Long Casting into the Surf

[night_rider]

Hi Guys,

In my new found love for beach fishing, I've decided I need to start working on my technique.

Unless the gutter is just in front of the shore I'm not able to get out far enough out....

Any tips guys? I've watched a few youtube clips about pushing and pulling with either arm, and some weird pommy technique swirling your bait around like a weapon.. I decided not to adopt this!!

I've got a 12" rod(cruddy Jarvis walker) + an Okuma baitfeeder reel. - Probably need to upgrade my rod considering it was the cheapie I bought to try out beach fishing...

Also, would there be any advantage to moving to a paternose rig from a fish finder rig?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

Mark

[Crossfire63]

Mark

Depends how far you wish to cast.

Pendulum casting is effective for long distance casting but not practical on a crowded beach.

This is a simple effective cast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VRCTVm-LxY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f12rBB-mgDU

Even with a cheap rod and reel I can get a 4oz lead out 120m using this method

If you're going much further than that you'll probably need to upgrade to a conventional reel and a better rod

I should add to that you don't need to cast a long way to catch fish. Most of mine are caught between 50 and 70m from the beach

Edited June 13, 2014 by Crossfire63

[thefisherman6784]

Mark

Depends how far you wish to cast.

Pendulum casting is effective for long distance casting but not practical on a crowded beach.

This is a simple effective cast

Even with a cheap rod and reel I can get a 4oz lead out 120m using this method

If you're going much further than that you'll probably need to upgrade to a conventional reel and a better rod

I should add to that you don't need to cast a long way to catch fish. Most of mine are caught between 50 and 70m from the beach

Thanks for sharing those videos made

Very helpful for me and I'm sure for more people

Cheers thefisherman6784

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[Crossfire63]

Thanks for sharing those videos made

Very helpful for me and I'm sure for more people

Cheers thefisherman6784

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Mate

Not a problem always happy to help........ what John forgets to mention is that when doing this with heavy weights its a good idea to wear gloves or a finger stall. After doing this 10 or 12 times in quick succession you can start ripping skin off your fingers........I've had some cracking blood blisters casting 8 and 9oz weights

[thefisherman6784]

Mate

Not a problem always happy to help........ what John forgets to mention is that when doing this with heavy weights its a good idea to wear gloves or a finger stall. After doing this 10 or 12 times in quick succession you can start ripping skin off your fingers........I've had some cracking blood blisters casting 8 and 9oz weights

Yeh this is very true mate

It can end up nasty

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[quochuy]

And don't forget a long strong leader depending of the sinker size. To be safe the leader should be 2x the length of the rod plus few rotation of the reel. So that when you cast very strongly it won't snap the line

Huy

[NaClH2OK9]

I used to do a bit of beach casting in the UK (only amature stuff) things that made a difference to me were a tapered shock leader to keep your knot size down and clip down rigs.

I used to fish 3 rods. 1 long. Mid and short ( 150+m 75m 25m) different coastline I know but the longer rod didn't give me more fish and was always harder on bite detection.

Ahh. Soon many late long nights on a deserted Welsh beach. Bliss.

... Steve

[SgtBundy]

Thanks for putting this up. I was disappointed all night with my casting distance. Will give this method a go and see how I go.

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[Holls]

I like waders to walk in as far as poss, especially at night. Some people seem to cast from half way up the beach!

[Crossfire63]

I like waders to walk in as far as poss, especially at night. Some people seem to cast from half way up the beach!

And I think I'll be giving that one a miss owing to the fact that its too dangerous and I know two blokes who have drowned doing exactly that. Also had to drag a bloke out of the surf in January doing the same thing who fell over in a pair of waders and couldn't get back up again as they were full of sand and water.

[Twinfisher 4.9]

Yes waders can be potentially dangerous, especially at night. I'm afraid we have to suck it up and get used to being wet and soggy. But an extra few metres shouldn't matter if you find the right location. You may be casting over more fish than you imagine.

Steve

[elferoz777]

I just wear bordies and walk out as far as I can (usually waist height and depends on conditions).

In 5 mins I am dry again.

Then its back to the chair, jacket on, beer in hand and the waiting begins....in my outings the waiting really never seems to stop though...

I think one tip for casting is to not let go of the line to early. As odd as it feels I let go once to rod tip is straight out in front of me if not a bit lower. What happens if you let go to early is your sinker flied 60000M up in the air rather than straight out to sea.

AS other mentioned, you can get them at your feet almost assuming you are in the right spot and the right conditions.

Good luck with it

[night_rider]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I'd seen the pendulum cast but was a little concerned I would knock myself or mate out by mistake... Although I've never actually hooked myself or anyone whilst casting so maybe I'll be okay.

I'll try the easy cast and pendulum methods next outing and see how I go.

Thanks again.

Tight lines.

Cheers

Mark

[Holls]

And I think I'll be giving that one a miss owing to the fact that its too dangerous and I know two blokes who have drowned doing exactly that. Also had to drag a bloke out of the surf in January doing the same thing who fell over in a pair of waders and couldn't get back up again as they were full of sand and water.

