Sight in with Spin

Whether your weapon of choice or just a backup, spinning tackle is deadly for sight fishing on the flats.

By Mike Conner, Editor

There is so, so much instructional information out there on sight casting with a fly rod that you might have gotten the impression that doing it with spinning gear is a snap from the get-go. Well, be warned. Just because you can wind up and throw a lure a country mile with your spinning rod doesn't mean you will be Deadly Dan out there on the flats. There are spinfishing skills to learn and master if you are to become a good sight caster.

Many anglers new to flats fishing use spinning tackle first. That's often the tackle that they are already comfortable with. And that's a good thing. Just so happens that your good ol' spinner is ideal for the job. Truth is, after it first appeared on the scene in the late '40s, it quickly revolutionized this arena of inshore sportfishing.

Spinning tackle is great for tossing the lightweight lures and natural baits that excel in skinny water. A fast-action 7- to 8-foot spinning rod with a flexible, light tip, that is rated for 6- to 10-pound-test line is a sweet flats stick indeed. Match one up with one of today's top-quality spinning reels and you own an outfit that's a pleasure to use.

Out on the flats, wind is a near-constant on all but the sultriest mid-summer days. Spinning gear is very forgiving in a headwind. With baitcasting (plug) tackle, punching a shrimp or small crab, unweighted soft-plastic bait, or a 1/8-ounce or lighter flats-style jig into a headwind can be tough. If you insist on going at it with plug gear, unless you're very, very good with it, all you'll be punching is a one-way ticket to backlash city.

During my stint as a flats guide in South Florida, many of my charter customers lacked the skill to cast to a moving fish quickly and accurately. Though most could hold a spinning rod correctly (unlike those stone-jawed, Mel Gibson-esque department store male models holding spinning rods with the reels pointed at the sky) they had little experience at casting at moving targets with spin gear. I have seen, and, oh yes, have committed every spinfishing bad habit under the sun. All of which can be avoided from the start. But first, you have to select a proper flats spinning outfit.

Flats fishing for inshore species-perhaps with the exception of adult tarpon-calls for light to medium-light gear. For bonefish, redfish, seatrout, snook, permit, baby tarpon, barracuda, small sharks and all but the biggest stripers, 6- to 10-pound-class spinning tackle is ideal. If limited to one line-test, 8-pound is a happy medium, though many experienced bonefishers lean toward 6-pound for additional casting distance with light baits and maximum spool capacity. Permit-chasers choose 8-pound on the light end, and some consider 10-pound-test line ideal. When you get into 12-pound line, which is suitable for sight casting to tarpon over 50 pounds you need a bigger spinning reel to spool up the 200-plus yards that is the benchmark for the flats.

Almost without exception, a fast-action rod with a light, flexible rodtip is most desirable for sight fishing. It has to flex easily on your back stroke to load (store energy) and flex back to release that energy to propel a light bait or lure with minimal effort. When that redfish or bonefish pops into view 30 feet away, you need to flip your bait out delicately, with a soft landing. A light, flexible tip will help. And if you need to reach out twice as far, that rod will do that, too. There's no place for a pool cue in this game. Figure on a 7-foot rod at the minimum. I prefer 7 1/2-footers, and 8-footers, too, which are becoming the rod of choice for anglers looking for maximum casting distance with light baits and lures, particularly when dealing with boat-wary fish such as big permit, stripers and bonefish.

Enough about the gear-suffice to say it has never been better. Now, let's go fishing. Your buddy back there on the poling platform is working hard, grunting and keeping a watchful eye to help you succeed, so pay attention. Foul up, and you may get goosed with the pointed end of that pushpole.

Since you need to get the goods to a fish quickly, you must keep your bail open while searching. The length of line (drop length) between rodtip and lure depends on what you're used to, but figure on 8 to 12 inches to be about right, allowing the longest length for the lightest lures or baits.

Many beginners mistakenly clinch their line tightly around the rod foregrip with their forefinger. Rather, the line should rest on the tip of your forefinger, which should not touch the rod at all. If you've ever performed the "concussion cast," in which lure or bait slaps the water way short of the target, as in, say, five feet from the boat, you probably didn't get your finger off the line smoothly, or soon enough. When I was a kid, if I did this, Dad would chuckle, "What are you trying to do, son, knock the fish out?" On the flip side, should you release your finger too soon during your delivery, you will execute the always lovely "rainbow" cast. A rainbow cast usually gets the same laughs as the concussion cast from all those aboard, and you'll really have them rolling on the deck if the lure lands in the boat. And the higher the trajectory of your rainbow cast, the greater the chance your fellow anglers will make the whistling sound of a bomb falling from an airplane. Fish are normally totally safe when you perform either cast. So there is simply a matter of forefinger timing here.

After some practice, you'll get it right, getting the proper flight trajectory more times than not, though a big fish waving a tail seductively can make even an old hand choke up on the cast from time to time. Yep, even with spinning gear.

When it comes to dialing in on the distance, don't just apply the power on the forestroke and then hope for the best. Better to overpower the cast a bit, then slow the lure down during the flight so that it lands where you want it to. That way, you can stop it on a dime. But let's be happy to drop it in a circle the size of a garbage can lid at first. The trick is to keep your eyes on the fish-actually on the spot where you want to put your lure-and on the lure's progress in the air. Don't worry-in time this will become second nature. How much time it takes depends on how often you get out there and do it.

