BassFans who've shared the boat with a pro have likely seen the true art of fishing – professional casting – and what a difference it can make. But like any major sport, there are professional casters, then unbelievable casters.
There are guys who can usually land a Pop-R on a dime, but only a few who can land it on
that dime 99 times out of 100, and with barely a ripple.
That breed is rare, but when you see it, you know it. That's why there's almost no argument that H&H Rods pro Craig Powers is one of the most accurate casters fishing at the pro level today.
He's the guy who can land the Pop-R on that dime every time, with scarcely a ripple at touchdown.
Old School
About his casting style, Powers said: "Accuracy is everything. And the whole deal with casting accuracy is that it's really a lost art. Everybody wants to make long casts and use long rods, but I guess I'm kind of old-school. I come from the pistol-grip era and I never got over it."
He began his quest for the perfect cast when he was young. He'd stand on his back porch and cast to targets in his backyard, until his father arrived to take him fishing.
Later, when he was slinging pizzas for Domino's, he took up a rod between the lunch and dinner rushes and practiced casting into the coin-return slot in the Coke machine.
Why It Matters
It's pretty obvious why casting accuracy matters. But it's maybe a little less obvious why absolute accuracy can make such a difference.
There are a few reasons, but foremost is pressured fish. In tournament situations – especially on tough fisheries with long practice periods – fish get wise pretty quickly. By the time the actual tournament rolls around, those fish have seen hundreds of baits moving by. Clear water only amplifies the problem.
That's when Powers applies his medicine.
He said: "We've all been taught to throw past a target and bring the bait up to it. That's all fine and dandy if it's Wednesday and the tournament doesn't begin until the next Wednesday. But I like to cast right on top of that fish after it's seen 20 million baits coming at it from afar.
"And the bait will enter the water without so much as a splash. It's just kind of there, and you get a reaction bite."
And if there's a single time of the year when dead-on accuracy is most important, it's right now. That's because fish almost everywhere are in some stage of the spawn, which means they're target-oriented. It also means that many are out of their comfortable environs, so they're even spookier and less apt to strike.
"If you have a lake with buck-bushes, they'll spawn at the base," he noted. "If the lake has cypress trees, they'll spawn at the base. At Buggs Island, they'll be at the base of a sweetgum tree. You know where he's at, and he knows where you're at. You take a bait and put it 6 inches over his head without a splashdown – that's 90% of the game right there."
Go Short
It's no secret that a shorter rod is more accurate, but Powers takes that almost to an extreme. He fishes all H&H Kevlar Series rods, and for topwaters (which he considers his No. 1 strength), he uses just a 6' model. That's at least 6 inches shorter than the typical topwater rod nowadays.
Powers throws topwaters on a 6' medium-action H&H rod, which he says is "basically a 5'9" pistol-grip, without the pistol grip."
"For the big Rebel Pop-R, 99% of the time I'll use a 6' medium-action H&H Kevlar Series rod," he said. "It's got a short handle, so it's basically a 5'9" pistol-grip, without the pistol grip.
"I use a little backhand roll-cast, then feather the bait as it's about to splash down. You can do about the same thing with a Super Spook Jr., but it's just a little bit lighter, so instead of using a medium rod, I go to a medium-light."
For shallow cranks, which he rates second on his list of strengths, he uses the same rod (the 6' medium-action). The exception is early spring when he's running nothing-banks. Then, he uses a homemade 6'6" spinning rod to make longer casts.
He said: "Anytime I'm using a round-body plug, and throwing it around trees and brush, I use that 6' medium. But the whole deal is just like having a box of tools. You have to match the rod to the bait, and the bait to the situation. And the bait dictates the rod.
"If I'm throwing an old Bagley square-bill, then the 6' rod's not enough rod. The bait's too heavy, so I have to go to a 6'6". But for baits like the Lucky Craft RC 1.5, the 6' medium's the deal."
His "short" philosophy doesn't just apply to his rods though. He prefers short casts, too, and that shows in his advice for learning how to cast accurately.
Target Practice
It's never too early, or too late, to learn to cast accurately. Just as important, you don't need to be on the water to do it.
Powers said the best way to practice is to go in the yard, set up a series of targets, then raise yourself up a little bit (maybe stand on a porch), and "tie on a favorite plug and make a million casts."
"That's exactly what I did," he added. "I set up three targets. Make the first no longer than 40 feet, then put one at 30 feet, and one at 20. I'd say 90% of my casts are 25 feet or less. The reason is, if I can make all my casts 25 feet or less, I won't be winding over dead water. The bait will be in the strike zone 90% of the day."
Notable
> Powers is currently 7th after day 2 at the Kentucky Lake Central Stren. "I'm catching a ton of fish," he said. "I had the opportunity both days to be in really good shape, but I jumped two big fish off (on day 1), and two (on day 2). I need to go out and put 2 solid days together and I'll be all right."
> After three events, he's 18th in the FLW Tour points.
> He noted that he fishes his casting reel – a Pinnacle Pro Series – wide-open. "It's really loose. I get a borderline backlash every cast. I always keep an extra reel right there (on the deck) just in case I get a birdsnest."
> He got hooked up with H&H Rods after he tried their product, then called owner Josh Heiliger. About H&H Rods, Powers said, "To be honest, the rods aren't really that different from a lot of others. There are a lot of good rod companies – there aren't bad rod companies out there – but Josh is a fisherman, so it's easier for him to build a rod for a fisherman. And when I called him, he didn't know me from Adam, but I had a broken rod and he basically said to put the rod in the mail and he'd replace it. I appreciated that."
> Although his strengths are topwater and shallow cranking, Powers said he's had to throw the jigworm more the past 2 years. "Three years ago, I guarantee you that only 35% of the field had a jighead worm tied on – now it's 98%. I like to fish what I'm comfortable fishing with. But at the same time, checks pay the bills, and you have to do what you can to make a check."
