Casting plugs

[anthdunn]

I have been trying my hand at throwing a few lures around this summer with a some degree of success. Does anyone have any good tips as to how I can cast a diving plug further, it seem no matter how hard I throw I always seem to be casting around the 25 yards mark. I have already got braid on which I assume helps. any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Piker]

Which lures have you been using? as some do cast better than others. Also, what setup are you casting with? Braid diameter/type can make a big difference to casting distances, especially with FS reels.

 

[anthdunn]

I am generally using the abu Garcia plugs I think they are around 40 grams about 4.5 inches long. oh and diving to 1.5m!

the braid i am using is 30 lb rovex tergo, and it is 0.35mm Dia. on a fixed spool real.

any suggestions to this set up? also put a 3 ft leader on from braid to lure if that makes any difference

 

[Piker]

.35mm braid is quite thick for plugging, so that could well be limiting your casting distances with a FS reel. Try a thinner braid, that`ll make a difference - Powerpro is a good reliable choice. 30lb PP is around .20mm, and is very strong. Stren Sonic is another good one, and a little smoother casting, which again will help with distances. Bear in mind though, that as braid diameter decreases, then so does abrasion resistance. Something to be aware of when fishing snaggy ground.
Are the lures flying straight on the cast, or tumbling? If it`s the latter, try adding a little weight to the tail of the lure...self-adhesive window lead is as good as anything. That`ll help the lure fly straight, tail-first, which will help with distance, and it`ll also give the lures a better action when you twitch them - more lateral movement. Add enough to the underside of the tail to get the lure sitting about 30deg nose up at rest.
Also, the rod needs to be able to compress properly with the lure...too soft a rod and it won`t have enough power to fire out the lure.

Hope that helps a bit mate..

Mark

 

[Scotty91]

A hade same problem as you so what a yoused which gets you that bit far is a ball w8t what yous for float fishing

 

[anthdunn]

aye, cheers, probably a bit to late in the seaon for me to change the braid at £25-30 a spool but i will certainly bare that in mind for next year. I will have a go at adding more weight to the lure and see if it makes a difference and lands me amonst some bigger fish.

cheers

 

[Piker]

aye, cheers, probably a bit to late in the seaon for me to change the braid at £25-30 a spool but i will certainly bare that in mind for next year. I will have a go at adding more weight to the lure and see if it makes a difference and lands me amonst some bigger fish.

cheers

I`ll pm you the link for some cheap PP mate

 

[dabcatcher]

i find that using a very short drop of 1ft helps to get further out.

it takes a little practice but you can aim and flick the lure further and more accurately.

 

[MickA]

Agree with the reply about .35 being quite thick for braid, bit thinner would help.

Also the rod itself is going to have a bit of an effect aswell, particularly if its mismatched to the weight of the lure you're using.

What rod are you using? Is it fast or through action? What length? What the casting weight range does it cover?

 

[Juliogeordio]

I have been banging the plugs this year aswell.... funny how many of us lure nuts are about! Agree with above, braid sounds like its a little too big in diameter. It also quite important to have a good set up, my rod is fairly soft through the top third with a stiffer butt section and I find it helps when firing a plug out. I would guess though that braid diameter will be your main problem from what you have said.

 

[Wreckingball76]

I have been trying my hand at throwing a few lures around this summer with a some degree of success. Does anyone have any good tips as to how I can cast a diving plug further, it seem no matter how hard I throw I always seem to be casting around the 25 yards mark. I have already got braid on which I assume helps. any suggestions would be helpful.

All the points made so far are valid, but the most obvious one for me would be what is the casting Ratio of your Rod? The casting, action and recovery of the rod are all designed around specific weight ranges, using lures which weight doesnt fit into the range will cause you problems with casting or even damage it if too heavy. Generally, I find that using lures between the mid to top end of the casting ratio give you the best casts and rely less on technique. Whereas using the lighter or bottom end technique really comes into play. Technique is always important of course. Often i find that the more gentle and controlled casts provide far better results than trying to belt it out.

I also find that Lures with internal weight shift system via ball bearings cast better too.

The other point i would make would be wind speed and direction, I find using plugs upto 25g wind speeds of 10mph+ start to give me a problem if they are blowing across or from any direction towards me. Obviously when its blowing in your casting direction it carry's the Lure further!

 

[Piker]

All the points made so far are valid, but the most obvious one for me would be what is the casting Ratio of your Rod? The casting, action and recovery of the rod are all designed around specific weight ranges, using lures which weight doesnt fit into the range will cause you problems with casting or even damage it if too heavy. Generally, I find that using lures between the mid to top end of the casting ratio give you the best casts and rely less on technique. Whereas using the lighter or bottom end technique really comes into play. Technique is always important of course. Often i find that the more gentle and controlled casts provide far better results than trying to belt it out.

I also find that Lures with internal weight shift system via ball bearings cast better too.

The other point i would make would be wind speed and direction, I find using plugs upto 25g wind speeds of 10mph+ start to give me a problem if they are blowing across or from any direction towards me. Obviously when its blowing in your casting direction it carry's the Lure further!

Spot on, agree with all of that Si

 

[anthdunn]

cheers lads, spot on info and thanks for the help