The Point Vs. The Pier at PLO

Hi MC,

Everything works and nothing works. To be successful you need to try it all. I remember when Jangwuah first started fishing PLO. It was tough for him at first. Now he is a pro. He's learned to fish the area and catch fish. Before I setup I drive the park to see who is catching. I also walk the pier to see how things look. I have filled my cooler by fishing the corners as well as fishing the middle of the pier. PLO almost always has fish biting somewhere. Most people are too lazy to scout or move when their not on the fish. Sometimes I come home empty. Nine times out of ten I catch fish. I also fish both sides of the point. I fish the side that is giving up the most fish that night. If I'm fishing for Croakers, Blues or Trout I fish the calm side. If I'm going for Rock, I fish the rough side. If you have a long cast you can catch Croakers from spring until fall on the river side across from the parking lot at the point. It holds Croakers all season. I think there is a shell bed about 500 feet off shore. We offer free casting lessons if you want help reaching them. Try it all; you'll quickly decide what is best for you.

Hi All,

The amount of distance lost depends on the bait and the rig. Please do not get the impression that we are casting 600-700 to catch fish. It would be too much work. Some of us tournament cast 400 feet and some cast over 700 feet. On average we cast 400-500 feet for general fishing. That is a long way to reel in a fish. The advantage is having the reserved distance when you really need it. On a crowded beach or pier we use very safe fishing styles. If we are fishing an area with enough space we can send a baited hook a fairly long way. For example our top casters can send a piece of bloodworm and short leader nearly 700 feet. If you add a chuck of bait it falls to over 600. If you use a small perch it could be down to 300 or 400 feet. Larger baits cause a chopper effect and shorten your cast. I read that the average surf angler is casting less than 300 feet. If you add another 100 feet to the cast you increase the catching zone by over 33%. We catch a lot of fish at 200 feet. But, when other people are NOT catching at 200, we ARE catching at 400. That is the why you need to increase your effective catching zone. I also try to observe everything around me when I fish. For example if everyone is catching but me, I try to find out what I’m missing. If no one is catching I’ll move to better spot unless I’m sure that the bait always starts at a certain time. Casting will not make you a super angler. It’s just another resource in your tackle box. You still have to know how and when to use it.

DIRECTIONS TO KENILWORTH PARK:

From Downtown DC: Take East Capitol Street, East, past RFK, cross the Anacostia and bear Right towards I-295, immediately take the Left fork on to I-295 North. Exit at Burroughs/Minnesota, turn Left at the stop light and pass under the highway. At the five way stop Kenilworth Park is directly ahead of you. We use the first two fields on the right.

From the South: Take I-95/495 North (towards Baltimore) cross the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and take I-295 North. Exit at Burroughs/Minnesota, turn Left at the stop light and pass under the highway. At the five way stop Kenilworth Park is directly ahead of you. We use the first two fields on the right.

From the North: From I-95/495 South (towards Richmond) take Exit 22 on to the Baltimore/Washington Parkway/I-295 South. This turns into Kenilworth Ave. Exit at Burroughs/Minnesota. At the five way stop Kenilworth Park is to your Right. We use the first two fields on the right.

Hi Wrong Way,

Mark Edward just set e new US spinning reel record with a cast of over 758 feet. He casted eight and bait over 500 feet on measured field at a Cast-A-Muck. Mark uses his same fishing gear on the tournament field. Believe me casting a perch that far is too much work for me. I keep my live bait within 200 feet. The goal is the catch fish.

I do not know of any online tutorials. There are few good videos that you can study. Distance increases occur over time. The more you use them to fish the longer your cast will become. If already own a 12’ Ugly stick learn to use well. If you don’t have an Ugly stick, I’d recommend you consider the Okuma Solaris for under $100. It is always a tradeoff. You sacrifice bite detection for distance. A one pound Croaker can bend the tip and the rod can through over 600 feet with a 5oz sinker and small bait. I slow my cast when I am using a softer rod. This allows the rod to store more energy in the butt section before I release the line. Please keep in mind that you still have to go where the fish are biting. You can’t catch what is not there. When Mark Edwards first started coaching me my best cast was 220 feet. I never dreamed of 600 feet. It came in stages; 300, 400, 500, 600, and now 700+.

When I’m fishing, anything over 400-500 feet can stay in the water unless I’m getting skunked. At that point, I reach into the bottom of my tackle box, pull out a power cast and pray that I catch a fish so that I don’t return home empty. Like everyone else I win some and I lose some.

Hi Wrong Way,

Before I start, this is MC's post so did everyone answer the original question about the pier vs. the point? It would be good if everyone put in their 2 cents.

I use a shorter drop (slack) on a soft rod. Other people may do it differently. If the drop is too long the rod will bend but never recover. I start with 3 feet and see how it feels and performs. The rod is a spring. The faster it springs back to its resting position the further the cast. So you can see that if you slow it down with a long drop you will lose distance.

The length of the drop also controls the timing of the cast. Let’s assume that we are talking about a simple overhead cast. The sinker should normally leave the rod at 45 degrees to the ground for the best distance. If your cast is a line drive you can change the angle by changing the drop. If you make the drop longer thing will slow down at the rod and the sinker will fly higher. If you are casting too high, shorten the drop and the cast will fly lower. You can also change the angle by changing the aim of the cast. It is your choice. The length of the drop will also affect the feel of the rod. If the rod feels too stiff you can make the drop longer and it will feel softer; shorten the drop on a soft rod and it will feel stiffer.

You can practice while fishing. Get on the water before sunset and watch your sinker on each cast. Make adjustments as needed. How does the rod feel to you on each cast? If the wind is at your back and you want more distance cast higher and let it ride on the wind. If it is in your face cast lower and get under the wind. Once you understand it you will do it automatically. Good luck and keep on catchin’.

OK i have watched this post long enough to weigh in.let me star by saying i have been tournament casting for 8 years now and 5 yrs ago i stopped caring about the tides i'l go when me and my sons feel like going. i have seen days whan a guy using X-mart gear and casting 50 feet outfished me and my high performance gear but i have seen more days of the opposite.don't get me wrong this is no commercial for anyone.i won't mention any brands.as far as my casting accomplishments yes i tourny cast with my fishing gear if i'm going to compete with it why not fish with it?yes it's true i once cast an 8 oz sinker and a 6 inch sassy shad 500+ feet and that is a testament to the distance you can cast under fishing conditions,but o'm not a stupid man if everyone else is pulling fish from 200 feet out guess where my bait will be?
for the poster that asked about spinning gearthats all i use and i remember an unnamed caster coming to me for guidence and all he had was spinning gear and somewhere along the way somebody swithced his reels.just rember this regardless of what you use increasing your distance comes down to increasing the length of your lever(rod) and/or increasing the arc that your lever travels.for example i have a 7 ft boat rod with a 1 ft drop and a 60 degree arc i can cast 30 yds.now same rod with a 3.5 ft drop and a 150 degree arc i can cast over 100 yds.thats double the distance @ half the work. MC i'll answer you question with a question why would a guy that can cast 700 ft go to the end of 1200 ft pier nad cast another 500 ft?