Casting distance is a big factor in determining your fishing success.
Not all casts need to hit your maximum casting distance, but when more fish are further out, it sure helps if you can make sure your lures and baits reach them.
I used to struggle with long distance casts and would often be outfished by those next to me who could throw their baits a few feet further than me.
But, as I learned how to cast farther, I slowly managed to throw my lure further and further reaching my maximum distance. Join me to find out all my tips and tricks on how to cast farther so that next time you’re fishing, you can put your bait exactly where you want it to be.
What Is The Average Casting Distance To Aim For?
To work out if you need to get more distance on your cast it’s best to know what to aim for.
An average casting distance is around 25-30 yards with a bass spinning rod and spinning reel – if you’re hitting that, your cast is about right.
But, if you’re out surf fishing from a beach, then 25-30 yards is not going to cut it a lot of the time as the fish will be further out, and you can reach distances of up to 150 yards if you get the technique and gear right.
If you are looking for a surf fishing reel, check out my review of the best surf fishing spinning reels.
Why Wont My Rod Cast Far?
There are quite a few reasons that might be affecting why you can’t cast far with your rod.
The most likely reason is that it might not be designed for distance casting. The different parts of a fishing rod contribute to various factors that can affect your casting. If it’s a short rod with light power then it can only handle lighter line and lighter lures, giving you less energy and momentum to cast farther.
If you have a longer rod with more power that can throw an 8-ounce bait or lure, then the issue might be in your style, the line materials you’re using, or a possible internal issue with your reel drag.
How do you cast the farthest?
To cast further than ever before and to maximize casting distance, you’ll need to have the right techniques, practice a lot, and have the right setup.
NOTE
The longer your rod, the more weight it can handle, the smoother your reel, and the less friction your fishline creates the farther you will be able to cast.
What can affect your casting and how?
The Wind
This is probably common sense to you and anglers everywhere but the wind makes a huge difference to how far you can cast.
Throwing into the wind is going to stop your cast from going as far as it can while side winds will also affect your distance and accuracy a bit too.
TIP
Always try to cast with the wind behind you as it’ll help you make a longer cast every time.
Rod Selection
Type
You have the option to choose a spinning rod or a baitcaster rod, and you should make this choice based on the fishing situation and reel you want to use.
The type of rod makes no difference to casting distance, but the reel does.
Rod Length
Fishing rod length is a huge factor when it comes to how far you can cast a spinning or baitcasting rod.
A longer rod will load up with way more energy during the cast and send your lure a lot farther than a shorter rod.
Power & Action
Fishing rod action determines where a rod bends along its length and a fast action will bend nearer the tip and a slow rod action will bend nearer the butt section.
Slow action rods cast further than fast ones as more of the rod loads.
Power refers to how much force is needed to bend the rod and thus how much weight it can throw.
TIP
A rod with medium to heavy power will handle a heavier lure and be able to make extra long casts.
What is the best rod for casting long distances?
The best rod for casting great distances is around 10-12 foot long with medium to heavy power and a slow action.
Together, these specifications give you everything you need for casting farther than ever.
Reel Selection
Type
Both baitcasting and spinning reels can achieve distances of 100-150 yds.
Baitcasting reel is more efficient overall but much harder to cast than their spinning brother.
RECOMMENDATION
My advice is to pick a reel based on your preference and not to make longer casts with it.
The key when picking a reel is ensuring that the lines come off the spool as smoothly as possible with minimal or less drag to ensure no friction is removing the energy from your cast.
To cast a spinning reel farther, switch to a braided fishing line and learn to hold the reel correctly. If you are not sure what braid fishing line to use, read my review of the best braided fishing lines.
When casting with a baitcaster, casting as hard as possible is likely costing you distance due to imbalanced spool speed. Because the spool spins with a baitcaster, the longer and smoother it spins, the greater your casting distance is. If you’re looking for a baitcast reel, find the best baitcasting reel on the market with this review.
Does reel size affect casting distance?
Yes, the more line you have on your reel the further you can cast.
