Few things in life provide more joy than seeing a bass lure plopping into the water after a well-aimed cast. Anticipation and excitement start growing as the line slowly settles onto the water’s surface. As technology has improved, most anglers have seen the advantages of using thinner, stronger fishing lines to improve their casting distance.
Casting with a lighter line allows you to increase your casting distance without making significant changes to your fishing equipment. Reducing the line diameter reduces the resistance created by friction and wind resistance during the cast. Less resistance equals greater casting distance.
Casting further using a lighter line is very much dependent on the equipment being set up correctly for the task at hand. It is also greatly influenced by the angler’s casting technique. Of course, selecting a perfectly shaped and weighted lure or bait also contributes to the distance that you’re able to cast.
Is Lighter Fishing Lines Easier To Cast With Than Heavier Lines?
Lighter fishing lines are generally easier to cast than heavier lines. For beginners, the type of reel used also has a direct influence on the ease of casting. Light lines work well on spinning, bait casters, and spin casting reels.
Lighter lines have less resistance when travelling through the air and therefore require less effort in the casting action to achieve a certain distance. In addition, lighter lines generally mean heavier or larger reels and rod combinations that require more effort to handle.
What Type Of Fishing Line Will Cast Further?
Braided line is currently the thinnest and least elastic of all available casting lines. Braid is roughly half the diameter of traditional monofilament, fluorocarbon, and copolymer lines for any pound-breaking strain.
Braid has no give or stretch, combined with its thin diameter, flexibility, and resistance to building memory, makes this line the best to use when wanting to cast further.
Will Monofilament Cast Further?
Monofilament line can be cast far, provided a thin diameter like 5lb breaking strain is used. Monofilament is the most popular line on the market today, but if you are looking for a long casting line, you would be better off using braid.
Pros With Using Monofilament
- Cheap to buy
- Wide variety of colours
- Many brands available
- Wide variety of diameter and strengths
- High abrasion resistance
- Easy to tie, holds a knot well
Cons With Using Monofilament
- Degrades in sunlight
- Larger diameter per pound rating
- Builds memory
- Visible underwater to fish
- Stretches
- Rod requires large guides when on a spinning reel
Major Issues Holding It Back
- Air resistance (larger diameter)
- Fairly inflexible
- Stretches readily
- Gains memory, coils
If you’re curious to learn about other ways to reduce line memory and increase line flexibility, check out this post about line conditioners.
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon lines are very similar to monofilament. The only difference is that it is made to be invisible in water and has a higher nylon content than monofilaments.
Pros With Using Fluorocarbon
- Invisible underwater
- Highest abrasion resistance
- Easy to tie, holds a knot well
- Wide variety of diameter and strengths
- Readily available
Cons With Using Fluorocarbon
- Degrades in sunlight
- Larger diameter per pound rating
- Builds memory
- Stretches
Major Issues Holding It Back
- Air resistance (larger diameter)
- Fairly inflexible
- Stretches readily
- Gains memory, coils
Braided
Braided lines are woven from 4 – 16 strands of Dacron, spectra, or micro-Dyneema.
Pros With Using Braid
- Very thin diameter, very strong
- Low resistance
- Very flexible
- No memory
- No stretch
Cons With Using Braid
- Hard to tie knots
- Low abrasion resistance
- Hard to undo if tangled
- Expensive to buy
- Not recyclable
If you want to learn more about how to dispose of your fishing properly or if your fishing line is recyclable, then check out this post!
Major Issues Holding It Back
- Expensive to purchase
- Requires special knots
- Can cut skin easily
- Can damage inferior reels and rod guides
Best Type Of Fishing Line That Gets The Best Casting Distance
Braided lines are the best type of line that gets the best casting distance. Their low friction, small line diameter compared to other lines out there, superior breaking strain, and resistance to forming memory ensures that the line peels off the reel the best and flies through the air the easiest.
Does The Type Of Reel Affect My Casting Distance?
The choice of reel for the particular type of fishing that you’re doing is critical. When surfcasting, a surfcasting reel or spinning reel is the best choice. Using a spin casting reel, for example, will not suffice as these reels don’t hold enough line. Similarly, a fly fishing reel won’t work either, as casting far enough will be impossible.
For the average angler who wants to cast far, a spinning reel matched to the size of the fishing rod is the best and easiest reel to use.
Factors That Can Affect Casting Distance
- Too little line on the reel
- Incorrect line choice
- Line has a memory
- Rod or reel too small
- Poor casting technique
- Bait too light for the rod, reel, line combination
- Headwind
Tips On How To Improve Your Casting Distance
Below are 8 handy tips to improve your casting distance:
- The action of the rod (suited to the purpose?)
- Length of the rod (Longer rod cast further, within reason)
- Type of line (Braid casts further than monofilament and fluorocarbon)
- Line diameter (Thinner is better for distance)
- Lure, sinker, bait weight (Too heavy or too light?)
- Lure, sinker, bait, shape, and size (Is it aerodynamic?)
- Wind direction (Use the wind to your advantage)
- Line length, bait to rod tip (The longer the distance, the greater the momentum)
Casting With Light Fishing Lines
Casting with light fishing lines has the advantage of reducing the size of equipment needed, relevant to the fishing type you’re doing. Using braid line allows you to load more line onto the same reel due to its thin diameter without having to compromise on line strength or having to replace your equipment.
In terms of casting further, a thinner line, regardless of type, offers less resistance or drag when being cast out than a thicker line does. Casting a ½ ounce lure using a 6lb line will cast further than when casting the same lure on the same rig, using a 15lb line.
Ideally, the line rating should match the recommended fishing rod rating to ensure that neither one breaks due to excessive force when casting. When striving for casting distance, using the correct reel for the application is vital for the setup.
The lighter line you go, the higher the chances you will snap your line. I wrote a post on several reasons why your line might snap when casting and how to stop it. Check out the post if you want to learn more.
Conclusion
Casting with a lighter line does indeed improve your casting distance. Braided lines make this a viable option nowadays as line strength is not compromised. Using a lighter, thinner diameter line reduces the resistance created by the line when casting. The easier the line peels from the reel, travels through the guides, and flies through the air, the further the cast will land.
Using a thinner line is undoubtedly the quick fix to casting further. A lighter line offers an advantage in casting distance, having your lure in the water longer, and catching more fish.
Happy Fishing & Tight Lines