Casting accuracy?

[Columbia Craw]

Casting accurately is extremely important and can dictate your catch success by itself.  Being an accurate caster is part of fishing I really enjoy.  It’s an accomplishment within an accomplishment when you get bit.  I also want to be efficient as a caster.  I want to be a backlash free as possible. I taught myself to cast spinning rods, surf rods, bait casting and thirty years of fly fishing. 
 

During the last sixty years I have learned some things that when applied, improved my casting skills.  
 

Understand the physical mechanics of your wrist joint and hand and the motions as a joint system.  Sounds dry huh.  The wrist has a range of motion. Point the thumb up and move the hand up and down like driving a nail. Limited motion. Place the palm facing flat and down. Move the hand up and down like slapping a table top. The result is a larger range of motion. First range is primary in fly casting and overhand spinning.  The second is the motion that becomes the foundation for baitcasting. Still dry.

 

Understanding the purpose of the rod and a balanced combo and how to set up the reel is next. The tip of the rod should be the final extension of your hand/fingers. Have you watched an NBA player drop a three pointer? Watch his finger tips and release .  The lure’s speed and direction come from the rod tip. Control the tip and you control the lure.  Still dry?

 

The rod should do the majority of the work. The flexibility of the blank is for two reasons. Fighting the fish and powering to lure for lure speed. If you’ve ever fly fished, this makes even more sense.  Knowing how to load or stress the rod in one of the many casting motions and then control and direct the lure as the blank unloads is the key to maximize distance and control direction.

Not so dry.

 

Now the reels come into play. Finally!

spinning is easy. Release the line. Hope your distance is correct by the lure speed you generated or slow the lure speed up to stopping it by placing your forefinger near the spool edge or pressing the finger to the spool edge.  
 

Casting reels require more control.  Properly set your cast controls but understand, the thumb is the ultimate cast control!  Remember the wrist motion concept. Your motion is lead by the back of your hand, not the thumb.  
 

A backlash is just the result of the spools spinning faster than the line can exit the rod tip.  The spool must slow at or more than the lure’s ability to pull the line from the rod.

Light or wind resistance lures slow faster. Heavy lures generate spool retain speed faster. Match the speeds and no backlash.

 

Rods can be loaded with various motions. Back forth, loop or circular rotations forward and reverse and in a pendulum swing. Learning how to generate the motions and apply them to load the blank takes practice and familiarity. 
 Learn in the yard, not on a Trip.  Set realistic distance goals to start.  Same for target size.  Vary distance and locations and mix it up.  As you move forward learn to cast with two hands to reduce fatigue.  You can begin a cast with your dominate hand/thumb and finish with your off hand and off thumb.

 

It’s been a long read. Sorry but I’ve taught my grands kids using this model and others. It works.  Have fun.

 

[Columbia Craw]

26 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

Casting accurately is extremely important and can dictate your catch success by itself.  Being an accurate caster is part of fishing I really enjoy.  It’s an accomplishment within an accomplishment when you get bit.  I also want to be efficient as a caster.  I want to be a backlash free as possible. I taught myself to cast spinning rods, surf rods, bait casting and thirty years of fly fishing. 
 

During the last sixty years I have learned some things that when applied, improved my casting skills.  
 

Understand the physical mechanics of your wrist joint and hand and the motions as a joint system.  Sounds dry huh.  The wrist has a range of motion. Point the thumb up and move the hand up and down like driving a nail. Limited motion. Place the palm facing flat and down. Move the hand up and down like slapping a table top. The result is a larger range of motion. First range is primary in fly casting and overhand spinning.  The second is the motion that becomes the foundation for baitcasting. Still dry.

 

Understanding the purpose of the rod and a balanced combo and how to set up the reel is next. The tip of the rod should be the final extension of your hand/fingers. Have you watched an NBA player drop a three pointer? Watch his finger tips and release .  The lure’s speed and direction come from the rod tip. Control the tip and you control the lure.  Still dry?

 

The rod should do the majority of the work. The flexibility of the blank is for two reasons. Fighting the fish and powering to lure for lure speed. If you’ve ever fly fished, this makes even more sense.  Knowing how to load or stress the rod in one of the many casting motions and then control and direct the lure as the blank unloads is the key to maximize distance and control direction.

