How far away do you routinely catch fish?

 

Dont know how accurate Google Earth measurement tool is but tried it out on my favorite lake. There is this aerator out in the "middle" of the lake and the area to each side that I almost always catch fish. The distance reads 124.47' and I know I catch them a bit farther out as well, yellow enclosed area in picture. I read many people say you dont need distance but that just isnt the case 100% of the time. This area has kept me from getting skunked many times. BTW shore fishing only on this lake.

 

So do you have a spot where distance is what gets you the fish?

 

 

 

Neat that you have a measurement.

 

For summer bass fishing from shore I have a long-range-rig, a 7ft spinning rod with a large spool reel packed with 20# braid. A must for summer bassing in some of my ponds. I've never measured how far I can cast with it.

 

I once had a great night fly-fishing for stripers from the beach, locating a bunch in a rip between boulders a full fly line out there -~90ft. I happened to be the only one in our group that could throw the entire fly line and was the only one that could reach them. Eventually everyone just assembled to watch. I tend to share in the bounty but there wasn't much could be done about it. You can bet everyone worked on the fine points of their casting when they got home.

I launch tiny finesse plastics all year long at smallmouths at one of the lake I fish a lot. You'll catch them from the initial fall to right under the boat but it seems like the bigger fish eat a long ways from the boat. Berkley Nanofil helps a lot with my casting and hookset ability at a distance and being able to feel light bites from a long ways away. 

The lakes I fish are high pressured and the big bass stop eating when they detect a boat in the area, stealth is important and long casts are essential, during day light periods. Weather conditions help to get closer, overcast light rain being good, light wind also helps to stay out of site.

My average casting distance is about 90' or 30 yards and often make cast further up to and sometimes over 150' or 50 yards with jigs and even further with swimbaits. It's all about presenting a lure to bass willing to strike it; 40' or 40 yards whatever it takes.

Tom

If I bomb an alabama rig I have caught fish almost 50yds away ( might be an exaggeration) but I have had fish caught from that distance.  Though I still had a lot of fish follow it back to the boat and hammer it. The same with a jerk bait, I would make a 50 ft cast and catch them 10 ft from the boat.  But what is really important is the location you are at. You are fishing from a point that wraps around and probably has some really good contours. Look at a Navionics map of the lake and see the depth levels and stuff.

If it's inside of 80' to 100' then I can catch it. If it's farther out than that then oh well.