Long distance casting question....

[P-row]

I'm sure it's been discussed but want your opinion on what's the best reel and line combination to cast 1/32 & 1/16 oz jigs greater distances? Thx....

[KRW]

Spinning reel with biggest diam spool you can stand, on the lightest line you can stand

[DockShootinJack]

A rod with some good whip to it helps also.

[zekepa]

I did some casting distance testing today. In the last month I got sucked into a rabbit hole of JDM rods, the three rods I've bought are very different from each other in length, action and bending curve, I also bought new BnM TCB rod combo's for my wife and daughter in law I was curious about the casting distance of the 3 JDM rods since they are so different from each other, since I was goofing off I tried the TCB rod also.

When testing distance each of the 4 rods had identical 1/32 hand tied hair jigs. 3 of the 4 styles of rods preformed very close to each other for distance. Rod 1) 5' Majorcraft 5G Aji-do with a Daiwa Legalis 2000 spooled with 3lb Varivas nylon, Rod 2) 6'3" Majorcraft Finetail SUL with Daiwa Regal 2000 spooled with 4lb Varivas nylon, Rod 3 6'6" BnM TCB with the combo reel it came with a BnM Pro 50 spooled that I spooled with 4lb Varivas nylon. With all three set ups casting distance was consistently between 40 to 45 feet. Of the 3 the the 6'3" rod probably averaged 1 or 2 feet shorter cast than the other 2. Between those 3 rod setups casting distance would not be a deciding of which rod I was going to use. The fourth rod setup is a 6'10" Lunakia with an Abu Garcia Revo Theta spooled with 0.2 Varivas PE (Braid), this setup consistently cast between 50 to 55ft.

I measured the diameter of each spool where the line is, the Pro 50 measured 1.375" the other three all measured apx 1.5" I didn't measure the diameter of the spool lips.

I'm pleased with the distance from all the rods, I'm actually surprised that the 5' rod was able to cast a 1/32 just as far as the 6'3" and 6'6" rods. Not surprisingly the 6'10 rod with the thinnest line cast the farthest. The nylon line diameter are listed as 0.0058 for the 3 lb and 0.0065 for the 4lb so they have a very small diameter

[Alphahawk]

Ok…the deal about the biggest diameter spinning reel. That’s a big maybe. It depends on what reel the rod was designed for. I fish all JDM rods and they are designed to fish certain size range of reels. As to a whippy rod being better….again maybe. I have an XXUL rod that cast worse than any of the other 3 dozen rods I purchased. Don’t think that just because a rod is longer means it will cast farther…it can cast farther but that rule is not written in stone. I get great casting distance from the rods I use…and a big part of that is the lines I use. One rule that is a constant is the smaller the diameter the line the farther you can cast. I can’t advise you as to rod and reel…unless you want to purchase gear out of Japan. Although I have done extensive testing of the BnM TCB rod. It cast extremely well. But as to lines….Varivas America…which is a site sponsor…..makes some of the finest fishing line you can buy. I use their nylon line….FC line…braided line…and their polyester line. I’m sure you’re familiar with nylon and FC line. The polyester line is a great panfish line. But it is an UL line rated up to 2.3 pounds. The stuff will cast coast to coast. But it takes some getting used to as it can have manageability issues…but I love the stuff. Their Twitch Master is a great nylon line…one of the smallest diameter lines around. I have had folks stand around watching me cast 1/32 and 1/16 lures on a trout river and they are in wonder how I get the distance I do from rods that are as short as 4’ 6”. The rod has something to do with it but it is also the line that helps me with the distance. Casting distance can be a very complicated subject.

Regards


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[P-row]

Thanks everyone! Alpha & Zeke.... that is some great information. I inquired about this for a buddy but will put this info to use myself too.

[catchNgrease]

40 to 45 ft for sure should get it done. But I would say with a decent line spooled to the proper fill should throw further than that. Most dock shooters on here can shoot further than 45 ft. My guesse is part of that is the skipping but the angle of jig travel is also equal to the angle of the rod to limit the drag on the rod eyes. Use a decent 4# line and follow the cast with the rod tip.

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[Micanopy]

I studied long distance casting as it regards to surf casting. Pitched a sinker 705 feet at a casting tournament.

There are several things that improve distance, and I dealt with them one at a time. As I did the distances improved, as each small advantage added onto the next one.

For surf casting the sinker would bend the rod, and that meant that the rod’s action was important. I doubt that a 1/16th ounce jig is bending the rod enough to produce an advantage where one rod could be seen as much better than another. It is possible though. My surf rods would cast a specific weight better than other weights due to how it loaded the rod when I cast it. Someone else that weight could change.

The slickness of the guides is something I would think would be involved. As line peels off the spool and reaches the stripper guide, it must then pass through. If the loops of line are too large for this guide, because your reel is too large in diameter, you will loose distance not gain. The distance from the reel to this guide is also important as you want the line to flow through this stripper guide.

I used what are called Slow Oscillation reels. These will make many many wraps of line as the spool moves forward and back during the winding process. This meant that the direction the line was unspooling would change less frequently. This made a huge difference.

Once away, the shape of the jig and it’s aerodynamic properties will play a large role in how far it travels.

This is also when the diameter of the line comes into play. You can drag line behind the boat to experience the amount of drag it creates. You can also find a deserted road and run out some line as you drive. Hang on tight to that spool of line in your hand as the drag can rip it free. The faster you go the larger the amount of drag. The more line catching air as you go will also create drag.

The angle of release is also involved. The greatest distances any setup will cast is when cast at a 45 degree angle. Any steeper or any shallower and you lose distance.

So….. the act of casting is swinging the rod in an arc, single plane, that generates tip speed. This movement is also how you generate jig speed, which can be different than the speed the tip moves. You release and the jig immediately begins to lose it’s speed. The more aerodynamic the jig the slower the rate that it loses it’s speed. The line flowing through the guides slows the jig. The line flowing through the air pulls back against the jig slowing it. The line peeling off of the spool slows the jig.

Anyways to get the maximum distance try to deal with all of these issues. There will be a best reel to rod size. Take a reel that casts for distance on one rod, put it on another and that distance will probably change. Look at everything and try to lessen the effects of each that I mentioned. Adding up each advantage will get you maximum distance.

[DockShootinJack]

40 to 45 ft for sure should get it done. But I would say with a decent line spooled to the proper fill should throw further than that. Most dock shooters on here can shoot further than 45 ft. My guesse is part of that is the skipping but the angle of jig travel is also equal to the angle of the rod to limit the drag on the rod eyes. Use a decent 4# line and follow the cast with the rod tip.

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I get an additional 5 to 10 feet from using a low angle and allowing the bait to skip as you have said. Some baits skip better than others.

[Ketchn]

in my opinion it could be said once again , lightest line , largest spool and stiff rod .....
a buggy whip aint gunna get it done
heavy line either, at much over 4 lb dia.
and a big open face is likely the ticket