Not so dry.

 

Now the reels come into play. Finally!

spinning is easy. Release the line. Hope your distance is correct by the lure speed you generated or slow the lure speed up to stopping it by placing your forefinger near the spool edge or pressing the finger to the spool edge.  
 

Casting reels require more control.  Properly set your cast controls but understand, the thumb is the ultimate cast control!  Remember the wrist motion concept. Your motion is lead by the back of your hand, not the thumb.  
 

A backlash is just the result of the spools spinning faster than the line can exit the rod tip.  The spool must slow at or more than the lure’s ability to pull the line from the rod.

Light or wind resistance lures slow faster. Heavy lures generate spool retain speed faster. Match the speeds and no backlash.

 

Rods can be loaded with various motions. Back forth, loop or circular rotations forward and reverse and in a pendulum swing. Learning how to generate the motions and apply them to load the blank takes practice and familiarity. 
 Learn in the yard, not on a Trip.  Set realistic distance goals to start.  Same for target size.  Vary distance and locations and mix it up.  As you move forward learn to cast with two hands to reduce fatigue.  You can begin a cast with your dominate hand/thumb and finish with your off hand and off thumb.

 

It’s been a long read. Sorry but I’ve taught my grands kids using this model and others. It works.  Have fun.

 

 

A quick add to:  casting motions such as roll casts or pitching are more accurate for me because the lure in in my line of sight from beginning to end.

[WVU-SCPA]

17 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

well, I was just doing it tonight with a frog. I think I’m actually more accurate sidearm since that’s what I do most of the time. 

Guessing by your name you've fly fished.  I believe growing up roll casting a fly rod is why I chose to cast side arm the majority of the time bass fishing.  Can be quick and accurate casting to a target compared to over handing everything.

 

I'll also go to my grave arguing "bait entry" is just important at times as accuracy is.  Giving a bait a few skips at entry can elicit more strikes then a plop.  Example would be skipping a trd to a weedline in 10' of water.  That fleeing bait entry gets bit more then just an accurate cast to the edge IMO.

[casts_by_fly]

11 minutes ago, WVU-SCPA said:

Guessing by your name you've fly fished.  I believe growing up roll casting a fly rod is why I chose to cast side arm the majority of the time bass fishing.  Can be quick and accurate casting to a target compared to over handing everything.

 

I'll also go to my grave arguing "bait entry" is just important at times as accuracy is.  Giving a bait a few skips at entry can elicit more strikes then a plop.  Example would be skipping a trd to a weedline in 10' of water.  That fleeing bait entry gets bit more then just an accurate cast to the edge IMO.

yeah, that’s a good guess. And I’ll go to your grave arguing that too. A massive kerplunk is going to put off any bass it lands on. I’m casting right into the cover where they are laying. 

[MassYak85]

I like to think I'm pretty good with a baitcaster, not quite as much with a spinning setup but that's just cause I don't use them as much. By the time the vegetation starts to grow in in the spring I'm pretty warmed up and can do what I need to, whether that's skipping under docks/trees, or pitching in between branches. Most of my casts are sidearm or roll casts, I find that gives me a lot more control. 

[MickD]

6 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

overhead casting my shoulders are tore up today

I think you may be using too much arm and not enough wrist.  I have two bad shoulders that can get sore if I don't use mostly wrist rotation, not much arm above the elbow.  Try it, two hands, almost all wrist flick, some arm rotation below the elbow.  Not much rotation in the shoulders.

[RDB]

IMO, one of the best ways to improve accuracy is to learn better thumb control, so you can reduce your brakes/tension.  So often people are afraid of backlashing, so they have their settings fairly tight which leads to a harder cast and more movement.  I keep my settings super light and I can send a lure 20 yards with minimal movement and effort.  IME, it's hard to be really accurate if you have your reel tightened down.

[Darth-Baiter]

the roll-cast.  yup.  I am working that into my repertoire.  I kinda had to fishing off the back of my buddies bass boat.  nothing sexier than a backhanded roll cast.  hahah..

 

all that hardware back there demanded it.  pole anchors, the motor..etc.  

