A Cast To Far

Only an inexperienced angler would question the effect of short-cast fishing methods. Flipping and pitching are two of the best bass presentations, usually putting fishermen within 15 to 30 feet of the fish. Walleye fishermen often jig in water as shallow as 10 feet. Muskie anglers coax strikes by carving figure eights with their lures right next to the boat.
But don’t be fooled. Fish aren’t always so easy to entice. In clear water, the sight of a boat will often cause them to spook and head for cover. And they are often scattered out over large areas, leaving the angler no choice but to spend hours hunting them, often over large bodies of water. What do you do when acres of hydrilla, submerged timber or other formidable obstacles prevent you from getting within range of a good location?
Casting and Retrieval
Anglers from coast to coast, has earned local recognition for their ability to use diving crankbaits to entice vast numbers of summertime largemouth from deep reservoirs. By casting and retrieving your crankbait over underwater ledges, points, humps and flats in depths of 6 to 20 feet or more, you will be surprised by the results.
A long cast covers more water , keeps the crankbait in the strike zone longer, and is less likely to spook the fish. It also allows the lure to run a bit deeper. You know you’ve selected the right crankbait when it swims free most of the time but taps the high spots. I usually don’t want my baits digging up mud on the bottom.”

The crankbait’s path runs in an half-moon arc, based off lure type and retrieval method, from the time it enters the water to the time it reaches your rod tip. When the lure enters the water and you start your retrieval, it has the potential to dive to a certain depth and maintain a generally horizontal trajectory until it reaches the base of the arc and is forced upward toward the rod. On short casts, the crankbait usually doesn’t reach its maximum descent, which might not be a bad thing in some situations. But when fishing ledges, and drop-offs, where bass might be hiding  in many types of structure at the same depth, you want the lure to cover as much of that cover as possible. Cast as far as you can, the farther the line goes out, the longer the lure stays at a productive diving depth.

A good combination for longer casts is a 7-foot, medium All Star Model 845 bait-casting rod, which has a moderate-fast action. Fast-action rods react too quickly for many crankbaits. If the tip is too fast, you could wind up with a nasty backlash, Stren Easy Cast 10- or 12-pound-test mono, spooled on a Lew’s Speed Spool bait-caster complements most long-distance outfits. The small-diameter 10-pound-test generates longer casts and gets crankbaits deeper, but I prefer 12-pound-test when I can get away with it, because it provides better control over big fish and is less likely to break when casting a heavy crankbait.
Some anglers push the edge when it comes to rod length.  Some anglers believe longer is better, an 8-foot medium-heavy power saltwater popping rod. Dependent on the angler, you can cast a crankbait 20 percent farther with an 8-foot rod than with a 7-footer, Coupled with a Shimano Calcutta TE 200GT bait-casting reel, the extra distance can put more fish in your boat.
Equipment Breakdown
RODS: Match the rod with lures that are just inside the maximum weight designation by the rod manufacturer.
Moderate and moderate-fast action rods, which flex deeper into the butt section, generally give the lure longer flight. High-modulus graphite rods load and release energy quickly, which can inhibit casting distance. Fiberglass performs better, but sacrifices weight and sensitivity.
LINE: Thin-diameter lines cast farther, so use the line with the lightest pound-test practical. Limp, low-memory lines create less friction and air resistance, resulting in longer casts. Slick, limp braided lines also cast well. However, they should be matched with reels that lay the line on the spool with a cross-weave pattern that prevents the line from digging into itself.

SPINNING REELS: A large-diameter spool can increase casting distance, where a tapered spool do not. Most important is how evenly the reel lays line on the spool. If the line forms an hourglass shape, thinner in the middle of the spool, distance suffers. The line should lie flat from one side of the spool to the other.
Fill the spool to within 1/8 inch or less of the leading lip. You can soak the line with a silicone spray to reduce line twist.
BAIT-CASTING REELS: Many anglers rely on centrifugal brakes and eschew magnetic brakes. After taking into account wind conditions and varying lure weights, you need to constantly adjust your brake for optimum distance.
Before making the first cast with a new bait-casting reel, I will swab the centrifugal break mechanism with alcohol to remove any oil residue that can rob casting distance.
LURES: A lure’s aerodynamics is crucial to achieving long casts. Some deep-diving crankbaits have long bills that can make the lures cartwheel and fall quickly. Compact, medium-diving crankbaits usually sail farther.
Crankbaits & jerkbaits with weight-transfer systems cast well for distance. During the cast, internal weights shift to the rear of the plug and prevent tumbling. When the bait hits the water and assumes its diving attitude, the weights shift forward for optimum lure performance. Berkley Frenzy Divers, Rapala’s Long Cast Minnow and several models of Yo-Zuri crankbaits and jerkbaits are among the many lures now available with a weight-transfer system.
Large blades on spinnerbaits quell casting distance. Downsize to smaller blades when practical.
In closing, your choices of equipment and locations are almost endless. But long casts can, and will increase your fishing productivity, and you to will be convinced that there is “ No cast to far.”