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Setting up your rod, reel and line for casting is a personal preference and it's based on your casting style, the line diameter, lure weight, rod flex and experience. If you continue reading past the first line I'll assume (I know bad choice of word) you are interested in figuring out how to cast your conventional reel or bait caster. I'll explain it the way I do it and you have to adjust it for your casting style and experience.
Rod size and weight don't factor in to much unless you are using a heavy rod, 60lb line and very light plug. That's not going to work, you need to match the tackle combination that you use.
For this I'm setting up a St.Croix Premier / PM70MHF 7 foot medium Heavy Fast action SCII Graphite rod. It's rated for 20lb to 50lb line and a lure weight from 3/4oz to 3oz. I'm using an ABU Ambassadeur 6500CS Rocket Chrome loaded with 50lbs Power Pro (This is similar in diameter to 12lb mono so it's a little thin but I have not had any problems using it on other similar rod / reel combination's. I have multiple reels of same make and model loaded with different weight line. My friend "Don O" came up with a great idea for keeping track of the line weight on the different reels. Now I have 20lb Power Pro in Red and 50lb Power Pro in Green and I think the 30lb line will be yellow (still waiting for the spool). The reel can hold 245yds/14lb, that is way more than we need for the fishing we do. I'll spool the reel with 30lb mono as a filler and 100yd of 50lb Power Pro. If you use only Power Pro you run the risk of the line spinning on the spool when you fight a big a fish. The mono adds some friction and a base for the Power Pro and it's less waste. Change out the cog wheel and pinion gear with one that has a higher level wind ratio if you use thinner Power Pro because the line will dig into the spool and create a issue for the next cast after fighting fish.
I set the drag at 15 to 18lb, that is about 1/3 of the line rating and it is a little high if I go into the backing but it's enough to turn a big fish. the reason for this drag setting is knots are weaker than the line so it's to be on the safe side and let the drag do it's magic tiring out the fish. Leave the stock brake blocks in the reel, add the bigger blocks if you have that option. The brake blocks works on the centrifugal principle and the faster the spool is spinning the harder the brake is braking. If the plug is pulling the line off the reel all the way through the cast then the brake block may be to big. When you have a couple of hours of casting it like this you can install the smaller blocks. With the smaller blocks you use your thumb to add to your cast and line control preventing a (guess what) birds nest. I like to use my reels without brake blocks since they slow the spool down to much and I compensate for the over run using my thumb
Now I have the rod, reel and line setup. I have added some leader material and I'm ready to go fishing. I'm bringing a bag with plugs that weigh from 1oz to 2.5oz and there is no way you can preset the rod, reel and line combo to handle all the different weights so we have to do some adjustment on the reel to handle the different plugs, wind in your face and other factors that will affect your casting.
Most modern reels have one spool tension cap under the handle (not the star wheel) That you turn away from you (it's the same for left and right hand reels) to add more tension to the spool. I like to hold the plug over water when I set the tension, that way I don't crack up a wooden plug on a rock or dull hooks on sand. I'll give you the steps I use to set the tension to prevent birds nests on your reel since they tend to sting up a great day (or night) of fishing.
- Hold the rod on a 45 degree angle.
- With your thumb on the spool push the spool release. (I push the release with my left hand)
- Take some tension of your thumb, if the falls to the ground (water) with no resistance then you add tension to the spool (away from you). Crank the plug up and do step two again until plug stay in place when spool release is pushed.
- Now the plug is hanging under the rod. Drop the rod tip a foot and stop it. If the plug is not moving you need to loosen the tension (toward you) and lift the rod back to 45 degree and repeat this step until the the plug drops 3 to 5 feet (this is for beginners). I set it so the plug hits the water, if the plug hits the water and the line rides up (coils up) on the spool there is not enough tension on the spool and I add a fraction of a turn and repeat this step until plug hits water and spool stops.
Now you are ready to cast with your setup and there are a few things to take into consideration. You need to cast smoother and slower than you do with a spin caster, no "whipping" at the end of the cast. That "whipping" or snap is one of the biggest creators of birds nests" (You will hate that term before you figure it out). Don't start side casting, it feel easier but you tend to cast shorter distances because you don't load the rod as much as you can when casting overhand. If I should compare it to something I would have to say you are the pitcher in a baseball game and there more pitchers casting a 100 mile an hour fastball overhand than side arm.
As far as casting goes, that is something you have to practice and it's close to impossible to describe in a post but I'll try to describe my casting style (and if I ever watch it on video I'll be wrong)
I am right handed, I reel with my right hand so I have to switch the rod around to crank the reel handle. This is done on purpose because I have more power in the right hand and I have more control with the right hand. If I'm flipping or casting a freshwater rod I cast one handed with my left hand and reel with my right, or I cast one handed with my right hand and reel with my left. Saltwater is different since I cast heavier plugs with heavier rods and reels and the hand change is done when the plug hits the water and I either wait for the plug to sink or the noise to attract fish before I start reeling in.
Standing on the beach casting is different than standing in the surf casting. When you are on the beach you can move your foot from behind you and step forward during the cast adding to your casting torque. If you are in water up to your waist your whole cast is from your hips up and you lost about 10 yards so there is no advantage to that unless you can wade 30 yards out. Casting after wading out to your waist is a psychological advantage because it robs your mobility, agility and power.
As far as casting goes you should start out by finding your comfort area and range of motion. Face and square up with where you would like the plug to land, then take 1/2 a step back with your right foot (right hand caster). With the right hand I hold the rod so my thumb rests comfortably on the spool and push the spool release with my left hand. The plug hangs free (the length of the leader) one to three feet from the tip (Use short leaders when starting out). With your left hand you hold the handle close to the bottom with the rod pointing away from you and your left hand close to or just in front of your left hip. Your right elbow has a slight bend in it so the rod is up 15 to 20 degrees. Slowly swing the rod and your arms around you until the rod are behind you, your right hand is up next to your shoulder and your left hand is in front of your face. To add more power to the cast you continue rotating your torso and hips to extend yourself. Unleash the energy using your whole body rotating your torso and hips while the arms are doing a circular push pull motion and stepping forward with your right foot and release your thumb when the rod tip is between 70 and 40 degrees. The release angle comes with practice, if you release to early you have a plug that will arc up and come down with a lot of line and no distance. Release to late and you may hit the beach or if you are lucky you hit the first wave (before the birds nest messes up the next 1/2 hour).
This is just basic, try to cast without casting far. Start slow and get the motion and rhythm first then your distance and accuracy will increase with practice. My friend Don Michaud has the motion and rhythm down so good that he can cast a plug or an eel under a 6 foot bridge span without hitting the bridge with an eel or a plug and what makes it an even bigger feat is that it's done at night using feel and control.
After setting up to cast, move your head forward and focus on where you want the plug to land, cast it at least 5 times before you adjust your body to hit your targeted area. If you practice on land cast free hand, try to use the same motion every time. When the motion is practiced you should hit in the same area every time. Now place a target on the ground (where your cast where landing before) and try to hit it. If you hit it 3 times in a row take a step back and try hitting it again. Every time you hit it 3 times in a row you move one step back and continue practicing until you go fishing.
Hope this help you set up your conventional rig for casting. Let me know if the are any parts that need to be expanded on or explained in more detail.
Thank you,
Nils
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