Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/606672
CASTING SAFTEY Knowing how to cast accurately is essential to casting safely. You want to be in control of where your hook will land! Always aim your cast into the water and never towards another person. Remember that a sharp hook can be dangerous to yourself and others if it is out of your control. Before you cast, always take in your surroundings. Make sure no one is on the water in the vicinity of your target. Look to your sides; look behind you and above before you make a cast. If you get hung up in a tree above head or in a snag on the water, alert anyone near you so they can move away before you pull your snag free. To pull your snag free, hold your rod away from your body and pull on the handle instead of the line. Be prepared to protect yourself from a freed lure or hook fl ying towards you. OVERHEAD CAST AND RETRIEVE with a spin-casting (closed face) reel Described for a right-handed angler. For left-handed casting, simply replace the word "right" with "left" in the following instructions. 1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your right foot slightly forward and aligned with the target. 2. Hold the grip of the rod in your right hand with reel and line guides facing up. Place your thumb on the button of the reel. If the reel and line are held underneath, the line will hit the rod when casting and reduce the accuracy and distance of our cast. When fi shing from shore, you will likely fi sh in water with aquatic vegetation, rocks and structures like fl ooded trees or boat docks that provide cover. The areas that provide cover are where you will fi nd fi sh. The ability to target where the fi sh are and cast your bait to that spot without getting hung up is a skill that will greatly increase your fi shing success. Many people when fi rst practicing a cast will confuse distance with accuracy. The goal of a good cast is not simply to toss the bait as far into the water as you can, but to judge the distance of your target and then cast that exact distance. In fact, casting long distance is not a skill you should need when fi shing from shore. Most fi sh will be near shore taking advantage of the cover and food available in shallow water. As with any skill, practice will make you profi cient in your casting abilities. A good way to practice casting is to tie on a practice plug and fi nd an open space in your yard or at a park. Set out some targets – a hula hoop or a bucket makes a good target. Start close to your target, and as you master your casting at close range, increase the distance between you and your target. CASTING PHOTOS BY LARRY PAPE 19 CHAPTER 3 ● KNOT TYING AND CASTING CASTING