Ever sling your bait so far into the blue you think you've mastered the art of the long cast? Maybe you hiked it out 400 feet? Maybe you wish your buddies were there to witness your superiority?
Maybe you should be glad your buddies aren't members of SportCast USA. They probably wouldn't have been impressed.
"When you're out there fishing, you think you're casting a whole lot farther than you actually are. When you pull the tape measure, it's very deceiving. A lot of people get their feelings hurt," Robert Hudak said.
The Linden angler holds the national record for his 752-foot groundcast of a 125-gram sinker. And he hasn't even made it into the Master Class yet.
Hudak and more than 30 other longcasters from as far away as Hawaii met in Shallotte on Oct. 3-4 for the SportCast USA national championships, the Super Bowl of longcasting in the U.S.
The event was historic for the sport, because Big Lou McEachern of Beaumont, Texas, wrapped up his 13th national title with a 774-foot cast of a 150-gram weight.
What's scary about that is Lou, 56, says he doesn't take the sport as seriously as he used to.
"I'm getting a little bit old for this game," said the man who cast a sinker over the Houston Astrodome.
In competition, casters throw weights of 100, 125, 150 and 175 grams. Their longest throw overall is eligible for the winning cast, though scores and records are kept for individual weights.
The course is 300 feet wide, marked with cones as boundaries. A center line is set up with the wind. Any toss outside of the boundaries does not count.
There are no restrictions on rod lengths or materials. Most casters use 14- to 16-foot-long blanks.
Reels must be able to be used for fishing and must have a standard factory-manufactured spool.
Hudak said most casters will modify stock Abu Garcias -- "hot rod 'em."
Only monofilament line is used, with a minimum line diameter of 0.28 millimeters for the 125 gram and 0.31 millimeters for the 150 gram. A monofilament shockleader of hi-viz 0.75 mono is required. Sinkers are provided.
A strong arm is important, but technique is what separates leaders from the pack.
"We all use variations on the same basic technique," Hudak said.
Some cast off the ground, some over the shoulder and some out of a pendulum swing. There's even a Texas tornado cast with a swirling motion before launch.
As the sinker is in flight, the caster twists a knob on the reel to back off the magnets inside. This action reduces drag and allows the line to go farther.
Hudak says a caster can get started with used equipment for around $300. Most high-dollar gear is imported from the United Kingdom, where longcasting is more popular.
The world champion, Danny Moeskops, is from Belgium, and his 936-foot cast stretches more than three football fields.
And though the competitors want to win, they share tips and can't wait to congratulate each other.
"You'd be hard-pressed to find a better group of people," Charlotte's Ron Snell said. "Friends first, casting second."
