Casting technique

[Ravox]

I have a real issue regarding casting , I use spinning equipment all the time, and I know very well that casting parallel to the shore is the best strategy to catch bass, but I simply can't do that, every time i try to cast parallel or goes to short or always get stuck in underwater grass or stones when recovering the line since it approaches too much from the shore never got any good results... so my solution is to cast straight at the middle of the lake/canal and pray for the best result... which usually happens 

 

What I'm doing wrong? 

[MN Fisher]

Are you side-arm casting or over-head casting? Does make a difference in some cases.

[Ravox]

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

Are you side-arm casting or over-head casting? Does make a difference in some cases.

 

TBH tried both with any success parallel to the bank.... my biggest problem is that i can't cast far enough and when start to recover the line its inevitable that the bait approaches to much from the bank and start to get stuck on everything possible 

[MN Fisher]

What lures are you using?

[Ravox]

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

What lures are you using?

Use Texas Rigged worms a lot in different sizes .. sometimes a zoom fluke or creature 

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, Ravox said:

Use Texas Rigged worms a lot in different sizes .. sometimes a zoom fluke or creature 

Maybe lighten the weight and run them above the bottom. They should come through grass easy enough. Or even go weightless and run them over the top instead of through.

[Ravox]

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Maybe lighten the weight and run them above the bottom. They should come through grass easy enough. Or even go weightless and run them over the top instead of through.

Hummm maybe that is the reason weight usually use 1/8 maybe to heavy for ponds and canals here in Florida?  tried weightless sometime ago and have big issue to cast far or where I wanted 

[Team9nine]

Sounds like you just need a good trip or two where everything clicks, you catch some fish, and get over this mental hurdle. You don’t have to cast far to catch fish. You can sight fish and catch them darn near at your feet at times, or within a short underhand pitch a lot. If hangs are an issue, start with small top waters or wake baits that stay above that stuff. After you catch a few, you’ll develop the confidence to branch out further. 

[Ravox]

23 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Sounds like you just need a good trip or two where everything clicks, you catch some fish, and get over this mental hurdle. You don’t have to cast far to catch fish. You can sight fish and catch them darn near at your feet at times, or within a short underhand pitch a lot. If hangs are an issue, start with small top waters or wake baits that stay above that stuff. After you catch a few, you’ll develop the confidence to branch out further. 

 

 

Thanks for that, i will try with lighter weight too maybe that is my issue now... and you are right when i cast at the middle usually the fish bite very close to the shore when im slowly recovering the line 

[Mike L]

1/8 is not heavy at all. 
You got good advise about fishing on top or through the water column. 
Just keep it off the bottom 
 

It’s true casting parallel to the shore can increase your chances especially this time of the year, but don’t be afraid to make some bomb casts at all angles including straight out. 
 

When approaching the shore be aware of how and where you walk trying to be as stealthy as you can. 

I’ve caught many bedding bass 2 ft off the bank pitching around and over tall weeds. 
 

 

 

Mike

[Deleted account]

I was going to suggest you get muck boots or hip waders and walk a setp or 2 out, makes a huge difference on the angle you can fish, HOWEVER, in a canal like you are describing a longer rod is usually a better option. In some cases the "parallel to shore" thing is not the way to go. Fan cast so you are about a foot or two apart each time. Every spot is a little different, so try different things and adjust accordingly.

[ajschn06]

Any place I can think of that I've shore fished, casting parallel to shore sounds like it would be a waste of time....

[Fishes in trees]

Casting parallel to the bank from a boat makes sense, in that it is easier to keep your bait at a constant depth, more or less.   The same reason implies that paralleling the shore from the bank might make that more difficult.

Back in the day when I was a bank fisherman, I had a pair of hip boots, so I could get into the water a little bit.  Given the things that could be near  you in Florida waters (alligators, pythons, juvenile bull sharks, etc) I don't think you could pay me to wade in Florida.

When I was a bank fisherman, I often carried a machete, so that I could widen the casting lanes a little bit.  I would generally throw at a 45 degree angle off the bank.  Don't get me wrong, I'd cast straight out also, but more hits would happen casting at a degree off the bank.

 

You didn't mention what kind of spinning gear you threw.   I remember the first season I got a decent graphite rod, my catch rate literally tripled - and I didn't really suck in years prior.

I'd recommend a gear upgrade.   Bank fishing, something between 6'6" and 7' something, on the medium side of medium heavy.  All too often, I see younger anglers handicapped by gear that their folks think is  "good enough" - and it really isn't.  The title of this post was " casting techniques".  If you're going to bank fish, it really helps to know them all.  There is a time & place for overhead casting.  There is also a time & place for side arm casts, roll casts, back handed casts, side arm skip casts, back hand skip casts and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.  When I got my first decent graphite rod and I was still bank bound, I'd tell myself I was going out for a few hours of casting practice and any fish that I caught were secondary.   I got pretty good with all the aforementioned casts pretty quick.  Then I could get back to fishing, thinking about where the fish were or weren't, because my casting game was solid and most of the time I could put my bait where I wanted to.