 

stepping on the boat for the first time in 2022 tomorrow.  I expect a complete yard sale the first few cast.  yikes.  need to recalibrate my arm/mind.  thanks for the inspiration folks.  on a boat I am so careful. I hate snagging since the entire boat needs to go in to save my failed cast.  no pressure.

[Boomstick]

I would say I can come within a foot of my target 19 of 20 times with consistency. Not as good as many others here I'm sure, but not terrible.

[DinkDreams]

I can cast a 1/2 oz Booyah Tandem Spinnerbait in a spot roughly the size of a softball every single time.

 

once we get away from that, your guess is as good as mine LOL 

[Woody B]

Regarding an overhead cast, yes it's easier to be accurate than pretty much any other cast.  However, there's pretty much no way to prevent a big splash when the lure lands.  Accuracy means nothing if the landing scares the fish away.  

 

Keep the lure close to the water with some kind of side arm cast.  Gently thumb the lure down, and it lights like a fly, not a boulder.   My oldest grandson would use an overhead cast constantly, with big splash down landings.  He would be accurate but never caught any fish.   One day I was catching a bunch, but he hadn't caught any.  I left a lay down alone as we passed it with the trolling motor until he had cast to it a couple times.   I switched from the front of the boat to the back with him, and caught a 4 pounder on my first cast to the lay down.   That's how I finally convinced him he needed to cast differently without the big splash.   It took him a while to get accurate, but he's catching a bunch of bass no, with a roll cast and gently landing.  

[DogBone_384]

Like others, I’m much better with a baitcaster than spinning, and get worse when tired.

 

[WRB]

Depends on the lure how it enters the water. 

A jig can enter like a rock unless you control the landing.

A weightless Senko enters softly regardless how it lands. 

I put casting accuracy very important in both lures.

Unless the bass is very active it isn’t going to traveling more then a foot or so to strike your lure.

Tom

[Manifestgtr]

The single biggest help for me was tucking my elbow which TOTALLY makes sense in hindsight.

 

When you play guitar, your picking hand needs an anchor point…if your hand is waving around in space, you have no reference and you’ll never be accurate. 

 

Tucking my elbow became my “anchor point”…it’s the reference my body uses to understand what needs to happen. Looking back, my accuracy was completely hit and miss (honestly, it still is on occasion) before I started referencing with my elbow, etc. 

[N Florida Mike]

Im good with spinning. Fair to good with casting.

[Catt]

5 hours ago, Manifestgtr said:

The single biggest help for me was tucking my elbow which TOTALLY makes sense in hindsight.

 

Y'all know I'm old school so when I teach someone has to cast I roll up a magazine & tuck it in their arm pit.

[Catt]

While being able to flip-n-pitch into a cup is cool, I practice a little different.

 

This is the tree line between my yard & my neighbor's. I practice pitching into the openings (5) from various distances & angles.

 

[Dirtyeggroll]

I find close range with spinning gear to be the most difficult, with the most difficult presentation being trying to dropshot docks at close range. 

[schplurg]

Question:

 

Has anyone ever noticed a decrease in distance accuracy while wearing polarized glasses?

 

I buy cheap glasses for like $20 so that could be a factor. I find that with them on I'm way more likely to over or undershoot a cast. At least I think so?

 

Maybe they cut out important light that helps me with depth....or maybe I'm overthinking this and I'm just losing my eye sight. I think I'm better without them on but I haven't actually kept track. Maybe it's easier to see the lure up high when they're off and not in the way?

 

Hmmm. I dunno. My Dad says I think too much LOL.

[roadwarrior]

20 hours ago, schplurg said:

Question:

 

Has anyone ever noticed a decrease in distance accuracy while wearing polarized glasses

 

No

[WRB]

2 things affect depth perception; using only 1 eye and pupils dilated open. Sunglasses can reduce light and opens your pupils a little, depends on how dark the sunglasses are.

Polarization has no affect.

[MN Fisher]

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

2 things affect depth perception; using only 1 eye

Some of us have no choice in this - but after 6 years being a 'one-eyed wonder', I've learned to compensate...mostly.

[Darth-Baiter]

I find cheap glasses refract light somewhat.  I see it most when I’m riding a bike.  My handle bars seem further when I’m not wearing cheap sunglasses.