Casting all day

[Danoutdoors]

Anyone got any good methods of solving back pain from casting all day? I don’t get back pain in normal day today life but constant casting seems agrivate it, if I can solve it I’ll be enjoying the days a lot more, any thoughts? Thanks

[Nobby C]

See a Chiropractor first. Tiger Balm is also effective for me.

[Daniel]

Does it happen with all set ups? If so its likely your technique (unless you have a back problem of course). If its only happening with certain set ups the set up probably isn't right.

[Danoutdoors]

Working jerkbaits, not sure if other methods would not cause me back pain, maybe it’s a repetative strain on a muscle it tends to be just bellow the shoulder blade.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Bait boat!lol

Cheers Alan

[Steve Moore]

I found carrying a rucksack instead of a shoulder bag, helped my back no end.
No idea why though.

[Will Smith]

Dan are you suffering when fishing from the boat or off the bank or both ?

To be honest, most of us are knackered after a full days boat fishing with casting all day, with me its mainly my shoulders and neck, my solution is to break the day up with a bit of trolling so you can have a bit of a sit down or maybe switch to lighter gear and target perch or trout for a while, maybe do a bit of dead baiting.
Or maybe you just need to build up those muscle that you are using a bit more .

Hope you get it sorted.

Will..

[Danoutdoors]

Dan are you suffering when fishing from the boat or off the bank or both ?

To be honest, most of us are knackered after a full days boat fishing with casting all day, with me its mainly my shoulders and neck, my solution is to break the day up with a bit of trolling so you can have a bit of a sit down or maybe switch to lighter gear and target perch or trout for a while, maybe do a bit of dead baiting.
Or maybe you just need to build up those muscle that you are using a bit more .

Hope you get it sorted.

Will..

It’s the bank and the boat Will, think you are right that I need to mix it up a bit, it’s just something that i would like to sort out, Just love working jerkbaits and I struggle to stop for anything

[Daniel]

I'd guess its your casting technique or you're trying to hero cast to the horizon, even if you don't realise it.

[Danoutdoors]

I'd guess its your casting technique or you're trying to hero cast to the horizon, even if you don't realise it.

Yea could be that to some extent, I do like a long cast, I will bear that in mind for sure!

[andrew_nagel]

A light workout and stretching out a couple of times a week at the gym keeps the back in fine fettle for casting all day. Check your stance if you are boat fishing. Stand up straight. Don't bend at the waist while working the lures.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

If the casting technique or set up is the problem I would be surprised, now if you were fly fishing that could be different.
I have a good golf swing (blow my own trumpet face) and yet because of my age and a combination of all the things I do, builder golf etc I struggle with a rotator cuff problem or poorly shoulder!
As Nobby said, a chiropractor could be a good call, it may be something as simple as poor posture.
If you have reasonable and balanced tackle, a quick pull and push and a flick of the wrists will send a lure well out there.
learning to do some distance casting helped my all round technique by making it more efficient.
Fishing off the rocks on holiday for bonetto, I was casting very hard, counting the lure down then winding in very quick for hours on end, no problem.
I just realised you said jerk baits, try using lures that you wind rather than jerk, see if that makes a difference?
Nothing worse than being in pain when trying to do something you love, hope it sorts itself out!

Cheers Alan

[Danoutdoors]

Thanks for all your replies, some very good advise there for sure

[Alan_dalton]

I can I'm only cast jerk baits now for about 20 mins from a boat. Then my back is bolloxed. I do have a bad back every day though but jerk baiting really aggrievates it.

[Mark Phillips]

Anyone got any good methods of solving back pain from casting all day? I don’t get back pain in normal day today life but constant casting seems agrivate it, if I can solve it I’ll be enjoying the days a lot more, any thoughts? Thanks

I get that a bit, but it kicks in on the second or third day of fishing for me and I usually pop some pain killers and just keep going. Tends to be my shoulder that gives out first, not so much my back. I keep pretty fit, but have always suffered with it when continually hoofing out bigger lures. Fishing crank baits or anything you can do seated helps, also trolling lures or vertical jigging will keep you fishing if it gets that bad... I find it's good to take a break every hour as well. I usually put a sleeper jig over the side of the boat when I do stop casting. Amazing how often that will slam over actually. I guess pacing yourself and knowing when enough is enough is the Golden Rule. Keep fit and warming up a bit before fishing can help too. I can recall a few trips to Ireland where I've had to mix it up a bit to avoid totally doing myself in, as often I'm lure fishing dawn 'till dusk for six straight days. Easy to knacker yourself when chucking Mag Dawgs all day long, several days in a row

[owen k]

I'd guess its your casting technique or you're trying to hero cast to the horizon, even if you don't realise it.

Yea could be that to some extent, I do like a long cast, I will bear that in mind for sure!

If you half your casting distance,you'll feel it less and you'll make twice as many casts!

[Timbo1]

Like Mark says, i pop some Nurafen before i head out lure fishing for the day. Also worth taking a tea/dinner break, no seriously my mate an i often just drop an anchor and have 20 minutes, before cracking on. I also suspend a replicant over the side at mid depth, and have had numerous bonus fish from doing fek all

[Steve Dennington]

I'd guess its your casting technique or you're trying to hero cast to the horizon, even if you don't realise it.

Yep, you soon learn that striving for maximum distance on every cast results in more pain than gain, particularly with 4oz+ lures. It's not easy to resist though!

[owen k]

How's your posture.If you tend to lean to one side or keep your head down for long periods,it'll hurt the neck,back,everywhere.

[Danoutdoors]

Like Mark says, i pop some Nurafen before i head out lure fishing for the day. Also worth taking a tea/dinner break, no seriously my mate an i often just drop an anchor and have 20 minutes, before cracking on. I also suspend a replicant over the side at mid depth, and have had numerous bonus fish from doing fek all

That’s a good idea! I’ll be dropping the replicant and be forcing myself to have a tea break, some days a barely even have a break, think it’s time for me to act more sendibly

[Danoutdoors]

How's your posture.If you tend to lean to one side or keep your head down for long periods,it'll hurt the neck,back,everywhere.

Difficult for me to judge my posture, one thing I have been doing is casting from the side (twisting) , thinking I need to cast straight over my shoulder n not going for big casts, hoping those two things might give me some improvements, oh and also try and impart movement from the reel rather than the rod

[Danoutdoors]

Thanks again all for replies, appreciate it!

[Slug]

When I didn't do as much lure fishing as I do now I used to lean forward a lot during the retrieve sort of concentration thing. When I started really getting into lure fishing I soon learnt that this gave me a bad back after a couple of hours and haven't done it for years. I had a little chuckle to myself about it when salmon fly angler I know told me he'd been doing lot of lure fishing and it was giving him a bad back I asked if he found himself doing the same thing and he recognised that he was doing it.

[fins]

Another thing that I have noticed that might be of some use regarding stance, if your toes are slightly below your heels as in standing on a sloping bank. I often have to straighten out facing away from the water for a moment,

[peteren]

I also get back pain from luring...and from little else!
Similar with light lures as well as heavy - and mainly gentle underarm flicks.
Puzzling and frustrating, as I'm an active 62, playing golf, badminton cricket, etc ; only get back trouble when luring!

[Ian Crook]

I think the best thing you can do to reduce the stress of casting on your body is to ensure the Tackle you are using is optimised for the lures you are casting, I.e. the rod is doing the work and not your back, and the reel and line are set up to allow the rod to optimise casting without exaggerated efort. The weight of the set up will also make a huge difference, I have certainly noticed massive difference in pain going to the more high end, lightweight, powerful blanks and lightweight reels, you will never get away from the fact that casting big lures all day will make you ache a bit at least

[Ben]

Excuse my ignorance but I’ve never heard the term “sleeper jig”.

Do you literally just chuck a Replicant (or similar) over the side of the boat and leave it static?

[Will Smith]

Excuse my ignorance but I’ve never heard the term “sleeper jig”.

Do you literally just chuck a Replicant (or similar) over the side of the boat and leave it static?

I am pretty sure thats what Mark means Ben, when suspended, the movement of the boat imparts a wee bit of action into the lure .

Will.

[Ian Crook]

Excuse my ignorance but I’ve never heard the term “sleeper jig”.

Do you literally just chuck a Replicant (or similar) over the side of the boat and leave it static?

In a drifting boat the lure is still swimming remember

[Ben]

Thanks guys I’ll give that a try next time I’m having a rest (I’ve got a bad shoulder so need to take a break every hour)