A common mistake that I notice from beginners, as well as with experienced fishermen, is that they either put too much line on their spinning reels, or sometimes not enough. Either one can drastically decrease your casting distance.
Make sure to pick a size with at least a 300 yd or more line capacity if you want to be casting around the 100 yd mark.
This will leave enough line for when that trophy fish you hook takes a long run.
A Properly Loading Spool
When lines go onto your spool, they need to go on in a uniformed fashion from left to right so when you cast, they leave the spool in the same way, without any resistance.
If your line isn’t wound on properly, then it’ll catch and reduce the line speed and thus how far you can cast.
Line Selection
Size
Thinner line casts further than heavier thicker line as it has less resistance in the air and requires less energy to pull off the spool.
25 pound test mono or fluoro, and 20-40 pound braid is ideal for long distance casting.
If you’re after bass, I’ve reviewed bass fishing lines here. It can be worth it if that specific species is all you’re after.
NOTE
Make sure to match your line weight with your tackle and the fish you want to catch or target.
If you load a rod rated for a 40-pound fishline with a 10-pound line, it’ll probably break when casting or when you hook a fish, and you’ll lose both your lure and catch because of it.
Material
When it comes to line material you have a choice of three: braid, mono, or fluoro.
Fishing with braid is best for casting long distances as it has a thinner diameter than mono or fluoro of the same pound test.
But, sometimes your choice has to be determined by where you’re fishing.
Braid is easily cut by snags, whereas mono/fluoro handles abrasion better.
Lure & Bait Selection
Shape & Size
There are two factors when it comes to lure and bait selection that will affect how far you cast; weight and aerodynamics.
A heavier lure or bait will give you a harder load on your rod and therefore create more force to cast with and propel the bait outward so you can reach an extra long distance.
A streamlined lure will cut through the air better for increased momentum once it’s thrown.
The heaviest lure or bait a rod can handle is an 8 ounce…
The heaviest lure or bait a rod can handle is an 8 ounce, and this will get you sending your lure or bait far. But, you have to make sure your lure matches the ounce rating of your rod – too heavy a lure and the rod can snap, too light and it won’t load properly.
Shock Leader
Using a shock leader is one of the best fishing tips for most anglers to know when casting heavy lures or baits. It helps withstand the forces to ensure you don’t lose your rig when casting. The other advantage of using a leader is it keeps the uni knot from getting down inside your spool to interfere with your casting speed.
The general rule is having 10 lbs of shock leader for every ounce of weight. So if you’re casting 8 ounces, use an 80lb shock leader.
NOTE
Add enough shock leader to go around your reel’s spool 5 times, leaving enough space to thumb it, through your rod tip and back down to the reel.
Casting Techniques
The Brighton
The Brighton is by far the best casting technique for long distances and it provides the most momentum possible. It’s quite easy to learn and here is how you do it and a video to show you.
- Stand facing your target and pull a 6 foot line from your pole tip.
- Now take your rod backward over your shoulder all the way until it’s close to touching the ground behind you.
- Keeping tension in the line, bring your pole forward pushing with your right hand and pulling up with your left hand.
Tips
When you first learn fishing you are told to have 1 foot of line out from the rod tip.
This makes it easier and safer when learning casting but it doesn’t aid distance. The ideal amount of line to have out is half the length of your rod.
So if you have a 12-foot pole, have 6 feet of line out when you start. This will increase momentum and thus line speed and add distance to your casting.
Practice
One of the major factors in casting is practice. The more you practice casting farther, the better you will get, like with everything in fishing and life.
Go fishing as often as you can, and when it’s wintertime, find an empty field to practice in so you don’t lose your edge.
Casting Out
Thanks for reading my guide on how to cast farther, I trust you found it useful and now know all the factors that might be affecting your casting distances and how to remedy them. It mostly comes down to having the right tackle and practicing a lot.
If you enjoyed the article, please check out some of my others like the Penn Pursuit 3 review or the Best Surf Casting Reels Review. – I cover everything you might need to learn or get for your next fishing adventure.
