Conference wahoo::fishing

    THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE WITH THE LENGTH OF YOUR POLE.  6 FEET MAY NOT
    BE GIVING YOU ENOUGH WHIPPING ACTION.  YOU HAVE TO REALLY GET THE
    LURE SPEED UP AND WATCH YOUR LURE SO THAT WHEN IT HITS THE WATER
    YOU "THUMB" IT TO STOP THE BACK LASH.  KEEP THE PRESSURE TO ZERO
    AND USE YOUR THUMB FOR CONTROL.  PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE...
    
    KEN

    
I would suggest about 9 to 9.5 Ft, 8 weight flyrod, loaded with 8 weight forward
or rocket taper, a 4-6 foot straight leader of about 12 lb test, lots of 
practice in the backyard.    
    
                                                Tight lines     
    
                                                  Ed    

    Don,
    
    You didn't mention the weight line you were using. For light lures
    I would suggest no more than 4 lb line. A spinning rod of 6'6" and
    your 150x should do it. You need a rod that is wippy and not stiff.
    An Uglystick is what I use with 4 lb line and a Shimono 300XL. I
    can easily toss a 1/16 oz or 1/8 oz lead jig head with a small grub
    as far as I can a 3/8 oz spinner on 12 lb line. Of course wind will
    have more of an effect on the lure than if it were heavier.
    
    Light line is the best answer to light lures.
    
    Tight lines, Ron
    
    

    I'm using Trilene 12lb mono on both my baitcaster and my spinning
    outfit.  With the lighter action/longer spinning rod (and Ryobi
    spinning reel) there is no problem tossing light weights.      
                                                                   
    Actually, now that I have the baitcaster for the heavy duty stuff,
    I plan on reducing my spinning line to about 5lb test.           
    
    The combination of the 6ft med/bass action (stiff) rod and the 12lb
    test, is starting to sound like the right explanation... 
                                                       
    RE: Thumb on spool                  
    It doesn't take long using a baitcaster to find out how important
    this technique is!  I had to restring my reel already after the
    first hour or so....                         
                                                        
    Don Mac                             

    
    Hie Don.. Nice tae see yer still active! hivnae spoke wi ye
    	      fur a while, are ye still usin they rubber wurm things
    	      fur they basses?. i think ye've goat the anser tae yer
    	      castin 'problim'!
    
    	am jist aboot tae go intae 'overdrive' regardin fishin!, so a
    	mite hiv sum guid stories fur yese all soon!
    
    			.....cheery the noo!.....trapper
    
    Pee. Ess. if ye see Coonarse Bob in yer travels tell him tae
    	      sen me o'er sum o that Hormel 'stuff', i wid much
    	      apprecshate this!!

    hello there trapper!  cheery the noo to you too!  how's ol' nelly?
    yep, I'm still rubber worm'n, they're easier to keep than the real
    ones, ya don't have to feed `em as often...   Yea, get fish'n! We
    all would love to here about those monsters from across the puddle!
    
    Don't see ol' Coonass much, but my neighbor Joe T's down there in
    the swamps with `im this weekend!!!!  I'm sure Joe will have a tale 
    or two to tell - that is, assuming Phideaux doesn't have anything
    against yankees!!! 
    
    don mac 
    

Don,
	If I remember rightly I had a vaguely comparable problem a few years 
ago. I was using one of those small ABU 'multiplier' [=baitcaster?] reels and
wanted to chuck a real worm (plus a very small piece of lead) a few yards.
Of course with a 'real' worm a hard whiping action is out of the question!

Two solutions might be applicable?

1) Strip the line off your reel (into a pile by your feet) and then cast.
   (this method only really comes into its own if you are NOT casting much
   - I don't use it myself - but some do)

2) (I liked this method and got on well with it - but it requires some practice)
   The object of the excersize is to SPIN the reels spool yourself - by giving
   it a flick with the TIP of your thumb at the 'correct' moment in your swing.
   I 'mastered' this method better when I used an 'underarm' swing - and also
   found that it was neccessary to have all the brakes OFF your reel. Watch out
   though - you need to be very precise with the 'thumb flick' and then the 
   thumb pressure as the bait lands.
   Lastly - don't expect miracles with this technique - I never attempted to get
   real distance out of this cast - but then don't we catch ALL our big fish
   closer to the bank then one would ever expect?

Tight Lines 
		Martin Cook (Reading, UK)

    Don,
    
    	I have been fishing for bass for many years with bait casters.
    I had this problem at one time.  I like a very stiff graphite rod
    and boron. I use an ABU XLT PLUS and with the magnetics I have had
    better luck.  The trick for one is to use a fiberglass rod with
    a good wipe action.  6' or more (8' max if you compete).
    	On the reel first turn off the mag break.  Then set the machanical
    break so that id you release the spool the line will out out from
    the weight of the worm, but should stop as the worm reaches the
    gournd or water.  Now you are ready for the cast.
    	Start with the mag in the middle. Keep the reel on it's side
    so the spool turns like a top. Then with a forarm snap release the
    spool at 11:55 so the line will make a big loop and stop the spool
    as soon as it it the water.
    	play with the mag break and you will be allset.  thumb!! is
    the key.
    
    good luck 
    
    	basin bob
    

    Re: all
    
    One thing that I forgot to mention, is that a weightless worm drops
    very slowly with free spool, probably a second per foot - this is
    one if the reasons that I thought that I may have reel problems,
    but just wasn't sure if this was just the nature of bait casters...
    
    I appreciate all of the responses!  Keep them coming!
    
    Don Mac

    i don't type, so it's "low case or no case" for all my input, but
    i do have some experience in this area, and i'd like to help.
     first off, forget the 150x on a spinning rod for a multitude of
    reasons:
    1. the guides on a spin rod are mounted opposite the "spine" of
    the blank, whereas on a casting rod they are on it. you'll be asking
    a rod to go opposite it's functionality, and it's damping and flexing
    pattern will be twice as firm as it should be; casting wil actually
    be harder than with a light casting rod of the same length. actually,
    i've used the old glass lew's speed sticks for this stuff and found
    them to be more forgiving (you aren't going to be worming in the
    classic sense with 4lb. line anyway - to much line stretch to set
    the hook unless you tighten the drag too tight. also, star drags
    are designed for muscle, not this type of finesse resistance). i
    don't think this type of reel still has brake blocks, but if it
    does, use smaller ones or take them off.
    
    2. casting all day with a rod without a trigger finger will wear
    you out.
    
     if you want to do light line bait casting, here are some hints:
    - first, let the lure hang from the rod tip and adjust the free
    spool so that when it falls to the ground and hits, the spool doesn't
    backlash.
    - second, use a very soft, limp wristed arm motion.
    - third, keep the handles straight up as you cast. sometims during
    a cast you can feel a backlash start (like when you're pitching
    a small balsa wood plug into the wind and it "skips), and at that
    instant if you turn your wrist over even more to get the handles
    up more, the backlash usually runs out.
     i wouldn't go below 8lb. on a star drag reel even if the side spool
    tolerances are close enough so line can't get behind the spool.
    get the best quality spin reel you can get (more$ means better,
    more subtle drags - i used to use the orvis bonefish jobs but like
    shimano gtx types now)
     watch the guys on the fishing shows, and notice that when they
    are pitching "big stuff" how they really drive the graphite rods
    to load them. conversely, note how they use that soft sidearm motion
    that tommy martin used to use when casting little stuff or to close
    targets. basically, if you're new to this, a motion like you were
    throwing an apple on a stick with the appropriate free spool setting
    and the reel handles up throughout the cast will keep your line
    in the water rather than looking like a punk rock hairdo on your
    reel.