# what does it take



## gloomas316 (Apr 25, 2009)

what does it take to becam a pro caster


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## ematsuda (Feb 9, 2009)

First of all, there has to be someone willing to pay you for your casting or to watch you compete - like any other sport. I think distance casting is more of a sport for fun that can be converted to the beach to catch more fish.


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## Kwesi W. (Apr 14, 2006)

I agree... I dont think there are alot of Pro's in the (US) Sport Cast group... I guess maybe TF.. 


What do you consider a PRO?


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## KConrad (Oct 14, 2007)

What do you mean by "Pro"? Ha ha.. no one is getting rich "going pro" in this sport.

If you mean to compete with the "big boys".....well have you heard the saying "how do you get to get to the Met?"... which is answered .."Practice, Practice... practice...."


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

Unless Big Danny is getting paid by Century, I don't know any real pros. But to be a Master caster you need the right equipment, good technique and plenty of practice,practice,practice.


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

and then practice and practice and practice, and as soon as you are done, practice some more.


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## Tacpayne (Dec 20, 2008)

thekingfeeder said:


> and then practice and practice and practice, and as soon as you are done, practice some more.


Dont forget practice, I have found myself practicing with blanks only, brooms and any other straight anything I get my hands on. I just started and its pretty addictive. I still suck to put it mildly but will hopefully get there.Another good thing is have confidence in your equipment.


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## reelbiglou (Mar 3, 2008)

*///*

Practice will surely make you the best you can be!
But, to be in the top 10 %,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
God had to give you the body, cordination and natural ability. Then the practice will hone those skills.


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

From what I've seen, it helps to have an almost insane dedication to the cast. I'm not a top caster for sure, but like Tacpayne I find myself practicing rotation with rod butts, brooms, mops, pieces of rope (that one didn't end well ) and even with just my hands. I've thrown on days that the wind was in my face at 15 mph, and I only left because there was a thunderstorm too close for comfort. I threw in the downtime between exams this year, as much to relieve stress as anything. But it was still practice.

I'm not at the top. Or near it. Yet . But I'm working and improving thanks in large part to all the help, advice and kindness from people on this board. And practice. Has someone mentioned that one yet?

Evan


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## Kwesi W. (Apr 14, 2006)

I've met some of the past Champs.. Bill K, Jerry V and current champ Tommy F... They are all Crazy for casting.. Mr. Bill Kennedy even told me to be really good I have to le go of fishing.. HE said when he made the decision he distance shot up.... If you ever get a chance to attend a event make sure you talk to the Pioneers.. you will learn more than you ever thought..


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

gain weight.. 
become a fluffy caster. and itll all eventually come. haha


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Just to clarify, i am NOT a profesional caster. I am not paid by anyone to cast.

When trying to come up with a name for my (on the side) casting related business/website Carolina Cast Pro came out on top.

This is an amature sport and I for one hope it stays that way.

Tommy


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

Agreed. I think that the way the sport is run keeps it what it is, if that makes any sense. When you aren't looking for prize money and sponsorships, you cast because you are chasing a number. Everyone I met at the Charlotte tournament was casting against themselves. Yes, everyone wants to cast further than everyone else, but more importantly they want to cast better than their own personal best.

Evan


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## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

I dont competition cast, I only fish. I have to say that I agree with Tommy and Kingfish. $ takes the fun out and gets the egos flying. Amateur sport is fun and open to all who want to be involved of all skill levels. You get "pros" and sponsorship then you get big companies and weird rules and conflicts over weird rules... then the guys who just want to get out and have a good time are pushed out. Just my take $+fun=no fun


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

why no $ ? money is just a bonus or reward for your achievement.
the uksf has numerous sponsors yet the rules are basically the same as here.
so scsurfcaster,, your telling me you wouldnt want a zziplex or century, reels, lines, tackle as a prize for getting #1?


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

IMHO there is a huge difference between sponsor prizes and cash payout.

It is hard to put a value on prizes. The 2nd place Primo Event trophy from 06 probably doesn't have much monetary value, but to me it is priceless. 

Tommy


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## billr87 (Jan 13, 2008)

eyes only said:


> what does it take to becam a pro caster


i started casting after i retired. i watched some of the best, and wanted to cast with them. they were great friends over the years , and just plain guys enjoying what they do. i cast because i like to, enjoy it, and don't know of anyone wanting to pay an old guy to cast. if you want to get into casting for money, i think you will be very dissappointed.


