10 ways to go the distance
Casting lures a long way requires the right tools in the right hands
Discover how to boost range when lure fishing.
How many times have you caught yourself trying to blast a lure to the horizon, forgetting about all that lovely-looking water right in front of you? There are, however, times and places when long casting can be extremely useful – perhaps the reef or tide rip you are fishing calls for it, or maybe you just need to get into clearer water because bouncy conditions are kicking things up closer in.
Whatever the case, here are my tips to help you get your lures out that bit further when the need arises...
1 CASTING STYLE
No matter what rods, reels, lines and lures you buy, if your casting isn’t up to much, then no fancy gear in the world is going to get your lures out very far.
You need to use the weight of the lure to properly bend the rod so that it acts like a spring. Every rod works slightly differently – some, generally fast-action lure rods, like to be moved really fast on the cast, while others benefit from slowing down a touch and concentrating on fully loading the rod. Get to know your lure rod and practice the style that suits it best.
2 YOUR BEST LURE CHOICE
Some lures cast much better than others, either by design or because the shape is aerodynamic, enabling it to fly out well.
For distance work I know of no better out-and-out minnow-style hard lure than the IMA Hound 125F Glide, and it helps that I trust it as a bass catcher too.
Into the same category fall the DUO Tide Minnow Slim 140 Flyer, DUO Tide Minnow 145 SLD-S, MegaBass Zonk 120 Gataride, MegaBass X140, IMA/DUO Nabarone 125F or 125S, and some of the Daiwa lures that, unfortunately, we can’t easily source in the UK.
3 COVER EVEN MORE WATER
Due to their shape, some surface lures cast like the proverbial bullet, enabling you to cover a serious amount of water.
The well-known 27g Xorus Patchinko is one of these if teamed with a lure rod that can move it nice and fast.
My favourite surface lure, the IMA Salt Skimmer, is another big distance, but smaller, profile surface lure. It is somewhat lighter, and fishes quieter than the larger Patchinko.
4 SLIMMER BRAIDS
Thinner lines come off the reel that bit easier and cut through the air better than thicker ones. Given 15lb and 20lb braids of the same make, the 15lb version will therefore cast further.
A top-of-the-range (and not cheap) 15lb eight-strand braid will generally help get you more distance, but much as I like fishing with braids like this, I am not sure that the distance advantage over, say, a more regular four-strand braid is as great as we would like to think.
5 THE RIGHT LURE ROD
A modern, longer rod will chuck a lure further than either an older style, somewhat floppy spinning rod, or one of those sub-8ft modern rods that can be so good to fish with closer in.
In the right hands, a long, Continental-style beach rod will help, but nothing can compensate for a bad casting style. Use a lure rod that works for you and, remember, the best carbon in the world won’t do a whole lot for you if you aren’t casting powerfully and smoothly.
I love fishing with shorter lure rods that feel like wands in my hand, but a good, modern 9ft to 9ft 6in lure rod (typically from Japan) is so completely different to what we used to have to settle for. Light and responsive, they can put lures out a mile, to the point where I am now as comfortable using one of these longer lure rods as I am a shorter one.
6 ROD RATING IMPORTANT
Many of of the best lure rods these days are rated 5-35g, but a 10-30g rod is not going to perform at its best if you are casting lures at the extreme bottom and top ends of the range.
The long-casting IMA Hound 125F Glide weighs only 20g, and I find it works incredibly well on many of the Major Craft 10-30g lure rods, but if you regularly fish lure of 30g-plus and you need to get them out a long way, it’s far better to use a lure rod rated 15-40g. Lure rods have a ‘sweet spot’ where you can feel them performing effortlessly as they cast their ideal weight, but unless you are spend big money on a rod, it will take a bit of time to discover where that is.
7 LOAD IT UP
Make sure your spinning reel is properly loaded up with braid, but don’t overfill it in the hope of gaining a few extra yards.
It may sound like a good idea, but when you’re spitting blood because the bass are on the feed, and you’re getting endless wind knots, you’ll wish that you had heeded my words and spent more time perfecting your casting style than filling up your reel.
8 SNAPBACK STYLE CAST
The straight back and forwards style, called snapback casting, can be very accurate and easy to master. But I don’t think it lends itself well to maximum distance work with long lure rods in rough, windy conditions.
I still think that the right drop to your lure, together with a good rod and casting style, is the key – set yourself up and let the lure fly.
9 GOING SOFT
I fish for bass more and more with soft plastics these days, but aside from the odd freak of nature like the MegaBass DOT Crawler, most soft plastics aren’t going to cast quite as far as a long-distance hard lure.
Sure, a big heavy jig head and a smallish soft plastic will go out a long way, but if I am trying to put a lure out to distant rocks, I don’t then want it to sink deep and snag me up. I always carry a selection of soft plastics with me, but if I need to put lures out as far as I can, then it’s hard lures that get the trip.
10 IS BIGGEST ALWAYS BEST?
If distance is paramount, nothing will cast further than a metal jig – but whether you use one depends on where you are fishing. Some of the larger, heavier lures are going to cast even further if you use the right rods and reels. Indeed, some of the 3oz and 4oz surface lures we used for striped bass over on Cape Cod were going so far that I was struggling to see them land.
Some bass lures just cast better than others, and it isn’t always the largest within their weight range that necessarily go out the furthest.
“If I need to put lures out as far as I can,
then it’s hard lures that get the trip”