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[SockeyeJunkie]

This is just my 2nd year fishing the Fraser. I have fished smaller rivers (river width) my whole life (like the Chilliwack). It seems at the bars I have been going to on the Fraser the guys who are consistently getting fish are able to cast way out there. I can cast far, but just can't seem to get it way out there. I am currently using a Shimano Culcutta TE with 60 lb fireline. I have only 2 of the 6 magnetic breaks engaged on the reel. I have tried to loosen it off more to get further casting, but then I run into problems with back lashing.

Any suggestions? Some people told me to switch to mono main as it is able to cast further.

Any help for this Fraser rookie would be great. Any other suggestions would be helpful as well.

Only have a few sox this year and want to get more - I have all of next week off.

Thanks!!!

[Youngin]

yep.. mono line will get you casting farther and smoother

[Big Steel]

Do not switch to Mono line!!  You will run into so many more problems.  Trust me on this one. The line has nothing to do with how far you cast.  I use 80lb tough line and I bomb it out there further than most, and I can go longer than that if I like.  How is your spool tension?  That could have a dramaitc affect on casting distance.  Also, do you recenlty oil your reel.  If the wrong oil was used, an oil that is a bit to thick for a Calcutta, it will also seriously cut down your casting distance.  I have a Calcutta TE and have done this.  What is your style of casting?  Do you load the rod up real good then let it fly HARD?  Think about all of these.  I repeat, do not change to Mono.  That is not the problem at all.  If you do so, you will take 10 times longer to get out of a snag, and 99% of the time, instead of getting out of it, you will lose your gear.  Alll of it, and you will spend the majority of the time retying and polluting the river, and not fishing.  I hope this helps.  If not, I will take you out on the river myself and we will figure it out!!

[SockeyeJunkie]

Thanks. I have not recently oiled it. Spool tension is backed off as much as I can without having the knob completely not threaded on. It was serviced at Mike's reel repair in Abbotsford at the end of last year's Fraser season (end of Sept. I think), so I can only hope the correct oil was used.

I can say I have been fishing all week and it was casting fine, however after a few trips to the Scale bar and the reel being plunked in the water a few times by accident the casting has diminished. Think maybe it needs to be oiled? If so, where on/ in the reel do I oil it? Of course, buy oil specifically for a Calcutta.

Thanks again for the help.

[Big Steel]

Right at the spool( there is a slight gap for the spool to spin, I put a drop or 2 on each side of that), the spider gear on the bottom. Thise are the 2 main spots that I oil when I am worried about casting.  But if you plunked it in the drink, you may need to get it taken in and the whole reel lubed up!!  Should really come to this, but you never know.  I use an Abu 7000 for this type of fishing.  I don't subject my Calcutta to this, but that is just me.  I used it for a season about 3 years ago, and it started making some funky sounds.  SO I took it into Shimano and had them give it a once over.  Since then, I have only used it on smaller river systems.

[2:40]

When I started to cast as a young' un I had trouble as well. It is tough to get 16 or 18 oz out there very far, but I tried and actually got into fish even though I was in at least 10 if not more feet closer! I think sometimes we cast a bit far when the fish are often in a bit closer.

I dont know levelwinds very well, but I think I may be advising on something different as I dont think they make calcuttas big enough to chuck more than 3oz?  

Sorry, but just in case, Ill leave this.  

[Fish Assassin]

I agree with both BS and Fisherforever; do not dunk your reel into the river. I see this all the time. Sounds like you need to lube your reel. Go to this website http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/ and download the schematic for your reel. It should tell you which parts to oil.

[fishfinder]

Don't use mono as BS suggested. The problem is that you will get hung up and pull on that mono line and weaken it. Mono stretches. Then the next time you get hung up and you pull the mono will snap. You do this in a snaggy bar and you'll be respooling often. Get Tuf Line or Fireline.

[legend]

The rod also plays a major role . Your rod can make or break the distance you get out of a cast some are to whippy others to stiff . I had a Berkley Canadian series rod for the last three years a medium heavy and I could out cast every one on the river by a long way this was outfitted with an Abu 6500 . The rod finnally packed it in now im using a Shimano convergence and it dose't even compare hands down the Berkley out casted it by 40 yards I have run both types of line and they don't seem to make much of a difference to me . Mono is cheaper if your learning and get lots of backlash action go with mono . This year I switched to tuff line and I have only had one backlash in five trips and also switched from Abu to Shimano reel.

[Matuka Jack]

SockeyeJunkie,
I use the same reel, CTE400.  I use a 12' rod and it is the rod that really allows me to bomb them Betties way out there.  I am not a very big guy, but with my 12' GLoomis the others around that can cast as far are those really big guys (6' plus and over 200 lbs). Longer rod will allow you increase the acceleration of you cast by increasing the radius of your casting arc.

However:
The result may vary according to your height, strength and kind of muscle (ie. the higher density of fast twitch muscle you have the greater you can accelerate the rod).   Control may also be an issue if you do not have the minimum required strength to control the longer rod.  This solution that works for me might not work for everyone.

I hope this helps.

[Big Steel]

All very good points!!  But he did say that he was able to bomb it out there, the after his reel got dunked that casting distance had drastically decreased!

[SockeyeJunkie]

Thanks for all the help. I contacted Mike's reel repair and here is what I did : Popped open the cover where the magnetic brakes are and sprayed with WD-40 and then blasted with air from compressor and repeated until all the visible grime and dirt was off. Also did the same thing to the other end of the reel but only through the port hole.

Then washed repeatedly in very hot water with Sunlight in it and then rinsed repeatedly in just very hot water. Then sprayed a ton with the compressed air and let dry over night. Then applied 2 drops of Shimano oil in the unopened end port and 2 drops of oil to the gears of the magnetic brake end. Closed everything up.

Took it to a dead park near me where I can practice casting without messing up anyone else and played with the magnetic brakes and the backlash brake until I got it to the point where I can consistently cast it way, way out there with no backlash at all. I also stripped off a bunch off the fireline as I was told it had too much line on it.

Thanks for all the advise, it came in handy, especially about staying with fireline and not switching to mono.

I have this entire week off and look forward to some fun fishing without the frustration of a bad performing reel.

Cheers!

[Steelhawk]

SockeyeJunkie hits a good point I have been advising my greenie sockeye friends. Do your practise casting at your backyard or an empty park (where you can be sure your betty does not land on someone's head). Take off the hook. Just practise casting with 2 oz & 3 oz, starting short cast first and progressively increasing the distance. 

This is very important for anyone trying to cast with a bait-casting reel for the first time. Just too much down time and a lot of frustration with 'bird nesting' while other people are catching fish left & right around you. You may try side casting as well as overhead casting. Overhead casting is very accurate and long but can be restricted by overhanging tree or lack of back room, in which case side casting is your choice. However, side casting is not a good option when the bar is very crowded and you can give the next guy a wicked hook wound.