[MGF]

I think you need to practice casting at a target.  Learn to make casts with a low trajectory...keeping the bait near the surface of the water. That helps prevent the wind from dragging your line into the trees. Also learn to control or stop the lone coming off the spool.

 

It all takes practice .

[Ravox]

Forgot to mention most of my rods are 7 rods using fluro 7lbs  or braid (without leader)

[fishwizzard]

Almost every casting issue I have seen in person involves not fully loading the rod in a consistent manner.  Accuracy comes with practice, but if you are not getting the rod loaded you will never get be able to be accurate and consistent.  

 

What got it to click for me was finding videos of pro's casting with their entire body in the shot.  Seeing how relatively little movement they use and how deeply the rod was loading on the backcast was like a light bulb going on. 

[schplurg]

In addition, some shores just aren't good candidates for parallel casting.

 

One lake near me is all rock and it's great for bouncing a square bill around next to shore. The creek though is prone to snagging so I only cast close to shore where it's safer to do so..

[RyanCastin]

I have fished in florida a few times and I know how dense those grass mats are. When I am fishing there in Lake Seminole by my dads house, I have good luck casting perpendicular to the edge of the grass mats and retrieving it as close to those mats as possible. Also I stuck to using top water / sub top water lures and had a great deal of luck. 

[lo n slo]

boil a spinnerbait just off the bank and hang on

[RyanCastin]

3 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

Casting parallel to the bank from a boat makes sense, in that it is easier to keep your bait at a constant depth, more or less.   The same reason implies that paralleling the shore from the bank might make that more difficult.

Back in the day when I was a bank fisherman, I had a pair of hip boots, so I could get into the water a little bit.  Given the things that could be near  you in Florida waters (alligators, pythons, juvenile bull sharks, etc) I don't think you could pay me to wade in Florida.

When I was a bank fisherman, I often carried a machete, so that I could widen the casting lanes a little bit.  I would generally throw at a 45 degree angle off the bank.  Don't get me wrong, I'd cast straight out also, but more hits would happen casting at a degree off the bank.

 

You didn't mention what kind of spinning gear you threw.   I remember the first season I got a decent graphite rod, my catch rate literally tripled - and I didn't really suck in years prior.

I'd recommend a gear upgrade.   Bank fishing, something between 6'6" and 7' something, on the medium side of medium heavy.  All too often, I see younger anglers handicapped by gear that their folks think is  "good enough" - and it really isn't.  The title of this post was " casting techniques".  If you're going to bank fish, it really helps to know them all.  There is a time & place for overhead casting.  There is also a time & place for side arm casts, roll casts, back handed casts, side arm skip casts, back hand skip casts and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.  When I got my first decent graphite rod and I was still bank bound, I'd tell myself I was going out for a few hours of casting practice and any fish that I caught were secondary.   I got pretty good with all the aforementioned casts pretty quick.  Then I could get back to fishing, thinking about where the fish were or weren't, because my casting game was solid and most of the time I could put my bait where I wanted to.

I agree with this. Retrieving perpendicular or 45 degree angle to the shore is key in areas with thick vegetation along the shorelines.

[Tuchifabz]

Your saying you're using crankbaits? use mono for under 12ft of water and the right depth crankbaits for that area your in or get a flippn stick and jig, which would mean most likely you'll to try a casting rod so you have options when your out fishing. Also use 12 lbs or less for mono or florocarbon if you spool your whole spool up with out filling your spool all the way up with braid and a 3 foot leader of floro if you want it to sink or mono to float and suspend you bait. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Fishing from the bank, I think you’re taking “parallel” to literally. With a 7’ rod, you won’t get much more than 5’/6’ feet off the bank truly parallel. Quartering and fan casting is best you can do. 

[Koz]

It sounds like you need to vary the baits that you used. As mentioned above, a spinnerbait along the edge of the weed line works well.

 

I also like to use a Teckel Sprinker Frog or a buzzbait (my favorite) over the weeds or along the weed line as well.

 

Another thing I do is be at the edge of the water and keep my rod perpendicular to the bank. With a 7 foot rod this allows me to keep the bait off of the bank as I reel in.

[garroyo130]

Put a heavy weight on the end and go around feeling the bottom until you find hard structure.

 

As DVT mentioned, try fan casting to cover the most area. Once you locate hard bottom or structure, keep fishing those spots with different lures. 

 

If you simply want to get the parallel casting out of your system, throw a Rapala Floater F7. If there are fish there they will find it. 

[WRB]

Practice by casting to a target like a hula hoop. You have a local school or park with open lawn area. Place the hoop 30 paces and cast into it until you make 10 out of 10 into the hoop. Move it 35 paces and replete until you can 10 of of 10 at 40 paces.  

Tom