Why or why not?

I guess it depends on where the fish are? :spin:

-spence

for a new moon time of the month, the fish come much closer to shore so it isnt necessary to cast that far out unless there is structure off the beach or rocks where u are fishin. for the rest of the month and especially during the full moon, getting it a little more out there is key. however, only gettin the lure past the first or second breaking wave is necessary. usually nothin more.

having bthe ability to make a long cast when needed is important. You don't use it all the time but when you need it , its nice to be able to do it.

having bthe ability to make a long cast when needed is important. You don't use it all the time but when you need it , its nice to be able to do it.

QFT

i have been to spot where all you need is a 20-30 ft cast. my current spot requires an about 65 - 85 yrd casts. so even though you wont always use it. it's definitely better to be able to do.

Depends most whether you are fishing bait, be it chunk bait or live bait, plugs/artificials and how far out the strike zone may be!

Never heard of any of the distance casting champions putting more large fish on the beach than anyone else!

I suppose the longer the cast the more water covered but I HAVE FOUND REAL LONG CASTS ARE NOT REALLY NECESSARY IN THE SURF , IN GENERAL, PARTICULARLY AFTER DARK. BESIDES HOW FAR CAN YOU CAST A LIVE EEL OR SOFT PLASTIC-- FAR ENOUGH TO CATCH ALOT OF FISH FOR THE MOST PART.

I suppose the longer the cast the more water covered but I HAVE FOUND REAL LONG CASTS ARE NOT REALLY NECESSARY IN THE SURF , IN GENERAL, PARTICULARLY AFTER DARK. BESIDES HOW FAR CAN YOU CAST A LIVE EEL OR SOFT PLASTIC-- FAR ENOUGH TO CATCH ALOT OF FISH FOR THE MOST PART.
Yup, most fish are caught at your feet

To me it depends on where you are fishing.

You can cover more water with long casts, but how you go about it is important. If you start with a long cast, your retrieve will spook any fish that is directly between you and the plug, since bait fish do not swim directly at predators. You are better off to start with shorter casts/retrieves and work your way out. I'm convinced the splash the plug makes when it lands attracts more fish than the rest of the retrieve. Also, make your first casts to one side of your spot and work across, rather than straight out then side to side. You will spook less fish this way......so when you get skunked you can blame the plug and not your technique. So says me who needs every excuse he can find these days.

Fish are close And Fish are Far out also. Can't count how many times the Fish were at the end of my cast on the Cape Beaches.

... If you start with a long cast, your retrieve will spook any fish that is directly between you and the plug, since bait fish do not swim directly at predators. You are better off to start with shorter casts/retrieves and work your way out...

Now there's a little jewel to file away...

Its important for my Ego.....I NEED to feel good about myself.

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."

Sometimes i get fish at the very end of the cast and sometimes when I'm about to pull the lure out of the water. its like Spence said...it all depends on where the fish are.

Yes. The more water you can work, the more water you can work.

My .02: Being able to bomb one out there is a marked advantage in certain areas, like the one that that Big1 and Salt point out, and it is far better to have the ability and not need it than to need it and not have it. As Habs states ‘Can't count how many times the Fish were at the end of my cast on the Cape Beaches’ – and that’s where I fish. You cover much more water with a long cast, and not just the additional distance. I believe each cast has a cone of influence in which fish in the are which are inside the cone have the chance to detect your offering, and the area of influence is governed by an inverse square relationship, meaning that if you can cast 2x as far as the next guy your area of influence is 4x greater. Also, if you can cast significantly further that others, your offering is the only game in town. That said, it has been my experience that at night most fish are within 20 yards of the beach. I very rarely rip one out into the dark, and even rarer still is a hookup on those occasions. Now, as dawn approaches, that’s another story.

Numb, I have to politely disagree with part of your distance cast assessment. I concur with your assessment that the slashdown is a major attractant; however, what easier meal for a fish is there except for one that is so disoriented that it is swimming right at you?

When they are breaking in the very middle of the canal, yes

So, I guess the answer is "at certain times, under certain conditions, it is very important"

I can take you to one spot on the Canal where, if you can't throw a bucktail 85-90 yards, you're going to spend a lot of time watching other people reel in fish.

