casting

[skuxliss]

Hi all, may seem a dumb question but just wondering does rod length influence the distance in casting? Some reason it seems like I cast further with a 12 foot rod than a 8 footer when surf casting :cheers:

[Wolly Bugger]

that is fact. generally a longer rod has the ability to cast further

[BIG GAV]

But smaller rods have more precision (not much of a necessity when surf fishing I guess)

[Lecterfan]

Big Gav has a great point though, long rods come with a certain discipline in learning how to cast properly for both distance and accuracy. I'd rather fish the beach with a 9ft rod and great technique than be like my mate (with a chronic case of one-upmanship) used to do with his 14ft rod that he could cast for miles ALONG the shore break to end up in 2ft of water almost at right angles to where he wanted the bait to go haha. Aside from casting distance, long rods off the beach play a big role in dealing with weed, tidal surge and so forth. Get a blunt bomb sinker, tie the strongest knot you know to a good, strong leader and find a park to practice. As silly as you look at the park, you look 10x better when you hit the surf or rocks, particularly if you have to share a gutter or hole or whatever.

[skuxliss]

Thanks fellas am just trying to understand when surf fishing whether at times distance is needed when you 'think' you've found a good spot to cast into that seems like 200m or so from shore.

[4liters]

Depends on what you're targeting. Salmon, mullet and gummies can move in pretty close but if you can cast over the back of the break I've heard of people catching other species like snapper and trevally. You need a pretty hefty cast for that though and care is needed to make sure your baits don't fly off.

My goal is to learn to cast a pilly or squid strip 120m+ to get into those areas (only 70m to go!) because they receive less fishing pressure (so hopefully more fish) and the beaches aren't as crowded as the places those fish come closer to shore.

Just be aware that the fish like structure and often this will be closer in to the shore. No point in putting baits out 100m if the reef is 50m closer. The ability to cast long distances just opens up more areas.

[CarlG]

Bit of a two edged sword really. Yep, you can cast further, which is great if you're baitfishing, but your effeciency decreases, so you're putting more effort in. If you're baitfishing, a longer rod is beneficial as you might only cast a few times during a session, if you're surf spinning, you might put in 200 casts in a session, so you would generally opt for a shorter rod, in the 8'6-9'6 range.
Again, horses for courses.

[Wolly Bugger]

The guys at the ASF are using rods up to 15' and casting weights of 200 grams to achieve the distance that they do.

There are limiting factors to being able to achieve distance, apart from the rod. The other major factor is aerodynamics, the lead that is cast by the ASF guys is a torpedo shape, as soon as you add things like bait, this increases aerodynamic drag, thus decreasing the distance achieved. The larger the bait the greater the increase in drag.

As Carl points out, rod length depends a lot on if you are bait fishing or lure casting. Trying to swing a 15' rod when it is blowing a gale takes a lot of effort, were as much less effort it required for a 9' rod.

[dezza68]

If you cant reach the fish you definitely wont catch them! For someone relatively new to casting i wouldnt go beyond a 12ft rod. There are lots of different ways to propel your gear a decent distance and you can tailor your gear to suit you. Most decent 12 ft rods will give you a chance to send a bait out towards the 100m mark, you hear people saying they can bang it much further but in real fishing conditions and with bait 100m is way beyond where most can cast.
Even if you can cast a decent distance you still need to put your bait where the fish are, be that in close or at top range, thats the real skill.

[Fish-Hunter]

Generally a longer rod does cast further, for beach fishing a 13.6ft rod is the max length i use.