Simple to use.
Excellent for new and experienced anglers.
We’ll be discussing steps to cast a spinning rod and reel where the handle of the reel is held with the left hand and the handle of the rod is held with the right hand. (The steps below will work if holding alternatively, just with slight reversals to the roles certain arms/hands play.)
Most spinning reels have interchangeable handles, as in, if you wanted the handle on the right side of the reel, you could easily unscrew the handle and insert it into the other side. A spinning reel is operated correctly when the reel is underneath the rod.
Disclaimer: Casting sharp hooks and swinging rods can be dangerous and should be done at your own risk. There is always potential risk of incurring harm to your body and the bodies of people near you when fishing, even if all precautions are followed.
QUICK STEPS TO CAST WITH A SPINNING REEL & ROD (or more detailed steps below):
With the hand holding the rod, use the right index finger to lift and hold the line to the rod.
Release, or flip, the bail with the other hand with the other hand not holding the line.
While rotating your shoulders and rod-holding arm, move the rod behind you towards the side (for sideways casting) while still holding line.
Accelerate the rod from behind you towards a direction in front of you aiming the rod tip to where you want your cast to be.
Release the line just before your rod tip is fully in front of you and aiming at where you want your cast to be.
Stop your body’s motion to stop the base of the rod with your hand, arm and rod aiming at where the cast should land.
Crank the handle to retrieve the line.
If the bail does not reengage automatically after cranking the handle, then you’ll need to manually flip the bail.
DETAILED STEPS TO CAST WITH A SPINNING REEL & ROD
PART 1: The Pre-Cast
1.1 Ensure all is where it should be:
Ensure that the line is threaded correctly from the reel and through all the eyelets (guides) of the rod.
Ensure that the line is not tangled or showing knots anywhere from the reel to the very tip of the rod.
Ensure that the reel is housed securely into the seat of the rod.
Often there is a twist mechanism to rotate for tightening.
Ensure that the rig (lure/bait/hook) is firmly attached to the fishing line and is not tangled.
If using a two-piece (or three-piece rod), make sure the pieces are firmly attached to one another.
1.2 Check friction settings (drag):
Ace checks the drag on his spinning reel. In this instance, the drag is fairly loose and he’ll tighten it in the next step.
With the bail closed, use a hand to hold the handle of the rod and the other hand to pull on the line away from the reel with a gentle force that precedingly becomes more force.
Avoid wrapping the line around your hands.
Avoid pulling so hard that you could cut your hands.
Avoid pulling the line so hard that the line breaks.
The drag should be tight enough so that there is some resistance but begins releasing line well before the line would break.
If using light line, like 4 lb test, the application of force should be very minimal.
Stronger line can take more force.
Make small adjustments and test changes to resistance of the line.
1.2 Drag continued:
If the drag feels too loose, then tighten the drag knob. If the drag feels too tight, then loosen the drag knob.
Most drag knobs on spinning reels are either on the very top or very bottom of the reel.
Consult the manual of your reel if you are unsure where the drag knob is.
Play around with your drag to determine which direction tightens the drag and which direction loosens the drag.
Expert Skill: Knowing how to adjust your drag during a fish fight is definitely an expert skill, and not one I’d expect a new angler to take on. However, I’m emphasizing now that building a habit of reactionarily knowing which way to turn your drag to tighten or loosen it will make you a better angler.
By rotating the handle, reel in an amount of line so that the rig on the end of the line is about 1 ft / 30 cm from the tip of the rod.
If the line is already too close to the tip, simply flip the bail open and allow line to fall out.
Hold the rod horizontally in front of you and open the bail to let the line fall.
If the rig and line do not fall, the drag is too tight (or there is a tangle.)
If the drag is too tight, readjust with the drag knob.
Secondary casting knob/friction knob:
Many spinning reels do not have a secondary friction knob. However, check your reel’s manual to see if there are other mechanisms on the reel to adjust friction settings.
Adjusting the main drag is sort of a guessing game for a new angler. In time, you will begin to understand what the ideal settings are for your fishing preferences.
1.3 Prepare the rig:
Shows how to use the index finger to secure the line to the underside of the rod to prepare casting with a spinning reel.
With the right hand holding the handle of the rod, secure the line under the rod with the right index finger. (See the adjacent gif image.)
To grab the line, you will likely need to use your free hand (left hand) to bring the line under your finger, best done by rotating the handle so that the line roller is immediately under the shaft (or handle) of the rod.
Holding the reel involves spreading your fingers so that the extension between the reel body and foot is between the pinky finger and ring finger OR between the ring finger and middle finger. The hand then gently squeezes the handle of the rod with the thumb offering counterpressure from the top of the handle.
The thumb is parallel to and on top of the rod, pointing towards the rod’s tip.
Shows how to open the bail on a spinning reel. The reverse action will close the bail.
While still securing the line, use the left hand to open (flip/pop/release) the bail. (See the adjacent gif image.)
Release the right index finger, let the line fall so it touches the water/ground, and reel the handle until the line is about 1 ft / 30 cm from the tip of the rod.
Do this release-fall-reel combination a few times.
This is a way to get a feel for how quick the gravity release of your lure is as well as double check that there are no immediate snags before a cast.
If the bail is not automatically popping back to the closed position when you begin reeling, then you will have to close it manually with your left hand before reeling in.
Finally, reset the rig so that there is about 1 ft / 30 cm of line from the tip of the rod.
1.4 Check surroundings to find a lane:
Make sure that you will have enough clearance to cast without hitting any other item and/or person.
While holding the base of the rod, extend your arm and rod out behind you, to the side, and in front of you to ensure your lane is clear. If the lane to cast is not clear, find a place to cast from without obstacles.