There are a couple ways to guide your lure on the cast. Do not simply crank the handle to close the bail, or flip it closed manually while the lure is in the air. The lure will snap back toward you before landing, hurting your accuracy. Plus it will land too hard, possibly spooking the fish. It's better to gauge the flight of the lure, and then when the time is right, get that all-important forefinger back in the game by extending it and feathering the line coming off the spool, in effect slowing it down for a soft landing. Another method, which I prefer, is to put your opposite hand to work. As your lure travels to the promised land, move your opposite hand close to the reel and then feather the line with a finger or two as your lure approaches the target. Or, just cup the spool to stop the line. Take a look at the accompanying photos to better understand these techniques.

A quick word about one-handed versus two-handed casting: If you have been casting spinning rods with one hand all your life, chances are you won't need to change in midstream; otherwise, try two-hand casting for the sake of accuracy, and distance when you need it. If you're already an accurate "side-armer" more power to you, but beginners will do well to learn the "snap cast," a proven casting method for the flats. It's a two-handed, over-the-ear cast that helps with accuracy because both hands come into play to better control the path of the rod during the cast. Also, you can apply maximum power to speed up the rodtip to punch a lure into the wind because you pull the butt of the rod toward you as you snap the foregrip toward the target. A right-hander who normally holds a rod in the right hand will grip the back of the butt grip of the rod with the left hand, and vice versa.

Speaking of butt (rear) grips, they are usually too long on most off-the-rack spinning rods. Ten- to 12-foot spinning rods suited for offshore and surf fishing have grips 24 inches long and more, but for light-tackle casting, 8 to 10 inches max is more practical. You don't want the rod poking you in the gut, or catching in your clothes.

Spool up your Spinner:
Monofilament or Braid?

Braided Spectra line, a.k.a. "super braid or super line" is catching on these days among inshore anglers most concerned with winching fish away from structure, such as a dock, bridge piling or bottom debris. The stuff has very little stretch. Many anglers also tout the extra sensitivity and solid hooksets that this fiber provides. Also, braid is more abrasion-resistant and lower in diameter than monofilament given equal line-test.

Sounds like braid would get the vote over mono for sight fishing with spinning tackle out on the flats, right? Not so fast.

Anglers sight casting with spinning tackle on an open grassflat need not be as concerned with things like abrasion resistance, unless of course, there are lots of sea fans, coral outcroppings, oysters or generally "crunchy" bottom to contend with. And keep in mind that a little bit of stretch can be a good thing. Since mono stretches under pressure, it is more forgiving, and you'll usually have a relatively short length of line outside your rodtip while sight fishing because casts are usually short. Case in point: If you've ever hooked a super-charged tarpon that went ballistic close to the boat after the hookset, or experienced the "blastoff" of a drag-burning permit or outsized bonefish, maybe you realize that in the heat of the moment, that stretch factor was your ally. Consider this: Fly line stretches a heap, too, and look at how many good flats fish are hooked and landed on fly tackle.

Also, there is much debate over casting qualities of mono and braid. Many anglers have jumped on the braid wagon, claiming they achieve more distance. But, many experienced anglers are still convinced that mono casts better with spinning reels, though braid may outperform mono on a revolving spool (baitcasting) reel.

Low-diameter braids (generally less than half the diameter of typical mono given equal pound-test) fly off a spinning reel spool effortlessly, and with zero memory, but are actually so limp that if you wind on the least amount of slack-which is hard to avoid-you'll bury a loose loop under the following wraps. Then, the next time you cast at that trophy tailing bonefish, you hear a big p-p-hffttthh, out comes the snarl and it's goodbye Mr. Bone. This happens with monofilament, too, but not as readily, and monofilament snarls are much easier to untangle. The fact is, even the limpest monos are stiffer than the average braid, and don't cause as much of a problem overall.

If you insist on flats fishing with braid, stick to the 20-pound-test stuff (similar in diameter to most 6-pound-test monos) or something heavier. Some manufacturers are now turning out 6-pound-test braids with the diameter of, well, your wife's sewing thread. And that will be a nightmare in the tangling department.

If you can manage to wind braided line on your spinning spool tightly over the course of a fishing day, you'll like the way it punches into a breeze. It is when you cast across a moderate to strong wind that you may notice it gets "carried" by the wind a bit more than mono. Mono is slick and smooth, cutting that crosswind a bit better. Braid's rougher coating creates more friction, thus can blow off course a bit more readily.

On the plus side, braid's low diameter allows it to cut through the water easier, and doesn't create as much of a "belly" as mono can, so there's possibly less strain on your knots when a big, fast-running fish is dragging your line at right angles.

When fighting a fish on the flats, after the run stops, you pump the rod, drop it a bit while gaining some line, then repeat the process until it takes off on a another run. Again, unless you're very, very attentive, the least bit of slack under subsequent tighter wraps of braided line will cause tangles on the next cast, or worse, will allow the braid to cut into the "soft spots" on the spool. Low-diameter braided line's tendency to "dig into itself" on the spool may cause a sickening "rifle shot" when your next fish heads for the horizon. I can still see-and hear-the end of a permit fight that I lost thanks to buried braid.

Also, you may inadvertently pack slack line on your spool when you wind in quickly to recast at a fish. You're watching that fish, not your line, and if you tend to hold your rod high to keep your lure or bait clear of grass or what have you, your lure or bait will flip in and out of the water and jump across the surface of the water on its way back to the rodtip, creating slack, which you invariably wind onto the spool. There are two ways to minimize this: One, dip your rodtip into the water while you crank in, or, keep your rod up, but extend the forefinger of your rod hand so that the line strikes it just before it reenters the bail roller. Both methods put a little extra tension on the line, helping you pack it a little tighter.

There are obvious tradeoffs with both lines. To determine which you prefer as a sight-fishing line, just spool up and put them through the paces.