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## Kwesi W. (Apr 14, 2006)

I dont know a sport were 95% of the casters are me and Ego aren't involved.. But as long as it's kept in check its a good thing in my opinion..


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## Kwesi W. (Apr 14, 2006)

Don't be fooled.. Alot of guys come out to beat the man standing in front of them.. If you think Tommy F doesnt have a target on his back you're dreaming. That is also a good thing. I think as a whole we push each others and that's good for the sport. There is a younger group coming in (35 and under) that will try change the record books. So everybody wants to get ready for the shoot out.. It's a GREAT thing in my opinion...


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

Competition for the sake of competition can bring out the best in most of us..

Competition for $$$ may bring out the worst in some of us.... -- 

and would invite those only looking for a paycheck into a sport they otherwise would not care about.


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

Another thing to consider is that top casting equipment can be expensive and the only return is personal satifaction in a new PB. Like said before this sport is very addictive. The other good thing is the friendships you make on the way. Since casting I have met some real good people from all over that otherwise I would have never known.


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

Think about those who love to fish and then decide to go pro. Knowing your next cast could determine whether your family eats or not is enough pressure to take all of the fun out of a sport you used to love. Turn this sport into something that resembles pro ball sports and the camaraderie that we all have come accustomed to flies right out the window. Do you really think that a college basketball player can actually walk up to last years NBA MVP and ask how to improve his 3-point shot no matter what team he is on and get true advice? With the accolades that follow a pro sport immediately invite cut-throat competition. Beating your PB is tough enough let alone worrying about what everyone else is doing!  I for one would not be interested in a sport like that. my .02

Robert


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

Tommy said:


> Just to clarify, i am NOT a profesional caster. I am not paid by anyone to cast.
> 
> When trying to come up with a name for my (on the side) casting related business/website Carolina Cast Pro came out on top.
> 
> ...



You could always tell people it CCP actually is Carolina Casting ProFESSOR LOL

Robert


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

Professor is right. I don't know anyone who puts more time into this sport than Tommy. Big D might but I have never met the man(yet).


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## billr87 (Jan 13, 2008)

hi curtis.good seeing you get into these talks. how's the wife? tell her bob and i will be down in oct. until then.


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## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

ooeric said:


> why no $ ? money is just a bonus or reward for your achievement.
> the uksf has numerous sponsors yet the rules are basically the same as here.
> so scsurfcaster,, your telling me you wouldnt want a zziplex or century, reels, lines, tackle as a prize for getting #1?


Yeah, I would like to get a reward for my talent, hard work or whatever made me perform better than the next guy. Competition is fun when it is for fun. A little something to make it interesting is fun, too. Pro means it your job and the competition ultimately becomes for $. It becomes business. Like I said, I fish and if you find me on a field it is to practice my technique. I dont know anything about uksf, so maybe I shouldnt have responded to this thread.


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## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

kmw21230 said:


> I dont know a sport were 95% of the casters are me and Ego aren't involved.. But as long as it's kept in check its a good thing in my opinion..


you are right.


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## Ralph (Aug 1, 2002)

*i think...*



eyes only said:


> what does it take to becam a pro caster


all that's required, is for you to fill out an application.


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## markedwards (Jan 29, 2001)

ahhh the good ole days. i can remember going to my first tournament and jerry valentine telling me to stick with because i had talent. 8 years and countless hrs of practice finally paid off when i set the nationa record and now 5 years after setting that mark the closest i come to those glory days are when i hit the river or beach and i'm nowhere near the caster i was. to be a top competitor you need to practice. you need to practice under all conditions because just because the forecast says the wind is out the east and the court is laid out to take advantage of the wind then the wind shifts what do you do? step up to the ocki and hit it. practice in the rain, snow, sub artic or sub tropical weather but the bottom line is practice if i had a dollar for every arguement me and my wife had because i was practicing before and after work and at my peak i was practicing 6 days a week actually 7 if you counted fishing. back then my kids were young and didn't need me as much but as they got older the arguements started sinking in and now they are 12 and 15 playing sports and slowly killing me so i am reduced to a hack.with all that said you want to beat the man? you have to practice for it.


