Any quick tips to gain another 30 yards?

[Bass Buster]

I am not the best caster, across the beach my best so far is 120. However most of my casts are around 100 yards when ive measuered them. I dont have a casting style i just kinda swing it and hit it. I am using a Century Kompressor Match and a Penn 525 mag can anyone help me.

[cain]

best advice is to get some lessons from an instructor

[littlemissmermaid]

Try this site,,,,,,,,,,, http://www.johnholden.co.uk/

[DAVE H]

you can read all the books and watch all the vids
but you will learn more from a 1on1 with a casting instructor ..

[keegy]

a instructor will tell you where you are going wrong, a book/video cant.??

[oldchukka]

keegy is right,-- if you try to copy what you have seen on a video or diagram, who is going to tell you if you are getting it right?
a good instructor will watch you,-- pick up your faults-- teach reel tuning--advise you on the gear to buy,-- but most important of all, if he,s a good,n explain in language that you understand where your faults are

[WAYNE S]

Any quick tips to gain another 30 yards? Reply to Thread

You could always stand 30yads further forward, But i'd take the advise and go a get some instruction it will save you of time and effort.

[philtherod]

There are two routes to follow to gain your extra 30 yards:
1) The "Hit it harder, it'll go if you do", method.

2) the "Hit it Smarter, then you won't need to hit it harder", method.

What this means in practice is to get a simple repeatable off-the-ground casting style, which produces perhaps 120-150 yards with a plain lead, recommended leader strength, and 12-18lb line. Use either fixed-spool or multiplier, whichever you are more comfortable with, and use a casting template to aid repeatability.
After perhaps 6-8 casts on target and reasonably accurate for direction, pick a distance which comes easily to you and stick a visible marker:giveup: in the ground at that distance, not forgetting to mark the point where you are casting from.
Now you can tune-up your casting timing and technique by casting at the marker using the same style and trying to reach the marker with less and less effort. You will be developing muscle memory while you are doing this. At the end of the session, at what Big Clive always called appeasing the goddess of the last cast, make a last cast using the effort you used at the start of the session, with the timing and technique you have been developing. Do not treat this last cast as a big yahoo, but a careful reasoned application of power to go with developing skill.
A session with a good casting instructor could help put these described actions into effect.

Hope this helps.

philtherod

[Painy]

I did something similar. I was getting my OTG cast to go about 120 yards every time and then thought about what small conscious adjustments could increase distance. I found a few.

1. Keeping the arms well away from the body.
2. Trying not to hit the cast too early and slowing it down.
3. Trying not to tuck the right arm in too much.
4. Aiming for a target at roughly 40 degrees in the air and slightly to the right (stopped me from pulling the odd cast).

Ok, I still do an occasional bad cast when getting lazy and not applying what Id learnt but on the whole Im getting to 140-150 yards over grass. Now I wonder how much more a decent casting instructor would add?

[Ian_Montrose]

One tip that helps me a lot is don't forget the left hand. I'm quite prone to focusing on the energy I put into the push with my right hand but the left hand has more leverage on the rod and a good pull at the top of the cast really makes a difference. Works for me anyway.

[slayer]

what lb line are you using ,try reduceing the breaking strain of your line this will add on a good few yards!!

[igo.t.crabbs]

cast down hill

[inford]

keeping your left hand out and pulling it in hard will increase your tip speed

[oldchukka]

heres one or two to confuse a begginer.----

you,er only casting one handed
you are cutting th corner
look up when you cast
you are short on compression
the lead will follow your head
use a blob knot
you need to open [or shut the gate]
body isnt rotating
your feet are wrong
the leads dropping before you pick it up
get some red into your bearings
you are losing distance through line slap
a multi is better than a coffee grinder
LOOK! just do it like me
is there any wonder i used to go home cofused when i was a beginner?

as i have said earlier . get help from someone who speaks so that you understand what they are saying:g: :g:

[keegy]

away to the left, away to the right, out of court, stick to darts, your wife is shouting on you for your tea, glad i went to casting days.

[JimmyC]

Aint this casting lark great!
All the advice in the world, usually shouted at you as you make the cast(crack off):notworthy :notworthy :notworthy

Jim C


ps Keegy haven't you put wrong DoB? You look older:clap2:

[keegy]

feel a lot older.??
thought i had a p/b at the casting 312yds, then was told it was a crack off..?

[JimmyC]

:clap3: :clap3: :clap3: :clap3:

[lobbit]

get a boat distance no object lol

[spill]

Or, cast with a gale force wind behind you.

[inford]

with a gale behind you you still have to be casting right to make the mst of it

[Ravelling Tangler]

1) get a lesson
2) if you can't do that (yet) look at John Holden's stuff and remember "pull, hammer"
3) try a slightly softer rod (but hang on to your Kompressor Match for when you get better)
4) go back up this topic and read what PhiltheRod wrote

[chukka]

Looking forward at 12 oclock. Turn your feet to the 2 oclock position and rotate the hips. Try and keep your leading arm (Left if right handed) as high as possible and the rod tip as close to the ground as possible. As soon as you power into the cast (eg off the ground) look up to an imaginary position at say a 10 oclock position. The natural body rotation this creates should give a few yards and keeping the tip low until the last minute should give a greater casting arc.

[oldchukka]

keegy,-- we are into hammers and clocks now, -- its as i said earlier , a lot of theory with with different terminology will fry the brain of any poor soul trying to improve his or her technique and distance. if you are in a mind not to seek help from an instructor ---when you are out fishing, and you see somebody casting well, stop --watch --- study their technique --- and ask advice. but then again you will probably find out that a lot of good casters you see will have had a bit of good tuition themself
flags are great for indicating how far you are casting, but if you turn into your cast and look at your flag, your lead will travel low. by all means look in the direction of the flag before you cast, but when you turn to deliver it look up at an angle of 45 degrees then let it go.

[keegy]

is this what you mean by O.T.G bill, cant get away with the o.t.g. cast


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/jcncseaview/bale_2.jpg

[Ravelling Tangler]

"classic"

If the UKSF allowed that as an event there would be pendulum casters ("high swing" and "flat arc" styles) using 18 foot long rods !

of course there might be the odd broken collar bone from toppling over after losing balance........but progress has a price ! LOL !

[oldchukka]

thats keegy , at his best. if the uksf allowed that theire insuance would be in the same category as free fall parachuting:clap3: :clap3: :clap3:

[keegy]

i canny cast on the ground so i thought i would try off the ground.

lol.. lol

[jay666]

Some ideas


Use a heavier lead
Cast with the wind blowing in the same direction
Try lighter line
Maybe your feet are wrong?
Maybe you are just not casting hard enough?

There are a lot of ideas on this thread, and I think that the thing that will help you most would to get an instructor


Or

Go to a field and just practise casting. You could take a marker, place it on the ground, walk 100 yards back and cast. If you clear the marker, walk 10 yards back and keep repeating.

This should help get more distance

[big guy]

as you say you just swing it and hit it. i would say learn and perfect a powerful off the ground technique first and then try and put a swing in front of that perfected style.

you should be able to hit 200yrds with a plain lead OTG, with a good technique.

[gonefishin]

Read Philtherod above and get some lessons as well.
From Phil if you can travel.
A shame Kent and Devon are so far apart otherwise I would invest in some lessons from him.

[PHIL THE MAG]

Probably one for the more accomplished casters,and more suited to the competition casting scene,but what about reducing the mag setting during the cast ?
Probably only gain a few yards,and invite birdsnests,but anythings worth a try I suppose.:g: