Long verses short casts.

[WRB]

Which will produce the most bass during a days outing, the short precise target cast or the longer less accurate cast?

Not a simple question to answer.

For the shoreline bank pounder who is flipping or pitching less than 30' accuracy is important. For the same shoreline bank pounder casting crankbaits or top water lures a longer less accurate cast allows the lure to be in the water longer and cover more area.

For the deep structure angler sometimes fishing vertical is better then horizontal and fishing 30' straight down is a lot easier to detect and get good hook sets becomes important. Same structure angler making extra long casts with a crankbait or swimbait over 40 to 50 yards, allows the lure to get deeper or cover more area, similar to the bank pounder using the same lures.

I prefer to make the shortest cast possible and still get strikes, sometimes that isn't a possibility and making very long cast is needed to reach the bass or get the lure down in front of them.

Cover changes how we present lures, heavy requires shorter casts while sparse cover allows a choice. Bright sunlight changes how we target bass, if docks or weed mats provide shade we can make short accurate casts. Bright sunlight with flat calm water bass tend to be spooked easily by boats or anything going near them, longer casts may be needed. Low light and night the bass are less spooky and shorter casts are more productive.

The answer is there is a time and place for both short and longer casts.

Tom

[A-Jay]

Good Topic Tom and it's something that can & often is overlooked & under valued as an important skill. 

My fishing requires some of both.

However, even with the longer casting requirements, there simply must be certainly level of accuracy.

Perhaps not quite as tight as the shorter target hunting variety, but if I'm 10 feet off on a long edge, deep weedline, or small hump for instance - I'm probably not getting bit.

So, I'll go on to say that casting accuracy, regardless of length is something I believe routinely contributes to success.

Always trying to get better & more confident with every type - not the best dock skipper though.

Fortunately there aren't that many instances where I'm doing it - but I'm still working on it.

A-Jay 

[Todd2]

Definitely a time and place for both. I like to straddle that thermocline line (8-12feet here) and launch crankbaits as far as I can parallel Or no more than a 45 degree to the bank. Plastics, I probably only throw 1/2 that distance but I work it back to the boat even a jiggle Or two vertically before bringing it up. 

[gim]

I assume you meant "short" casts in the title of the thread, not "shot" casts.  And by reading your initial post to start the thread, I think you did.  Regardless, I believe that accuracy is more important than distance if given a choice between the two.  When fishing clear water, I know its important to get your cast a long ways away from the boat to avoid spooking fish.  I was floating a river yesterday for smallmouth in a canoe and we would simply cast to shoreline structure as we slowly floated by.  The bigger fish were holding near wood in the shade (overhanging branches, logs, etc).  If you didn't hit a spot about the size of a dinner plate one of 2 things happened: you either hit the obstruction and got snagged, or you shorted it and didn't get the lure in the strike zone.

[38 Super Fan]

No love for the humble intermediate cast?

[scaleface]

Good timing . The last two days I was fishing a lot of shore-line cover .I usually make short cast then pitch for pin-point accuracy .I'm suffering from  tendinitis  in the elbow and could not pitch . I've said it before , my biggest weakness in bass fishing is side-arm casting accuracy . Man , I'm bad at it . I went to a larger worm , smaller weight so my splash-downs would be more natural  sounding , less alarming .A lot of times it would land right on top of the bass and they would nail it . I learned a little in those two days  and will be using the larger worms lighter weights more often .

[Looch]

Casting to where the buffet line is pretty much what I do. Long cast/short cast, whatever it takes. 

[Montanaro]

I catch more fish on shorter casts.

 

 

But in clear water the long cast is far more productive.  Hitting the same target at medium to short will not result in a fish...but when sit back and make that accurate cast it is almost like you turn on a light switch.

 

Sort of like a shotgun versus sniper rifle analogy

[Catt]

I utilize all 3

 

Long, intermediate, & short

 

I start working my targets at casting distance, move up to pitching distance, & finish at flipping distance.

 

The only time I do not is punching matted vegetation.

[WRB]

Thanks, "short" cast, just 1 of my many typo's.

I find myself making longer casts than necessary because of the success doing it. After so many years casting over 40 to 50 yards a 30 yard cast seems short but is probably the distance I prefer to set up my boat position to make. For me intermediate casting distance is between  50' to 75' and the distance I prefer to horizontally fish at night and most anglers cast during the day light.

Our small SoCal lakes get tremendous bass fishing pressure from anglers fishing shoreline targets and any big bass has learned to swim away from the structure as the boats approach. I learned approaching from a different direction and making long cast can make a big difference. Consider that everyone of the giant bass I have caught over 15 lbs came on casts over 100 feet, usually over 120 feet using jigs. The bass haven't seen a lure from a boat that far away and reacted by striking it becuase they weren't spooked by my presence. There isn't any other explanation.

Regarding accuracy my 100' + cast is usually with 3' of were I wanted it, depending on the wind. At night my accuracy isn't good do to poor depth perception, been known to miss by 20' up on the bank or into a tree!

Tom

[NiX]

I like the cast that is most successful. I like to consider myself pretty accurate with my cast. I can say though, when you do that long distance cast and land in the sweet spot it is so satisfying to get that strike. 

 

I only bank fish at the moment and I find myself trying to reach structure at distances most bank anglers don't hit. Mainly because most of the bank anglers I see are using spinning combos and their max distance is less than what I can hit with my baitcaster.

 

Also because I am bank fishing most of the time, that distance helps a lot when I am using cranks, spinners, and top water.

[Bankbeater]

For me it depends on the amount of cover, wind, clarity of the water, and how finicky the bass are.

[d-camarena]

7 hours ago, NiX said:

I like the cast that is most successful. I like to consider myself pretty accurate with my cast. I can say though, when you do that long distance cast and land in the sweet spot it is so satisfying to get that strike. 

 

I only bank fish at the moment and I find myself trying to reach structure at distances most bank anglers don't hit. Mainly because most of the bank anglers I see are using spinning combos and their max distance is less than what I can hit with my baitcaster.

 

Also because I am bank fishing most of the time, that distance helps a lot when I am using cranks, spinners, and top water.

I honestly believe i can launch a bait equal distances with spinning or casting. Im proefficient in both prefer spinning when bank fishing. I use braid and those lures go far. Specially frogs

[Sam]

Tom, to add to your input, which is excellent, if you are throwing long be sure your hooks are very sharp and you use fluorocarbon or braid to avoid the line stretch that can kill a good hookset.

 

I still remember very clearly the one that hit my Chatterbait that I threw a mile.  He threw the bait on his first jump. I hope he is enjoying his life in the Pamunkey River.

[NiX]

10 hours ago, d-camarena said:

I honestly believe i can launch a bait equal distances with spinning or casting. Im proefficient in both prefer spinning when bank fishing. I use braid and those lures go far. Specially frogs

You are probably right, I have gone fishing with my dad and he has a pretty decent spinning combo and was able to throw his at good distance. 

 

I think I feel that way because most people I see fishing the bank with spinning combos are throwing light tackle. Obviously the light tackle isn't going to go as far as my 1/2oz jig! Lol!

[sully420]

I find that accuracy is extremely important when dock fishing. If you hit the dock alk fish are spooked and its no good. If you cant get to the shadiest spot under that dock you are likely missing the best fish there.