Casting distance.....how important is it?

[ReelinRod]

Originally Posted by BigFish

but over the last several years if there is one thing I have learned.....its that you do not have to throw your back out on every cast! Read the beach, read the water, pay attention to the structure that shows as the water moves......watch the birds. 10% of the time maybe you need long...the other 90% you need to fish smart!

I really resent this line of thinking; that one is either strong or smart . . .

Why is it presumed that longcasters just whump it out there with no regard to "reading the water?"

For a longcaster to be effective his water reading skills must be refined to an even greater degree than someone who only fishes the slough at their feet. Anybody with a pulse can read a hole 20 yards out; tell me what's going on under that "busy water" 110 yards out . . .

I can't believe that people who can't throw long are so willing to exclude themselves from having a chance to catch the majority of the fish that swim past a spot . . .

[Pete F.]

If I thought casting did'nt matter I'd go flyfishing

[quick decision]

many times the fish are out in that second trauf running up and down the beach. That is about as far as I need to cast. I think more importantly if you have a head wind you need xtra power to get where the fish are.

[Saltheart]

You can always cast shorter than your max ability but not longer. Being able to cast far for the 10% of the time it matters is worth learning. At the canal , being able to cast far is definitely an advantage so that you can work the largets area and catch the drift you want where currents form or go into eddys. Thay are not right at your feet in the canal usually.

[quick decision]

Ever notice how that peole fishing from boats try to cast toward the shore, and every body from shore cast out to the boats.