[BassDawg]

i can hep ya with the finger issues~~~

the cloth hvydty medical tape has NEVER failed me.

be sure your finger is dry. and i always make the first piece the one that covers the finger from the fingertip to the second section on both sides, vertically. then i wrap snugly, not too tightly, around bottom to top, once. then top to bottom, once. hope this helps.

as for the casting part~~~~

while the size and weight of the caster matters; if your rod, line, lure, and reel are in sync that will add yds. also technique is huge. but it's kinda like golf. if you are "feeling" the cast, then you ain't making the optimum motion. just as a golf swing is hips first, hands second, and the arms are merely an extension of the torso; likewise, you have to let the equipment do the transferance of the weight, and send your offering seaward. release point is key, starting point is key, and if you can load the rod properly, without stopping, then the fluidity of motion will be maintained and yds can be added that way, as well. interestingly, there is the "bucket of water" parallel with the golf swing here, too. practice, practice, practice,,,,,,,,

but what redlite, et al, have said is also true. you're likely standing on top of them and most casts only need to hit the second curl(surf), the beginning of the current(ditch), the ambush boulder(rocks) which is really much closer than your maximum cast could ever be. good luck and farther castings to you!!