require me to spend more time learning to control the spool.

[WRB]

This is a favorite topic; actual casting distance vs estimated casting distance,

You local football field is the best judge. Stand at the goal line and make you're best cast, yardage is measured!

What you find is 50 yards is a long distance!

Tom

[BobP]

Testing a group of experienced non-professional fishermen, a measured average cast was 70 ft and a long cast was 100 ft.  Don't get caught up in the hyperbole about casting distance because guys tend to confuse feet with yards!  You're doing OK. 

[primetime]

If new to using a baitcasting reel and distance is important, I would suggest using a nylon monofilament and avoid any fluorocarbon or braids until you can achieve the distance you want with 10lb trilene xl which I find to be one of the easiest lines to handle on any reel.

 

Just make sure the box labeled Mono is actually Nylon and not a copoly as Fluoro and nylon hybrid lines are popular and companies call lines Mono, and are actually a mix so they test out higher in strenght etc.....Line companies play so many games so I like to buy trilene original or stren mono as I have used it for years and it is still great line.

 

You have an awesome reel, and I would work on accurracy and flipping/pitching as well as distance since accuracy and getting your baits to land quietly are often the most important part of bass fishing. Many times I am only tossing baits 10-20 feet, but pin point accuracy and skipping or low trajectory is key to catching fish or getting shut out...The idea of having to cast far is over rated in my opinion unless throwing a crankbait or c-rig to find fish in a hurry.

[John G]

Don't believe the hype in what anyone says about their casting distances IF they haven't measured their casts or IF they are not casting to an object and they actually know the distance. WRB is right...go to a football and cast and you will learn real quick that 150' is a lot farther than it seems.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

[ColdSVT]

Psh i can cast 100yds easy...in three casts lol

[bootytrain]

While that's a far cast I don't believe its 100 yards. The wide angle of the camera distorts things. 100 ft is decent with crankbaits that have lips which catch air and slow things down a lot. Its crazy how the littlest things on a lure can cause aerodynamic drag and affect cast distances.

[dave]

Someone usually finds a post I made years ago and reposts it.  It goes sort of like this...

 

Go to your local football field and stand at the goal line.  Make your best cast.  I think you'll be surprised  that what you thought was a mile,  well,  it's not quite as far as you thought it was...

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Casting distance is not nearly as important as accuracy when it come to putting fish in the boat. About the only applications I'm concerned with distance is deep cranking so the bait can reach and stay in the strike zone longer and maybe casting to bass busting schools of bait on the surface. You don't have time to reposition every time this happens.

[stkbassn]

I am wondering just what is an average casting distance with a baitcasting rod n reel would be.i have the new curado I reel and an using a 7' med heavy rod 10 lb line and am getting a measley 30 yards average casting distance,is this any good I want to get say 45-50 yards average,so if you guy's can give me some pointers on rod's etc to get more distance on my casts,i would surely appreciate it.

 

 

I had my hands on this reel at Sportsmans Warehouse the other day. It's a sweet feeling reel. I will be buying one very soon! Like this afternoon! HA!

[rippin-lips]

I was curious about this the other day myself and performed a distance test. I was using a 7'2 mh rod and throwing a keitech 4.8 with an 1/8oz keel weighted 4/0 hook. Without killing myself, I was getting around 110-115ft. So that's right at 37 yards. For me it's plenty of distance.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

OP, what lures were you using when you measured 30 yds? That is not a bad distance for some lures, but it isn't astounding for others. If you were casting a balsa crank or a lightweight jerkbait, 30 yds is not bad at all.

 

If you were casting a heavier lure like a bigger crank or jig, than it could be your reel. I would take that sucker apart and check out the spool bearings. They might be stuffed up with grease. Flush em out with some acetone or simple green and reoil with one drop. For more details on flushing in case you are new to it, there is plenty of info on this website that can be found through a quick search.

[David D.]

I cast just far enough to get stuck in the closest tree.... Every time.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

 

 

While that's a far cast I don't believe its 100 yards. The wide angle of the camera distorts things. 100 ft is decent with crankbaits that have lips which catch air and slow things down a lot. Its crazy how the littlest things on a lure can cause aerodynamic drag and affect cast distances.

By the way for anyone wondering, that isn't me in the vid. Just saw it the other day and decided to post it here to stir the thread up a little.

 

He says he was using a 1 oz spool style lure with no hook. If you look up the name of that spoon you can see that it is extremely aero dynamic. I think it was definitely 70+ yds. The spoon would cut through the air so quickly and the thing was flying for a solid couple of seconds.

[primetime]

I once saw Michael Vick throw a football a 100 yards on tv......Anything is possible with practice, and editing. I did not watc the above video, but I tend to find that most guys can all throw an equal weighted lure on the same line the same distance for the most part after a few years of time with a casting reel.....Limp Nylon Mono like Trilene Xl allows me to get the most distance, but 50 yards seems like alot, but I am sure I could do it with wind at my back, two handed cast from the side, and a large 8 oz Berkley Power Mullet on the end.....I actually spend a few hours every month practicing my flipping into a small pond in my complex and find that to be the most beneficial and distance not so much. I also find that watching how my lures react underwater to be extremely helpful so I can tune them and have them ready to hunt.

[jbsoonerfan]

While that's a far cast I don't believe its 100 yards. The wide angle of the camera distorts things. 100 ft is decent with crankbaits that have lips which catch air and slow things down a lot. Its crazy how the littlest things on a lure can cause aerodynamic drag and affect cast distances.

 

 

LOL, I said it the last time that video was posted. It shows nothing.

[LurknandJerkn]

Guys, it’s all about the math. Cast a lure, count the cranks on the way in, and multiply by your gears retrieval rate. For example, I was casting a 1/2oz spinner bait with a 3.8” trailer just this morning, and I cranked 72 times. My retrieval rate is 26” per turn. 72x26=1,872 inches, 1,872/12 ipf = 156ft, 156ft /3 fpy = 52 yards. I should note, this is a brand new rod and reel.  7’4” St. Croix BassX MH/MF with a Curado DC 6.2 on setting 2. I should be able to increase this by 5-10 yards easily with a little more practice, and the reel on setting 1 for max distance.