Casting: The term “casting” actually has two meanings in fishing. It describes the act of using a rod, reel and line to carry your bait or lure out into the water. It also is a specific fishing method, as opposed to still-fishing and other methods we’ll describe here.

There are times when a moving lure works best, especially for some fish species. At other times you may want to place a lure in a particular spot, such as right next to a submerged stump 30 feet from shore or under a tree that’s leaning out over the water. These situations are when casting is the fishing method that offers the best chance of catching fish. It’s the kind of fishing where you cast and retrieve, usually with an artificial lure, to fish waters where fish might be lurking and to coax them into striking. Spinners, wobbling spoons, plugs and spinner baits are lures commonly used for casting.