# Hampton Roads Noob



## Brandt (May 21, 2013)

Hey.

I'm new to the whole surf fishing thing and quickly discovered that I can't cast near as far as I thought I could. I haven't caught fish #1 and I have a horrible feeling it's because I can't get my bait out far enough. It's kind of embarrassing. I've done research on different casting techniques and honestly have no clue where to start.

Any tips for a new guy?


----------



## BPReeds (Jan 11, 2013)

I know what you mean...Take your rods to a field and do some practice casts, walk off the distance...Try the Brighton cast...Check your distances.
After you master that cast, go to the ground cast...Do the Utube video thing...I though I was a good caster until I went to a field and checked my distance....not so good....When casting at the beach, the distance is decieving, it always seems as if your distance is greater then it really is..


----------



## Brandt (May 21, 2013)

Thank you. Any advice on a good target distance to start with?


----------



## SharkyMalarKey (Dec 4, 2012)

You could catch fish close up too....just have to try to see the bars under the waves....try reading parts of a book called Inshory Fly fshing it's got a lot of info on reading the water and where to throw your line out to. You don't always have to get out out far to catch fish. Try as suggested with the brighton cast lots of ppl i know started with off the ground cast.(or easy cast)...it's fairly simple and quick to learn. There are several casters on youtube...try searching John Holden i think...there are others. keep watching the videos and think about the movements of whats happening with the end weight and how it's being launched dont just try to duplicate the casts.


----------



## Brandt (May 21, 2013)

Those dudes on YouTube are animals. That's amazing. I found a lot of videos by a guy named Tommy Farmer as well. I watched his OTG and pendulum casts and was in awe. 

Thanks for the help. I'm going to try to hit the field near the house this week and do some actual fishing on Saturday. I'm shooting for 50 meters to start with.


----------



## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

Yes you watch those videos by '' a guy named Tommy Farmer '', he knows a little about distance casting. Remember, it's all about leverage and timing. Also the fish can be right in the suds, learning to cast a good distance when needed is just another tool, good luck it's a great sport !


----------



## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Brant,

I'm the sponsor of this forum and will help any way I can. Technique and gear are the answer. Technique trumps gear because you can have the best gear and poor technique and still not get good distance. A proper rod and reel compliment sound technique. Together you'll find the distance you are searching for.

Tommy Farmer


----------



## Brandt (May 21, 2013)

Wow. The man, the myth, the legend.  Who knew?

Gear wise I guess I'm ok. I have the Penn Spinfisher V 6500 w/o the live line option on a 12' Ugly Stick and a Penn Fierce 8500 on a pretty heavy 12' Bass Pro Shop rod. I think it was like $30 for what it's worth. I noticed on most, if not all, of your videos you and the other folks were using conventional reels. I have a few Penn 4/0 Senators but I've never been able to cast them. Never really had to to be honest. Will the spinning tackle hinder me from being able to get out past the 2nd bar?

Thank you guys again for your help.


----------



## shughes (Oct 28, 2011)

Hey Brandt, I feel like I am still very much a beginner but I'll throw my 2 cents in since your situation sounds similar to where I was at a few years ago. I had spinning gear similar to what you are using (Sargus 5000/600 on Penn 9ft rods). I was getting around 70-90 yards in the field with them and was catching fish close in. I started working in the field a couple years ago after a buddy of mine outcasted me with a 12ft spinner using a pendulum cast and he was the one who brought in the 48 inch drum at the 3rd sand bar up at Hatteras when we went so I knew I needed to get some more distance to add as a tool for when that need arises. I joined on this forum and started reading and asking questions. Made my share of "fruitloop" question posts (now that I look back at them) but the guys here are great for helping individuals learn so ask away. I do find many answers can be found in the search but I typically search the site from Google (siteierandsurf.com keyword here) since Google servers are faster then the forum server. 

After many discussions, ended up getting a starter conventional setup with a Star 10ft rod and Saltist reel and then started hitting 100 yards. Eventually sold that setup and now have a couple Tommy Farmer rods (11/12, possibly soon to be 13) paired up with Akios reels and hitting 150 yards after many casting sessions in the field using the Brighton cast. That I believe is enough for real-world fishing but the casting bug has got me now. I plan on meeting up with Tommy soon for some lessons so he can critique where I am at and give pointers for improvement. 500 feet is the immediate goal but looking towards 600 which might be possible with fishing equipment. 

Like others have said, you don't need distance to catch fish. Pompano, Whiting, Blues, and Flounder can be caught close in our area (NC coast). Reading the waves, and trying out multiple baits/rigs till you find some you like for your area. My main quest for distance started out with giving me a better chance to catch a red drum but now its morphed into the quest for distance and a great opportunity to exercise. I find I get in about 2 miles walking average for every casting session and actually feel better for it. I sit at a computer all week so this has been a great way to get off my rear.


----------

