[Travis C.]

CASTING DISTANCE:

Generally, longer casts cause crankbaits to reach and run further at their maximum depth. (This isn’t as dramatic with shallow runners as it is with deep divers). Why? When Ron Linder was a part of the Infisherman magazine staff, he pointed out that deep cranking required long casts. Why? Because approximately 2/3’s of the retrieve is used up in just getting a deep diver down, and then back up. If it takes 1/3 the length of a retrieve just to get the bait down to it’s maximum DEPTH, and 1/3 to bring it back up to the boat, the bait runs at its maximum depth only 1/3 of the cast. Conclusion: With deep divers, a short cast barely allows a deep diving crankbait to reach its full depth before it has to start its way back up to the boat.

Some of the most interesting research on “Casting Distance” is found in a guide entitled “Precision Casting” by Dr. Steven Holt and Mark Romanack. The guide contains precise diving charts for 123 popular crankbaits. They concluded that the average casting distance for anglers, (throwing a 3/8 ounce crankbait on 14 pound mono), was about 70 feet. Their research went on to prove that a given crankbait runs about 25 percent shallower on a 40-foot cast than on a 70-foot cast. And a 100-foot cast allows the crankbait to dive 15 percent deeper than a 70-foot cast.

Now before a novice takes their new baitcasting reel and starts flinging their favorite crankbait with all of their might, they should be aware that it takes advanced skill to be able to cast beyond 70-75 feet. Above-average anglers may be able to reach 100 feet without creating a “bird’s nest” (often described as “a professional over-ride”), but beginners should work up to this slowly.

It’s true, some pros (equipped with long rods and top-end reels filled with light line), are able to zip a bait as far as 125 feet, but only the competitive pressures of tournament fishing would motive an angler to attempt such long distance casting. Weekend anglers with limited casting skills will find little pleasure in spending most of their day picking out “bird nests” in an attempt to get a little more depth from their crankbait. And in reality, 125 foot casts aren’t utilized by pros to increase the running depth. Long casts are primarily thrown to allow the bait to run at maximum depth in the “strike zone” for a longer period of time before they head back up to the boat.

How “casting distance” affects “depth” is first and foremost presented here to prevent an angler from mistakenly making short casts with a deep diver and expecting the crankbait to reach maximum depth.

Light lines allow cranks to be cast further.