How far can you cast a baitcaster?

[1simplemann]

I have always been a spinning rod guy. Never learned to use a baitcaster since I saw no reason to change. My buddy gave me his older Diawa Procaster 100 H baitcaster since he hardly gets to go anymore. I've been playing with it in the yard over the winter. I'm getting better every time. I can cast it fairly accurately and the backlash are minimal. It's a 6'8" medium power and the butt is short so I can't really give it my all on a 2 handed cast. I have a 1/2 oz teardrop sinker on it and it looks like 12 or 14LB Stren mono is on the reel. Anyway, I can cast 30 to 36 yds reasonably accurate. I was wondering how I'm doing. How far can you guys cast with similar setup?

[bagofdonuts]

I'd say your doing pretty good. I rarely bomb a long cast, usually a inside 20yds.

The big advantage to a bait casting reel over spinning is accuracy. Work on getting the bait to impossibly small targets at a shorter distance. 

[TOXIC]

Long casts are not brute strength.  The key to a long cast is loading the rod correctly.  Trying to muscle a long cast is where a lot of your backlashes will come from.  It’s no different than the sweet spot on a tennis racket, baseball bat or golf club.  The grunt is secondary to the proper form.  

[1simplemann]

25 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Long casts are not brute strength.  The key to a long cast is loading the rod correctly.  Trying to muscle a long cast is where a lot of your backlashes will come from.  It’s no different than the sweet spot on a tennis racket, baseball bat or golf club.  The grunt is secondary to the proper form. 

Your correct, loading the rod properly is important. What I really wondering was where do I stand? What is a long cast w/ an average setup? I hear stories about pro's casting 100yds with dedicated cranking set up's. I know 100 yds is unrealistic w/ my set up but is the top end 40 yds? 50 yds? I really don't know since I don't have the experience w/ a BC.

Edited March 25, 2018 by 1simplemann

[The Bassman]

That's plenty of distance. I think a lot of guys don't really know how far they're casting and tend to overestimate.  BTW I think I would change out that weight for a practice plug. One wrong pull when it's stuck in the grass and you're out a tooth or possibly an eye.

[A-Jay]

19 minutes ago, 1simplemann said:

Your correct, loading the rod properly is important. What I really wondering was where do I stand? What is a long cast w/ an average setup? I hear stories about pro's casting 100yds with dedicated cranking set up's. I know 100 yds is unrealistic w/ my set up but is the top end 40 yds? 50 yds? I really don't know since I don't have the experience w/ a BC.

Unless you plan on winning a distance casting contest it may not matter much.

What does matter is if you're able to present your bait far enough & accurately enough to get bite.

If so, you're good.

If not, one or both will need to improve until you do.

Finally, rather than ripping off super casts, I've found it advantageous to be able to place my baits exactly where I wanted to inside of 30 or 40 FEET.

Bomb casts have their place in bass fishing but it may be a mistake to allow one's accuracy to suffer while doing it.

A-Jay

 

[1simplemann]

Guys don't take this the wrong way. I appreciate your answers. I understand about accuracy etc. The more I play w/ it the more accurate I will become and so will the distance. I'm just curious. My question is. How far can you cast a baitcaster? Particularly with a setup similar to mine? How far is far? 30yds? 40yds? 50yds?  Tight Lines to all. Thanks in advance.

[A-Jay]

I've never actually stepped off or measured my casts.

But I'm a Rock Star with the wind at my back . . . .

A-Jay

 

[Catt]

How far can you cast a baitcaster?

 

All the way down to a bass's mouth!

 

On the serious side I do complete in bait casting competition for distance & accuracy; at 75 yds I can consistently put my lure in a 2' diameter circle.

[12poundbass]

Truth be told we're all getting between 400-500 yds each cast. This is why everyone is so reluctant to tell you and talked more about accuracy. You have some catching up to do. Hope this helps. ?

[shovelmouth83]

1 hour ago, bagofdonuts said:

I'd say your doing pretty good. I rarely bomb a long cast, usually a inside 20yds.

The big advantage to a bait casting reel over spinning is accuracy. Work on getting the bait to impossibly small targets at a shorter distance. 

i have to say he is about right. i use these for power also. i will use spinning rods for finesse and then a baitcaster for such as cranking and buzzbaits. i will also use a spinning rod for jerk baits cause it just works for me.

[MassYak85]

I can probably get a 130 whopper plopper on the right rod out 50-60 yds but I'll take accuracy any day over distance

[Gundog]

37 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

On the serious side I do complete in bait casting competition for distance & accuracy; at 75 yds I can consistently put my lure in a 2' diameter circle.

I'm picturing something like this.....

Only with baitcasters. 