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## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

I don't distance cast but I do know what it takes to get to the top of any field. I use to shoot semi pro archery and yes I had 4 or 5 sponsors and shot in no less than 3 events a month, went to the state and worlds 3 or 4 times.

To get good you need a few things, good equipment, time to practice and a good mind set,,, now to get to the top you need a few more things,,, the best equipment, hugh amounts of time to practice, a total mind set (I knew pros that went to mind docs to get in the right frame of mind) you will need a coach that knows how to teach because you can practice 23 hours a day but if your doing it wrong you just shot 23 hours and if married a very understanding wife.

Nobody gets to the top of any field by accident and now for the down side, when the sport you love and have spent a good portion of your time quits being fun because you are expected to be at the top all the time, it hurts to walk away from it.

Anyone need a few thousand dollars worth of 3D archery equipment?


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## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

"Anyone need a few thousand dollars worth of 3D archery equipment? "
haha


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## curtisb (Jul 21, 2004)

billr87 said:


> hi curtis.good seeing you get into these talks. how's the wife? tell her bob and i will be down in oct. until then.


Hey Bill, the little wife is doing much better. We can't wait till October and our yearly trip to Corpus. One day maybe we will make a trip to cast that way with all of you on the East Coast. We will see you and Bob in October.

Curtis


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## Kwesi W. (Apr 14, 2006)

I think it boils down to how bad you want it. If you are willing to practice year around and miss the football games, fishing trips, parties, etc you will achieve great things. Look at the guys from NY; they came to NJ and stole the show. All three of them are new to casting and all three of them cast over 700ft. They all have nice rods and reels, but they also spent hours on the field learning the basics. The scary thing is they will tell you that they still have a ways to go. These guys can be 850ft++++ casters if they continue to put the time in. In my personal opinion I think the numbers we look at as HUGE will be down graded to just good numbers in the future. I think if we can continue to get the surge of youth into the sport that is willing to put in the time we will have a group of casters that will take over the record books. 

If you look at some of the top casters in the USA most of them are at least 50 years old. This in my opinion is AWESOME that a man like Jerry V, Bill K, Earl B, Tommy F, Big Lou, and Rolland can throw 775+ft! Imagine if they had the same skill set at 18-35 years of age… SCARY….. If they were all to take new guys under there wings and teach them the basics, and the “What Not’s” Do you know how good the new guys will become? It’s down right Scary if you ask me! 

I think the term NATURAL Ability is over used and overrated. In every hood\corner you have guys with NATURAL Ability that don’t amount to SH$$. I think ability helps, but it’s more about being determined to be great. If you look at most Billionaire’s they all seems to have horse blinders on…LOL their goals were all they cared about... I think that’s how we should look at casting if you want to be GREAT... 

I think we (especially me) set limitations that hinder us from fully becoming great. I truly believe if my goal is to cast 800ft and I put the time in there is no way I wont achieve it. So me being 5’8 215lbs don’t have anything to do with my goals. 

I remember talking to a veteran caster and he said “If we look at casting more as a sport rather than a hobby we would all be better for it”

Just my opinion I hope I didn’t offend anyone... 

See you in Delaware!


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## Kwesi W. (Apr 14, 2006)

Wow! Gotta respect that! BTW... HACK? not sure anyone that has (or held) a national record could be considered a hack.. 




markedwards said:


> ahhh the good ole days. i can remember going to my first tournament and jerry valentine telling me to stick with because i had talent. 8 years and countless hrs of practice finally paid off when i set the nationa record and now 5 years after setting that mark the closest i come to those glory days are when i hit the river or beach and i'm nowhere near the caster i was. to be a top competitor you need to practice. you need to practice under all conditions because just because the forecast says the wind is out the east and the court is laid out to take advantage of the wind then the wind shifts what do you do? step up to the ocki and hit it. practice in the rain, snow, sub artic or sub tropical weather but the bottom line is practice if i had a dollar for every arguement me and my wife had because i was practicing before and after work and at my peak i was practicing 6 days a week actually 7 if you counted fishing. back then my kids were young and didn't need me as much but as they got older the arguements started sinking in and now they are 12 and 15 playing sports and slowly killing me so i am reduced to a hack.with all that said you want to beat the man? you have to practice for it.


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