Long casts w/ plastics

[mackkie]

Hey guys,

I decided to head down to my local lake to practice fishing soft plastics. This is something i need to start mastering if i want to catch more fish.

I grabbed 2 packs of my *** (black and green/black flake) and hit the lake.

As I kept fishing with the worms, i felt like i was losing "touch" with my plastic as i casted around 30-35 feet or so. I felt with the long cast and semi-slack line, that i wouldnt feel any taps/hits on my worm.

Is this all in my head? Will i really feel anything on a long cast if a fish does bite? Can the only thing i do is line watch when my worm is falling after the cast?

[daviscw]

Not always. Just keep your line tight and you'll be fine. On longer casts make sure you watch your line where it enters the water. If it starts going somewhere you didn't cast, its a bite. If it starts to get tight and come up off the water you may have a bite.

Soo really just watch your line. You can still feel bites that far away, you'll get used to it.

Good luck!!

[warmer]

nothing wrong w/ watching the line!  that's all i did fishing for catfish.

if you are fishing weightless it is harder to feel the bite, so watching the line.  if you have weight on there you shouldnt have trouble... like daviscw says, youll get used to it. soak that worm.

[.dsaavedra.]

USE BRAID!!!

its more sensative so you will feel smaller taps, and its got no stretch, so setting the hook from 40 feet away is no problem.

also, like others have said, watch your line.

but most likely, you will feel the fish as well as see your line move. i know i catch a lot of fish at the end if a long cast and i feel them just as if they were 10 feet away.

[Randall]

USE BRAID!!!

its more sensative so you will feel smaller taps, and its got no stretch, so setting the hook from 40 feet away is no problem.

also, like others have said, watch your line.

but most likely, you will feel the fish as well as see your line move. i know i catch a lot of fish at the end if a long cast and i feel them just as if they were 10 feet away.

I disagree. Flurocarbon is the best line for feel on long casts with a bow in the line. Braid is the worst for feel. Braid is only sensitive when it is pulled all the way tight with heavier weights. At all other times it is the least sensitive line with almost no feel at all. Fluro is dense and the bite transmits up the slack line much better. Mono and braid are less dense and have less sensitivity. But even with fluro you will not feel some fish on semi-slack line. First thing after the bait hits bottom don't think as the first movement of the rod and reel being one to move the bait but just tighten the line and feel for the fish. The bait will move anyway as you feel for the fish all the way back to the boat or shore.

[.dsaavedra.]

i have never used floro, so i cannot speak for it, but i know for a fact braid is a zillion times more sensative than mono.

braid is the most sensative line i have ever used. its very sensative.

i can feel bites on slack line, i dont care if you say i cant, i KNOW i can because i have felt bites on slack line, i do all the time.

either way, braid still has zero stretch, so you will have no problem setting the hook from 30 feet away.

[dumb_dog11]

USE BRAID!!!

its more sensative so you will feel smaller taps, and its got no stretch, so setting the hook from 40 feet away is no problem.

also, like others have said, watch your line.

but most likely, you will feel the fish as well as see your line move. i know i catch a lot of fish at the end if a long cast and i feel them just as if they were 10 feet away.

I disagree. Flurocarbon is the best line for feel on long casts with a bow in the line. Braid is the worst for feel. Braid is only sensitive when it is pulled all the way tight with heavier weights. At all other times it is the least sensitive line with almost no feel at all. Fluro is dense and the bite transmits up the slack line much better. Mono and braid are less dense and have less sensitivity. But even with fluro you will not feel some fish on semi-slack line. First thing after the bait hits bottom don't think as the first movement of the rod and reel being one to move the bait but just tighten the line and feel for the fish. The bait will move anyway as you feel for the fish all the way back to the boat or shore.

add another

i use flouro for almost all my fishing, its very sensitive, has less stretch than mono, and is practically invisible

[warmer]

best line:

i dont care if you say i cant, i KNOW i can

LOL!

[JShrock07]

I was just talking about this the other day with a guy I fished with...

I will always cast out as far as I can to cover more ground, but I always seem to get my bites at the farthest spot. I have lost MANY fish by doing this... I fish flouro and mono. I only use braid for flipp'n and jig fish'n But the flouro has stretched to much for me many times as did the mono but the mono was way worse.

I'm not trying to join in ya'll ticking match over the different types of lines :... I'm just suggesting not to cast out so far... if you have a boat get closer to your target or if your on shore... GET A BOAT LOL ;D ;D

[Sam]

Mono for treble hook baits.

Flouro and copoly for anything.

Super lines and braids for heavy cover and deep water.

Graphite rod for best "transmission" from line to rod to hand/finger.

Medium heavy rod may be your best selection.

Use tungston weights for better transmission.

Keep line tight by keeping rod tip high and reel and rod butt close to body with hand on reel or finger touching line.

If line moves get ready to set the hook.  Be watchful for line moving towards you.

Feel for the tap-tap-tap and get ready to set the hook.

If you throw too far you can actually outcast the hookset power. This is why filpping and pitching are so deadly with short casts.

Experiment and have fun.  

