Casting Distance

[FishFinder]

I want to try casting for salmon in the fall and maybe bows in the spring, at port credit and looking for a nice setup. I was wondering what i would get the best casting distance with?

Rod longth, spinning vs batcaster.. etc

Ill probably be chucking 3/4 ounce cleos and J-13's

Thanks

[Hooked]

I do alot of shore fishing for salmon and trout. I have a 10' Medium action Shimano Convergence, paired with a Shimano Symettre, 4000 size, with 8lb Fins Evolution line and a flouro leader. Handles salmon like a champ, but is kinda heavy for trout, at least I find. If you get a smaller reel, like the size of a 2500 series, I wouldn't put any backing on, but thats just me. With mono, you'll be able to cast a mile, but if you hook into a salmon, or a nice bow, your line will stretch like crazy after a few fish and then you'll have to replace it. Again, thats what I find.

As well, its extremely important to get high quality snap/barrel swivels. If you don't, your line will twist and will affect your casting distance.

[Mike Pike]

I have a 9-foot St. Croix Avid series rod( Med-Heavy )with a fast action that I like to chuck spoons with. I like to cast 8lb Berkley Trilene, myself, for the distance.

 

I think a longer rod with maybe a Medium action would give me a little more distance on the cast but I like to 'work' the spoon back on the retrieve.

 

Goodluck with your choice FishFinder.

[MJL]

I use a 10' Shimano Convergence (8-17lb) with a 4000 Shimano Stradic loaded with either 8-10lb mono or 30lb PowerPro. I get relatively good distance. Depending on how much you would like to spend, The Sage 3113mb is another great pier rod that loads up and launches spoons and lures nicely (11'3"). Haven't tried the one made by Raven (Specialist I think?) but it looks and feels nice in the store.

 

I was also toying with the idea of using one of my carp rods but they are significantly heavier than any salmon/steelhead rod out there. I casted 124 yards of PowerPro for kicks with a 12' 3.25lb Grey's X-flite carp rod and a Daiwa Tournament big-pit reel...I'm not a great caster either...I doubt you'll need that kind of distance for salmon/steelhead (or have the arms to cast all night) but boy is it fun watching your rig disappear into the horizon. Buzz-bombs will certainly go a long way with carp gear. That's one option if you want pure distance.

[FishFinder]

Yeah since at port credit you have to fish off the rocks you need quite a bit of distance to get into a good zone (i think)

I am going to look into one of the raven rods as i love them for float rods.

I guess the choice of reel doesent matter that much..

I'll Probably spool up with 10 or 12 lb P-Line, or might even try braid

Thanks for the help.

[Dabluz]

Instead of the 10 or 12 lb P-Line, I would recommend a 10, 14 or 15 lb test braid. You will get more distance and have a stronger line. Most 20 lb test braids have a breaking strength of about 37 lbs. So, even a 10 lb braid is much stronger than the 12 lb test P-Line and be even a bit thinner and lighter. 10 lb braid is about the size of 6 lb mono. 20 lb braid is about the size of 12 lb mono. The thinnest braid is Tuf Line Plus....but it's very hard to find. It only comes in the colour white. Mason Tiger Braid is also very thin but due to it's construction, the outer braided layer often gets damaged when tying a knot. Otherwise, it's a great line. In the tests carried out with 20 lb test lines, Tuf Line came out on top of the braided lines. Tuf Line XP (the most common seen) has a coating on the fibers. So does Tuf Line Premium. But the Tuf Line Plus is pure spectra and very very supple. The thinnest and the strongest line is Fireline which is not a braid. 20 lb test Fireline tested out way over 40 lbs. After it has been used for a while, Fireline gets more supple and casts even better. However, it does fray after a while and you have to reverse the line on your reel.

Edited February 15, 2007 by Dabluz