Casting (fishing)

In angling, casting is the act of the angler throwing the bait and hook (or a lure) as well as other attached terminal tackles out over the water, typically by slinging a fishing line manipulated by a long, elastic fishing rod. The term itself may also be used for setting out a net when artisanal fishing.

The basic technique is to quickly flick/swing the rod forward towards the water, with the inertia of the tackles lagging and bending the rod backward (i.e. "loading" the rod), and then use the "springing" (elastic rebound) of the rod to "hurl" and rapidly sling the line forward, which in turn will launch out the hook and bait.^[1]

There are several methods anglers can use to attempt to cast farther,^[2] the most prominent of which is the shifting of body weight towards the front foot in kinematic synchrony to the forward swinging of the rod. That, combined with using a longer rod, stopping the rod swing at 45 degrees, and using correctly weighted and more aerodynamic terminal tackles, will help anglers cast farther. There are also variation techniques the anglers can use to cast the tackles more accurately to an exact location on the water or to get past potential obstacles.