Maybe I didnt explain it very well. I only go out to my knees, then I'm dry and warm late at night. There were spots up the northern coast where the good channel was the outside one, over the top of the sandbar. I took some good fish out of it while others floundered in the close channel (pardon the pun)

[Twinfisher 4.9]

Honestly, it's like other subjects that longer (casting) is better....it isn't so. Learn to to read the beach during daylight at different stages of the tide. The larger predators will be hunting where their prey are, which is most likely closer than you think.

Steve

[Crossfire63]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I'd seen the pendulum cast but was a little concerned I would knock myself or mate out by mistake... Although I've never actually hooked myself or anyone whilst casting so maybe I'll be okay.

I'll try the easy cast and pendulum methods next outing and see how I go.

Thanks again.

Tight lines.

Cheers

Mark

G'day mark

Mate if your going to try Pendulum casting go and find a vacant football field or baseball field with heaps of space. If you get this cast wrong the sinker will go miles, and that includes behind you.

Saw a bloke on Austinmere beach put a sinker through a car windscreen in the car park when trying to do this one day

[UnderFisher]

I often fish with a paternoster rig with a star sinker at the bottom and whole ganged pilchard about 1m up. It's not very aerodynamic so my casting distance is not very long. However most of the fish I catch are within 50m of the shore anyway so it doesn't really matter

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[twisty84]

What about techniques for using an ALVEY side cast reel

[Crossfire63]

What about techniques for using an ALVEY side cast reel

All works the same...Dont think I'd try a pendulum cast with an Alvey, but the cast listed above will work with an Alvey,

[Holls]

I often fish with a paternoster rig with a star sinker at the bottom and whole ganged pilchard about 1m up. It's not very aerodynamic so my casting distance is not very long. However most of the fish I catch are within 50m of the shore anyway so it doesn't really matter

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Maybe 'most of the fish you catch are within 50m' because you don't fish further out? It's obviously different to my experience in Victoria: deeper water = better fish (get a boat and catch even more). Unless it's night time, then they get cheeky nearer the shore, chasing baitfish.

[Twinfisher 4.9]

Hi Holls, the depth of the water off the beach isn't that significant, it's more where the predators are likely to seeking a feed and that will often be closer to the shore. The beach isn't Port Phillip Bay where different depths do matter.

Steve

[Holls]

Hi Holls, the depth of the water off the beach isn't that significant, it's more where the predators are likely to seeking a feed and that will often be closer to the shore. The beach isn't Port Phillip Bay where different depths do matter.

Steve

Hi Steve, never surf fished Port Phillip. I lived down the wild and windy West Coast, Anglesea to Apollo Bay, where you heave big lead into the Southern Ocean. My dad was a professional couta fisherman at Lorne in the old days, and the wooden boats were winched up onto the pier because it was too rough to leave them in the water. I wrote a book about it ten years ago. So I'm still learning about the NSW coast.

[night_rider]

Honestly, it's like other subjects that longer (casting) is better....it isn't so. Learn to to read the beach during daylight at different stages of the tide. The larger predators will be hunting where their prey are, which is most likely closer than you think.

Steve

Agreed, I've been reading a lot about beach formation and how to read gutters, inlets etc which I think will improve my hit rate ten fold... The casting will then be more about target accuracy than distance.

G'day mark

Mate if your going to try Pendulum casting go and find a vacant football field or baseball field with heaps of space. If you get this cast wrong the sinker will go miles, and that includes behind you.

Saw a bloke on Austinmere beach put a sinker through a car windscreen in the car park when trying to do this one day

Aha, I shouldn't laugh as it could be quite dangerous! I'm usually at the beach when there is no-one there.. Although, Good point about looking behind me.. In all honesty, if I cast away from the water... I'll be selling all my gear on here the following day...

[big Neil]

Mark, if you use a little berley often you will find that the fish will come in closer...thus enabling you to get within reach easily without casting miles. Of course there are exceptions... A spinning reel of appropriate size is probably going to be a help over a baitcaster reel. Definitely DO NOT use waders, they are dangerous in surf conditions. I always use a paternoster rig when beach fishing and usually try 2 different baits to see what they prefer. Cheers, Neil.

[night_rider]

Mark, if you use a little berley often you will find that the fish will come in closer...thus enabling you to get within reach easily without casting miles. Of course there are exceptions... A spinning reel of appropriate size is probably going to be a help over a baitcaster reel. Definitely DO NOT use waders, they are dangerous in surf conditions. I always use a paternoster rig when beach fishing and usually try 2 different baits to see what they prefer. Cheers, Neil.

Thanks Neil! I've got an egg beater reel, it just has a bait holder switch.. I see now that that's different to the bait caster reels.. Derp moment.

I've just been wearing the waders so I can walk into the shallows/ near the waters edge and not worry about my socks getting wet aha #soft I know..

I hadn't thought about Berleying in the surf.. I'll take my pellets and tuna oil with me next time

The weather looks nice this weekend touch wood.

Tight lines guys.

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