Ever just lose your casting "mojo"?

[SHigSpeed]

Anyone else have a problem with casting mojo? I find that when fishing is tough all my mojo goes down the toilet! Yesterday during a particularly maddening run of missed fish I almost busted out the Powerbait when everything went to pot. I was a cast piling, horrible open and tailing loop chucking, whipcrackin', trailer tangling, wind-knottin', newbie mess!

Like "Groundhog Day"...

"Don't cast angry!!"

Need to concentrate on timing and smooth power application.

I need some Zen meditation music for the iPod next time. I may actually try that, just thought about it! Any suggestions for the playlist I should assemble?

_SHig

[David Lee]

Sure have . Especially when tired .

What I do - Take a 5 or 10 minute break (more difficult to do this than one would think ....) , pick up the rod and CAST . Thinking about your casting while actually doing it does wonders , sometimes .

I'm proud to say that after 15 years of goofin' w/ a flyrod (no lessons) , I'm finally at the point where I can cast just about ANY flyrod by paying attention to what the rod needs from me . Nice to find comfort after all these years !!

Good luck !

David

[SHigSpeed]

Sure have . Especially when tired .

What I do - Take a 5 or 10 minute break (more difficult to do this than one would think ....) , pick up the rod and CAST . Thinking about your casting while actually doing it does wonders , sometimes .

I'm proud to say that after 15 years of goofin' w/ a flyrod (no lessons) , I'm finally at the point where I can cast just about ANY flyrod by paying attention to what the rod needs from me . Nice to find comfort after all these years !!

Good luck !

David

Sweet! Only 14 years to go...

_SHig

[Ed Wahl]

I get mind warped too, especially after casting for hours.

I try to make myself slow down. Don't even think about distance. I watch my backcast, just like a newbie. Then try casting with as little force as possible. Surprising how often that does it.


Sometimes it works, sometimes it's better to go sit down and have a beer.

Beer=Zen?

Ed

[Darian]

Maybe just let the equipment do what it was designed to do.... :confused: Also, if you've been castin' endlessly for a while, take a break like David suggests.... :smirk:

As for zen music, how about Credence :?: :lol:

[TaylerW]

jack johnson, the kooks and mayer always calm me down and get me into the zone. when its steelhead time, i break out the killswitch, disturbed and system.

[Hairstacker]

I think the rest of the fellas have nailed it. For me, when this happens, I find that I'm forcing the casts. As others noted, for me, the answer was usually to slow down, focus on the rod doing the work instead of me, pay direct attention to timing, etc. It's amazing sometimes how effortlessly our rods can cast with little input from us if we give 'em half a chance.

[David Lee]

Perhaps the most relevant solution to casting issues is the good old self-exam . It's cold , harsh , and IMO .... the best way to sort the problems .

Let's say .... you're casting a lake from a boat or tube (or whatever) - WHY are you casting like a goof ??

* are you trying to do something that your gear ISN'T made to do (casting 90 feet w/ a 5 wt. dry line in a crosswind w/ a soft-actioned rod) ????? This is waaaaay more common than most folks let on . Right tool for the job at hand , remember ??

* are you forcing the issue (overpowering) instead of letting the ROD do its part ?? Again , real common mistake that pretty much everyone does , once in a while .

And my personal favorite (take a guess why ) -

* Are your basic skills limited ??? Perhaps the MOST common problem , IMO .

I'd guess you can read a book on the subject , but without unbiased viewing from someone who can play the part of critic , I doubt the book will help if you cannot pinpoint the basic problem w/ the cast .

Shelling out $$$ for a private lesson from someone like Jeff Putnam will cure flaws you would NEVER guess that you have . Well worth your time to do this .

I learned most of what I know (and corrected <MOST> of my casting flaws) by doing three things -

#1 -Watching people like Lee S. and Ed Wahl (they get my vote for not only being fine all-around casters .... but by being great FISHING casters - there IS a difference) and paying attention to exactly what they are doing . Using those two guys as my example .... you will notice a great economy of motion - they don't have wasted effort .

#2 - fishing in VERY different situations . Going from an overgrown creek where 10 feet of leader/12 feet of line out the tip is a LONG cast .... to bombing a shooting head out into the great beyond on the lower American (where if it isn't touching down 95+ feet away ..... you ain't in 'em) . By casting in extreme opposite situations .... you will HAVE to improve ,or you'll be 'out of it' .

#3 - the most important one in my opinion ..... BE HONEST when it comes to your current ability - if there's something that you are doing that you shouldn't be doing , be aware of it and correct it . Easy to be lazy and just catch fish (catching fish has little to do w/ being a 'good' caster) and not bother to fix that tailing loop/sloppy backcast/dropping the tip on the forward cast/insert casting flub of choice here . Most people are simply not aware of their flaws .... or they just don't care .

Be aware . Fix issues . WORK at getting better .

I hope this helps !!

D.~

[michaeln]

Fortunately I never had any casting mojo, so it is unlikely I will lose it.