PART 2: THE CAST
We’ll discuss sideways casting with one arm, as opposed to other methods such as over-the-head, backhand casting, and flipping. Once you can master sideways casting, you’ll be ready to add more ways to cast to your repertoire.
2.1 Pick your spot.
With the rig dangling about 1 ft/30 cm (or even up to doubly more but not less), evaluate your casting lane in front of you.
Decide where you want your rig to end up. How far is it going? How much force will you need?
2.2 Grab the line.
Use your right index finger to hold the line to the rod.
2.3 Open the bail.
Keep holding the line with your index finger.
2.4 Begin the cast.
Make sure you have stable footing/seating.
While still holding the line, make sure you are only holding the rod with your right hand.
Slowly rotate your hips and shoulders towards the right so that your left shoulder is more in front of you.
Meanwhile, your rod holding arm and hand is moving behind you and extending outwards.
Slightly bend your wrist backwards.
The upcoming wrist flick offers an extra boost to the cast.
You are now ‘cocked’ and ready to launch your cast
2.5 Launch the cast.
A. In a quicker motion, rotate your hips and shoulders in the opposite direction from your preparation while also swinging your arm holding the rod towards your picked spot.
Your wrist will be extended backwards for an upcoming flicking motion.
B. As the rod tip approaches the final moments of where you will stop and point the base of the rod (also your thumb) towards your picked spot…
…begin flicking your wrist towards that spot as well.
C. Release your index finger’s hold on the line.
D. Stop your body’s motion.
The base of the rod, thumb, and shoulders should all be pointing towards your picked spot.
Your rod tip, in moments, will align to the picked spot as well once the tip stops motion.
E. The rig is now in motion towards your picked spot.
Begin moving your left hand towards the cranking handle.
During the acceleration moment of the cast, the rod will begin to flex, or bend. The rod is meant to flex in this manner as the rod, in itself, will build energy. When you stop your casting motion, the rod’s flex will release to straighten the rod. In these moments, the rod’s energy will be released, helping the rig fly towards your desired casting spot.
PART 3: THE POST-CAST / RETRIEVAL
The hard part is over, now it’s about bringing the rig in, also called the retrieval.
IMPORTANT TIP: AVOID SLACK IN THE LINE
Slack refers to any portion of fishing line that is not tight.
Slack is not any angler’s friend in most situations because:
Slack lessens the reactionary time to set the hook when a fish strikes.
A fish could strike immediately (or even moments before) a rig hits the water.
Remove slack by cranking the handle to bring in line while also pulling the rod upwards.
Removing slack before the rig hits the water is an advanced technique that we won’t cover here.
3.1 Begin the rig retrieval.
Gif shows the cranking of the handle of a spinning reel to retrieve fishing line with rig attached.
The rig has just hit the water.
Begin cranking the handle to bring the rig in OR…
…allow your rig to fall deeper into the water.
After your rig has fallen to a desired depth in the water begin reeling in by cranking the handle.
The good rule-of-thumb is that 1 second will have your bait fall 1 ft / 30 cm, of course, that is entirely dependent on many other variables of densities, rig composition, etc..
If your bail does not automatically ‘pop back’ to the closed position when you crank the handle, then you’ll need to close the bail manually so that the line will be retrieved and correctly spool back onto the reel.
Most spinning reels are designed so that the bail pop’s back automatically after cranking the handle.
3.2 Begin lowering the rod tip.
While cranking the handle for the first moments to begin bringing in the rig also begin lowering the rod tip.
Do this fast enough so that the slack is removed from the line as soon as possible.
In most casting situations the angler should be retrieving with the rod tip facing towards the water so that, should a fish strike, setting the hook is an easier motion.
Exceptions exist, such as, when an angler is trying to fast-play a lure over weeds. In this situation, the rod tip should be held high while cranking the handle rapidly to help keep the rig near the surface.
3.3 Set the hook.
A fish strike, in most situations, feels like something quickly tugging back at the end of the line.
Most casting lures (because of the hook design) require that the angler sets the hook so that the point of the hook pierces the cartilaginous portion of the fish’s mouth.
Some hooks, like many circle hooks, only require a gentle pressure for a proper hook set.
To set the hook quickly lift the tip of the rod in an upwards, opposite direction from where the line is entering the water.
Make sure the slack is out of the line before setting the hook.
Setting a hook too softly can mean the hook won’t set.
Setting a hook too hard can tear the hook out of a fish’s mouth.
As a new angler, understanding hook-setting power is something you will have to gain a feel for over time with experience.
Even if you don’t get a fish strike, practice setting the hook during your retrievals.
After a hook-setting motion begin cranking the handle while also bringing the rod tip down so as to keep slack out of the line and reset the rod to the downwards facing position.
3.4 The final moments.
Should you have a fish on the end of your line then bring it in!
Yes, that is easier said than done with some species. I will have an entire page dedicated to “playing fish” within the guide.
Your main goal when retrieving the fish is no slack in the line.
Even if the fish jumps, the angler’s job is to crank the handle and/or lift the rod to keep slack out of the line.
Simply crank the handle to bring the fish in. Should the fish be fighting heavily, the drag mechanism should begin making noise (even without a noise mechanism engaged) to let you know that line is being pulled out. That’s okay—this is why your drag is set loose enough so that the line won’t break.
Should you not have a fish, simply reel in the rig in while keeping your rod tip pointed at the water.
For most rigs, reel in so that there is still about 3 ft / 1 m of line in the water; keep the rig in the water.
Some fish will follow the bait in, so make sure you are wearing your polarized sunglasses to see if your rig is being followed by a fish. If a fish is following the rig, keep the rig in the water and try to entice that fish to strike.
If you are confident there is no fish, lift your rig from the water and reel in the rig so that 1 ft / 30 cm (or more) of line remains.
You’re now ready to begin the next cast.