The guys who do best are the two that can throw the damn thing 110 yards ;)

Numb, I have to politely disagree with part of your distance cast assessment. I concur with your assessment that the slashdown is a major attractant; however, what easier meal for a fish is there except for one that is so disoriented that it is swimming right at you?

In deep water (6feet plus) you're probably right. But I've done a lot of daytime sight fishing with plugs and flies and, at least during the day, stripping a 3'' fly directly at a 30+ pound bass will spook it faster than falling off the bow.

I can take you to one spot on the Canal where, if you can't throw a bucktail 85-90 yards, you're going to spend a lot of time watching other people reel in fish.

The guys who do best are the two that can throw the damn thing 110 yards ;)

Mike is right - you have to be able to get a long cast in the ditch. Especially with jigs aka metal. to get to the deep wata you have to cast long and upcurrent in order for the jig to get down where the fish usually hold as the current carries the jig in front of you. Some even cast well over the 110 yard mark. Get there at false dawn and take lessons from the old timers.:uhuh: :uhuh:

To me it depends on where you are fishing.

same here....one place I fish it's a short window at the end of your cast at dead low.....others it's at your feet...
so it depends....

same here....one place I fish it's a short window at the end of your cast at dead low.....others it's at your feet...
so it depends....
And sometimes you can turn around and cast behind you, of course that means you did'nt need to wade out to the bar:smash:

One spot I frequent has a rip that forms during a particular point in the tide. Often that rip will hold fish. Being able to reach that rip with your offering makes all the difference. Other spots the structure or moving water is easily reachable and doesn't require it...

Always get the most you can out of each cast. Somedays they are close others they are at the end. Depends where you are too. Take the canal for instance, hauling 2/3rds of the way across is a big advantage when fishing breaking tides and on the beig beach in the dead of night a simple lob puts you in the zone but a reaching cast upon starting will tell you a lot as to where they are.

(Ever notice how far we think we are casting at night on the beach and then daylight comes and you cast the same plug and it's only going 100 feet?)

Then again, a long cast for me is a short cast for Flap.....which I hate.:nailem: :nailem:

You ask is a long cast important, why or why not?

OK, My answer is both

1. Why? Because there are places on the beaches where you need to get out to the dropoff where the fish are most times, there are bars you have to get a cast out over to reach fish that if you can't reach them, it's the difference in catching or not. I hate having to catch a fish so far out that it gives those sea hoovers aka seals, a chance to sense the fish in distress and they chase it down as easy prey:nailem: , it sucks feeding those dirty animals but that's life. There are also spots in the canal like the others have said, you need a long cast, and yes it is much better to have the ability than not, that is why I rely on spinning so I can huck it out there and not worry about a backlash.

2. Why not? Because many time the fish are right in the first wave feeding as the bait gets disoriented in the curls. Or the rip in in close at the canal where the bass line up waiting for an easy meal. Therfore a long cast is not important.

that's my opinion.

The fish are where the fish are, and that's where your cast needs to be. It's stating the obvious, but that's how I've always operated. Sometimes point blank, sometimes far away...

Sometimes the fish can be out feeding 500ft off and sometimes they can be right in the wash 5ft out. All depends on the spot and conditions.

Interpretation of all above replies:
Yes, long casts are important when fish are out far.
No, they're not important when fish are in close.

Start casting just beyond the first wave and parallel to shore before entering the water, then gradually cover the water farther and farther out.

the bass are going to be wherever theres rips or rocks or current.... it might be 100 yards offshore, or 5 yards

it all depends on the structure within casting distance- for example 2 nights ago i found some fish that were at the end of a long power cast with a superstrike darter..they were there because there is a ledge that makes a shallow spot about 60 yards off the shore... and on top of that ledge is a spicy rip. Fish satck behind the ledge ibelow the rip and feed on bait that tumbles over the ledge- just as my darter swung over the ledge bait was probably swinging over the ledge as well... or at least thats my theory..

Places i dont power cast at are jettys and dry ledges with deep drop offs... fish are sometimes at the tip of your pole.

I'm with Slipknot on this one, I've gotten fish on the long side of a 150 yard cast and everyone around me,casting less got nada. And I've pulled fish from nearly between my feet in the surf. Distance casting is a skill worth learning. Patience to reel the plug ALL the way in is another.

I hate when they are at my feet.they scare the crap out of me..
I hate it when they are at the end of a cast..I'm not 27 anymore..
Am I sounding picky