[Catt]

It's called practice

Some people like fluorocarbon, some people like braid, some people like copolymer, while I prefer monofilament; I'll match my expertise against anyone. The art of feeling bites with plastics comes from experience, the more experienced you become the better you'll get at determining what works for you. With enough practice that proverbial light will finally go off in you little pea brain and it'll all come together leaving you think d**n that was easy.

[Tokyo Tony]

Braid, I agree.

While flouro may be more sensitive on a semi-slack line, at the end of a long cast, braid is far more sensitive than anything else if you're keeping contact with the bait. Plus the no-stretch factor is huge on long casts with regard to effective hooksetting.

There's nothing better than zinging a LC Gunfish or Sammy (both of which cast unbelievably far) 100 yards out, getting a strike, and fighting that bad girl all the way in.

Plus, on long casts with plastics, line-watching is perhaps the most effective way to detect bites, and braid is the easiest line to watch (it floats, is more visible, and there are absolutely no coils that could absorb the "tap").

One more vote for braid, but if you read any of my other posts remotely related to fishing line, you'd know that already  

[Siebert Outdoors]

A good stiff long rod works very well.  I use 7'+ rods for this.  Short stubby rods just dont get the job done. Poor hook sets IMO

There are alot of "extras" also.  how your plastic is rigged, streach of line, weight of lure, and a few more.

Like Catt said.  Practice.

[Sharkbite]

I use Mono on a BC 7' Med.  I've had strikes at 30 ft and felt it fine. Once the plastic hits the water I engauge and keep my left index finger snug under the line. This allows me to feel the smallest fish. Sometimes I even feel blue gills giving a few little bits trying to get a peice of the worm. I am still learning myself so yes I have missed a few hook sets but do usally land the fish. I love the BC for plastics haven't learned how to fish cranks on it very well thats my next step.

[Brush Hog20]

I agree with Catt 100%...Its practice and feel..I have been fishing plastics since I was a little kid...I have had so much practice with it think I could detect strikes if I was casting a log chain... ;D  ;D

[Maxximus Redneckus]

I agree with Catt 100%...Its practice and feel..I have been fishing plastics since I was a little kid...I have had so much practice with it think I could detect strikes if I was casting a log chain... ;D ;D

YUP too me its a 7 th sense

[Garnet]

I hate talking about winter but have sat and watched Aqu vu when fish bite and our very best equipment is just not good enough.

I've watched Northern Pike, walleye,lake trout and whitefish, perch bite with braid, braid/flouro, and mono with grafite rods and have no bite feeling. With your baits straight down and no slack feel doesn't get any better and it happens over and over.

Garnet

[Catt]

If you really really really want to learn how to feel bites on a Texas Rig, Carolina Rig, or Jig-N-Craw fish at night with no moon light, black light, or near any lights.

Total darkness = total sense of feeling  

[Garnet]

Done that night thing too and fish are still better than our equipment.

Garnet

[Catt]

Oh absolutely  

I'll never forget the first time I saw the Hawg Trough at a fishing seminar way back in the 70s; I was standing about 1' away when a bass of about 5-6 lbs sucked in and blew out a plastic worm before my mind could comprehend what had just taken place. I determined that from this point on I would never hesitate on my hook set period, at the first hint of a bite its DRS: Drop the rod, Reel the slack, & Set the hook as fast as possible.

[Willzx225]

I agree with GMAN on the length of the rod. You can not set the hook w/o the proper rod.

The longer the cast the longer the rod needs to be to move larger amounts of line. The only way to get hook penetration is to move the bait inside of the fishes mouth. If you only get enough pressure to slightly move the fish you will loose them if they jump/shake their head/ or sometimes even open their mouth. It is very easy to loose/ miss fish at longer distances so I use Fluro for all of my deep water/ long casting techniques.

I use braid in heavy cover or very stained water.  Both of which long casts are not needed and can often be detrimental (heavy cover)

[Maxximus Redneckus]

I hate talking about winter but have sat and watched Aqu vu when fish bite and our very best equipment is just not good enough.

I've watched Northern Pike, walleye,lake trout and whitefish, perch bite with braid, braid/flouro, and mono with grafite rods and have no bite feeling. With your baits straight down and no slack feel doesn't get any better and it happens over and over.

Garnet

Winter of course  the bite is subtle ,,,,90% of the time bass nail a lure even  with a  tow rope u can feel it and see it

[tyrius.]

i can feel bites on slack line, i dont care if you say i cant, i KNOW i can because i have felt bites on slack line, i do all the time.

First off, Randall didn't say that you CAN'T feel bites on slack line.  He said that SOME bites can not be felt.  Everyone can feel bites on slack line when the bite is strong enough so I don't think anyone is disputing your claims.  However, as Catt also posted many bites are not felt at all.  The fish will suck up the bait and spit it back out in less than a second and the fish will not move.  The angler has no way of knowing that he just got this bite.  

Oh, and I'd take Randall's advice.  He seems to be a moderately successful angler.  

[roadwarrior]

Oh, and I'd take Randall's advice. He seems to be a moderately successful angler.

It would be hard to argue with that!

8-)