Casting Live Bait...Please School this Newbie!!!

[RyO K]

im pretty new as you may all know to saltwater fishing and i need a few pointers. What is the correct way to cast a live bait as far as you can. i know it wont go too far but far enough away from the boat so the bait doesnt swim back. Also How much thumb pressure should i apply when im casting out. I know when i put too much thumb pressure the cast goes diagnal and when i put too less i get a birds nest. Thanks for any pointers. The rod i am using is a 8ft terramar with a torium 20.

ryo

[vanillagurilla]

number 1 if your fishing on a party boat always cast streight over head.

[DnYe]

Will you be fishing flyline, slider sinker? Flylining is in my opinion done with some finesse. Not so much as casting it very softly, but you just have to figure out the feel. Remember live bait has some weight but not much and if you chuck that puppy with too much force, you'll find yourself at the bait tank pinning on another.
If you haven't really done much live bait casting, a really good alternative would be to belly hook your bait and jus pitch it out. Its not always necessary to launch your bait as far as possible to get bit and you don't wanna spend your trip pullin out birds nest. Also, belly hooking will cause your bait to swim down and away from the boat. Just remember to feed the line out but stay in control of the spool at all times, meaning keepin a little tension to feel your baits activity and stay ready.....so you aint got to get ready homie.
If I were you, I would go to a pier and pin on some frozen or even semi thawed chovies just to get the feel of your set up.

Hope this somewhat helps, I'm sure you'll get a few more good pointers.
Lates

ShortySZA

[vanillagurilla]

yeah anal hooking live bait is the best way to get it to swim down and away from the boat. hook it on the bottom side just forward of the tail in the flesh.. not the gut. toss it out and give it a lil tug and it will point him down and away.

[That Dang Guy]

The diagonal problem sounds like aiming issues. Focus on keeping a smooth arch towards your target. I believe getting a bait out far is counterproductive. I'm always looking for a hot bait that swims like a madman. If i cast it out at a maximum distance, it lands with quite a splash and gets stunned and/or killed. If your bait swims back to the boat, you can try a few tricks. Number one, after casting your bait and it lands, give it a slight tug towards the boat. The bait will naturally want the other direction. Number two, find a new bait. I have never been on a charter boat that discourages switching out baits quickly. If it doesnt do what I want, I'll find a new one that will. =p

I have absolutely no idea how to cast an anchovie. They are a mystery to me. The only time I've used them were fishing albacore on the slide.

[largemouthmike]

you could always try a open face reel and underhand cast it. this is probally the most effective way to finesse a lure or bait. If you find yourself fishing a conventional reel "or baitcaster" you have to adjust the brake on your spool. After changing to a different weighted type of bait or lure I check my brake again. Another trick you can try if you have plenty of room is a flipping technique. Do a underhand sidearm cast kinda like a girl softball pitcher. This will get your reel spooling sideways and will not let it freespool as fast. As far as the bait goes well it takes alot of patients. Also make sure your barb is not to big on the hook. I've seen guys on the party boats using huge hooks and ripping a big hole in the nose of the bait. That will make it come off very easy.

[vanillagurilla]

well a 6" swimbait is a little heavier than a chovie. like 2 oz heavier. if he was gona practice casting... take 1/4oz. weight, tie it on, then glue a big feather to it lol.

[Billy Bass]

I learned to flyline anchovies on coventional tackle by butying a 1/4 ounce practice plug- and practiced like hell in hte front yard. Greatly reduced the number of bird's nests and I could get my bait out there a pretty good distance. Good luck.

[RyO K]

Thanks for everyones input. I will practice casting into my pool. Also will be going out on the pursuit on Tuesday for the full day.

[Ricky-Ray]

I can't stress this enough. Practice, practice, practice. Just like the other guys have said go to the lake, park or anywhere where there's alot of open space and tie on a small weight and start casting. Start with small short distances to get the hang of it first, then as you get better at it then start increasing the distance on your cast. Learning to cast a conventional reel or an anchovy takes alot of practice to get it down, it's not something you can pick up and master in 10 mins.

There's a video from Inside Sportfishing called Advanced Casting and it includes tips and techniques on casting from Frank LoPreste and Randy Tousant. Two great long range captains and two absolutely great fisherman. I've seen that video and learned some great techniques from it.

[pokerface12]

RR it might also be your setup. A torium 20 is kinda heavy for casting a sardine or an anchovy in my opinion. Try going with a lighter reel like the newell 220. I think they were design to cast the anchovies and sardines without a problem. I have a trinidad 20 which is the same reel as your torium 20 and find it really difficult to cast the smaller live bait. I can cast mackerel and large sardines ok, but for local fishing it's too much of a reel for the small baits. By the way gl on Tuesday. Make sure u get there early so you can get a good stern spot, because Pursuit a really popular boat and can get crowded.

[RyO K]

Thanks for the advice. I'll be at the landing at 4:00 am sharp! Anyone else going?

[newster]

Its the sudden jerks that rip the hook out of the bait. You want to cast with a smooth and even motion throughout instead of just flinging it as you would a lure. Also try hooking it in different places as previously mentioned which will allow you more margin for error.

[Stormcrow]

If you are flylining (no weight) casting is done "backwards"...in other words, you cant use the weight of the bait to cause the force needed to pull the line from the reel to make a proper cast.

It must be done by getting the line to move BEFORE you cast. Hold your rod at an angle and let gravity start slowly pulling the bait towards the ground....this will allow line to start coming off the reel. Now you are building momentum, then rotate your rod and cast it without causing any whip in the tip. This looks like "stiff" casting. The momentum you built up will help your bait softly get out there.

I hope this helps.