[Patrickt]

I think with a red eye Shad lipless (3/4ounce) I can probably go 50-60 yds. That is with a 7’ rod medium. The red eye goes like a bullet.

[CroakHunter]

My farthest cast I've measure has been 82 yards. 7'11 heavy cranking rod, Abu Garcia winch, 30lb braid and a 10xd. But realistically with a set up like yours I could cast 40-45 yards with no backlash and decently accurate. Although I prefer the less than 15 yard pitches for hand to hand combat with little green fish

[OCdockskipper]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

...at 75 yds I can consistently put my lure in a 2' diameter circle.

So can I, but it takes 3 casts and moving forward to the landing spot each time to accomplish.  The last cast is more of a flip than a cast...

[Bassin' Brad]

27 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I've never actually stepped off or measured my casts.

But I'm a Rock Star with the wind at my back . . . .

A-Jay

 

What's that rods length and action? 

[OCdockskipper]

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

Truth be told we're all getting between 400-500 yds each cast. This is why everyone is so reluctant to tell you and talked more about accuracy. You have some catching up to do. Hope this helps. ?

My longest cast was also my most painful cast.  I had the wind with me, blowing about 50 MPH on a very calm day and I was throwing a Ned rig with a 2oz jighead.  I fired the cast so far that it circled the globe & hit me in the back of the head, leaving me with a welt that required 200 stitches.  Best thing about it was as the lure fell in the water behind me, it was engulfed by a bass well over the 25lb mark.  I didn't get to weigh him because I had to go to the grocery store for band aids for my wound.

 

Yeah, that's the ticket...

[scaleface]

via Imgflip Meme Generator

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, Bassin' Brad said:

What's that rods length and action? 

That rig is a Shimano Calcutta 200D spooled with 15 lb InvisX Flourocarbon, mounted on a 7'4" Quantum Tour KVD Med Hvy Moderate Cranking Rod.  I was throwing a loaded 1/2 Megastrike Skrikeback spinnerbait (bait ends up weight close to 3/4 oz).   

Love how these composite rods Load Up & Launch a cast.

If you like 'chunking & winding' like I do - it's addicting.

Hooksets are fun too. 

A-Jay

 

[Bassin' Brad]

46 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

That rig is a Shimano Calcutta 200D spooled with 15 lb InvisX Flourocarbon, mounted on a 7'4" Quantum Tour KVD Med Hvy Moderate Cranking Rod.  I was throwing a loaded 1/2 Megastrike Skrikeback spinnerbait (bait ends up weight close to 3/4 oz).   

Love how these composite rods Load Up & Launch a cast.

If you like 'chunking & winding' like I do - it's addicting.

Hooksets are fun too. 

A-Jay

 

Yeah it looked good! Looked like you was chunking that spinnerbait a country mile. 

[fishwizzard]

With a 1oz sinker and a 7'3" rod, I can spool a Daiwa 1016 spool full of 30lb braid.  My arbor knot held but there was enough energy left that I was worried that I damaged the spool.  That was just a "lets see how a 1oz weight loads this rod" kind of cast, so I was just aiming at a distant treeline. 

 

With a few exceptions, a sinker is going to out-distance any lure, so if you want to make you practice more effective, use an old jig or an old spinnerbait if you want a real challenge.  

[DINK WHISPERER]

I haven't met a baitcaster I couldn't spool on a cast! ??

[FishDewd]

6 hours ago, 1simplemann said:

I have always been a spinning rod guy. Never learned to use a baitcaster since I saw no reason to change. My buddy gave me his older Diawa Procaster 100 H baitcaster since he hardly gets to go anymore. I've been playing with it in the yard over the winter. I'm getting better every time. I can cast it fairly accurately and the backlash are minimal. It's a 6'8" medium power and the butt is short so I can't really give it my all on a 2 handed cast. I have a 1/2 oz teardrop sinker on it and it looks like 12 or 14LB Stren mono is on the reel. Anyway, I can cast 30 to 36 yds reasonably accurate. I was wondering how I'm doing. How far can you guys cast with similar setup?

Dunno, but I know I can't throw any of my baitcasters that far! I may have touched 100' a few times, but since I only use side or backhand casts that is pretty rare for me. I can't overhead cast anything worth a bean lol. Just doesn't work for me. I feel like I get much better load with a sideroll than bringing it back over my shoulder.

[1simplemann]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

How far can you cast a baitcaster?

 

All the way down to a bass's mouth!

 

On the serious side I do complete in bait casting competition for distance & accuracy; at 75 yds I can consistently put my lure in a 2' diameter circle.

Catt, Thank you for a serious answer.  I asked a simple question and I got safety tips but that's to be expected on a forum. LOL Anyway, What length rod and action do you use for competition?  What size weight/lure/plug is used during competition?