Target Fish Casting Guide

When using long casting rods which are necessary to handle the weight of the setup and bait, and to get the long casting distance, it will take a bit of adjusting and getting used to at the onset even if you are adept at casting. It's quite different from let's say casting with a bass setup.

For one thing, both hands are used. Cast with both hands. It's a good idea to start with a spinning reel to get the feel of such casting, and to learn control to get the bait to the desired destination.

Once that is done, if you plan to use an open-face 'drum' type of reel such as the Abu Garcia series, get to that a.s.a.p. before you get really proficient with the spinning reel.

The 'snap' for the cast follow-through that many people use with the spinning reel does not work very well with the open-face baitcast reels and will more than likely result in ultra-extreme tangles (called 'perma' to sound like 'pahma' in Japan because of a resemblance to frizzy permanent styled hair, and it is quite permanent as the line will never return to its original state without the 'frazzles and twists', which means a lot of lost line and eventually the possibility of hair) and backlashes.

I should know because I earned an honorary doctorate in ultra-extreme tangles and backlashes during my first six months of casting with open-faced baitcast reels. Very unfriendly and unsociable looking people felt sorry for my ineptitude and tried to help, which resulted in many new friendships.

Another thing that I should add is that unless you are looking to hook sharks or large sunfish, a big Penn reel or something like an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 7000C is not the ideal choice as the size and weight of the reel is not likely to enhance balance and distance in your bait casts. Abu Garcia's 6500 series is compact, sturdy, and ultra-distance friendly.

As for stance when casting, the simple sketch above illustrates what could be the ideal one for most surfaces. If you are familiar with the Shorinji Kempo martial art, you may recognize it as the Rei No Tachi (Rei Stance because it resembles the Japanese character レ), and gives you very good balance fore and aft.

On a wide surface such as the one at Shizuura Port, poor balance may be compensated for. However, if you are on a very narrow surface or on an islet or a rocky ledge, good balance determines whether you remain standing or end up hitting the water.

Using the Rei Stance without the feet spreading out at a normal shoulder width and having them almost touch at the heels at the same angle enables me to cast on a foot and a-half wide surface. Anything under that is too risky for me.

Using the proper stance, extend your rod comfortably to the rear with your weight on the hind foot. Your forward hand which will be the left if you are right handed will be handling the reel and line as well as wrap itself around the handle, if you are using an open-face drum type baitcast reel.

The right hand is about a foot away from the left, supporting the rod near the right shoulder. The line lock of the open-face drum type reel is released and facing the ground (not the sky), and your thumb presses against the line until it's time to release for the cast.

Before the cast, verify your balance and your target destination. Breathe in and relax without stiffening your shoulders and joints. There is no need for the right hand to clasp the rod.

In fact, your hand can be spread open with the rod resting between the thumb and index finger. Depending on the surface, your hands are angled between 10-20 degrees. Smoothly arc your hands and rod forward as you shift your weight forward to the front foot.

As your hand on the reel is nearing a 20 degree angle outward, your thumb releases the line of the reel with the upper rod supported on the four fingers of the right hand, and ending the smooth arc motion with the handle being a few inches below the left armpit at the end of the cast.

Do not develop the habit of swinging down the right hand for momentum. As your casting gets smoother and your distance increases, you will find that this hand has balance as its primary role and increasing distance is not its main function.

Keep your eye on what you have cast, with your thumb gently nudging the line if it starts to flare out, and an instant before it hits the water use your thumb as the brake to end the cast. A moment too late may give you a nightmare of a backlash, and too soon simply stops your bait cast and cuts the distance.

If you are just starting to switch from a spinning reel to the open-face drum, you may want to start by simply using an appropriate weight (sinker) at the end of the line and not a bait basket.

There is no real need for a floater, especially if it's large or heavy as most sold at fishing supply stores are, as it will badly affect your casting. I will give you tips on making your own very light and well balanced floater in another article.

Finally, enjoy! Do avoid casting into a strong head-wind in the beginning. Tail-winds make casting so much more enjoyable. And if you are using a long bait cast fishing rod be aware of obstacles in the front, up above, and to the rear.