Secrets of fishing with castmaster lures

Characteristics of the Kastmaster spinner

This artificial bait is considered one of the best when it comes to catching predatory fish. It attracts predatory fish, both on direct high-speed wiring and in conditions of stepped jig wiring. It is used both when fishing from the shore and when fishing from a boat.

It has good flight characteristics, a wear-resistant spoon made of metal and galvanized.

Available in five weight categories: 7.14, 21, 28 and 35 grams. The bait consists of a specially shaped body, in front of which a winding ring is fixed, and in the back there is a treble hook (tee). Rods are selected depending on the test of the bait, or the bait is bought for the test of the rod. When fishing from the shore, the optimal length of the spinning rod can be about 2.7 meters, and when fishing from a boat, a rod with a length of 1.8 meters is sufficient.

Selecting line and reel

As a rule, spinning anglers mainly use spinning reels. They are very practical and capable of providing long casts, thanks to such bait as the Kastmaster. For a fishing rod with a length of 2.7 meters, a “two-thousandth” reel is sufficient, and for a spinning rod longer than 2.7 meters, you will have to take a “three-thousandth” reel. In the first case, a fishing line with a thickness of 0.2 mm is sufficient, and for the other case, preference should be given to a fishing line with a thickness of 0.25 mm.

For greater visibility of the fishing line, it is better to give preference to fishing line in brighter colors. It is better to wind at least 100 meters of fishing line on the spool. It is better to choose a fishing line of high quality and soft, without “memory”. This approach will allow you to throw the Kastmaster as far as possible.

Castmaster - techniques and methods of placing a spinner. Tips for choosing and features of spinners (125 photos)

Why is fishing with a kastmaster considered good luck among professional fishermen? What is the reason for the phenomenal popularity of this product?

First you need to figure out what it is. A castmaster is a special spoon that can play and oscillate, thus attracting various types of predatory fish. This assistant was invented by American fishermen back in the twentieth century.

Bait of this nature turned out to be a very effective means of catching fish and therefore quickly gained fame among anglers all over the world.

The castmaster has become quite often used when catching large predatory fish in a wide variety of weather conditions.

A similar thing can be purchased in a store or you can make a castmaster with your own hands, since its design is extremely simple and unpretentious.

Perhaps, today every fisherman, even a beginner, has this type of spoon.

The castmaster has become wildly famous among asp hunting enthusiasts, as it works well in the upper layer of the water surface (which is where this type of fish likes to swim).

This spoon is also well appreciated in winter, especially when fishing for pike perch or pike perch.

Types of spinners

The castmaster's photo does not always make it clear exactly what type of bait is depicted. To do this, it is better, of course, to come to the store and personally hold the product in your hands.

Why is that? Because this lure differs from each other in mass. There are only five types that increase by 7 grams:

• 7 grams;
• 14 grams;
• 21 grams;
• 28 grams;
• 35 grams.

The original or a fake

Many beginners, having heard information about the miracle spinner from older comrades, immediately rush to check it through the global web. After reading reviews about the castmaster, where everyone praises it, they immediately get excited about the idea of ​​​​buying such a bait for themselves.

And here there is a risk of buying not an original, but a well-made fake. For example, some foreign companies themselves have developed their own versions of similar baits.

Their cost is several times less than the original, but the quality, and most importantly, catchability is many times inferior to a real castmaster.

How to distinguish an original from a fake

Winding rings. On real products, the winding rings have an angular cut inward, but on a fake it is simply a right angle;

• Tees. The original spinners have a matte coating, because it protects them well from salt water. The hooks have a sharp end;
• Package.
  It is worth taking a closer look, as on fakes you can notice mistakes in the name, and the packaging itself may be wrinkled or askew;
• Dimensions. Small bait models (less than 7 grams) can only be in their original form. This is due to difficulties in manufacturing;
• Appearance.
  The American original has a perfect polish and is plated with high quality.

Color filling

The classic color for this spinner is silver tones. This particular version of kastmastera is good in winter and during the cold season.

You can, of course, also find bright bait models. For example, very often in the store you can find bait in golden, black and blue colors. There are also options with special holographic stickers.

In the end, the choice of shade remains up to the person himself, since only he knows in which body of water and under what conditions he will have to fish.

Making at home

If a person does not have free financial resources, but really wants to use a castmaster for pike perch (who doesn’t like tasty fish soup), then you should try to make such a lure with your own hands.

First, you should search the Internet for product drawings. The geometric shape of this bait is not characterized by any increased complexity, but, of course, it is better to make it with good accuracy. After all, this is the only way to ensure a unique game for the spinner.

There are three ways to make a castmaster lure at home:

• Use gypsum as the main material;
• Apply hot casting technique using a special mold;
• From ordinary steel rod.

Each of these methods can fairly closely convey the shape of the original castmaster.

In addition, such a product will also be quite effective when catching marine life. It is safe to say that not only predatory fish, but also other fish will bite well on a spoon of this type.

Also, the use of fast retrieval will help the fisherman, even with the small size of the bait itself, quickly return it to the shore, thereby, during hooking, the risk of missing the prey will be extremely small.

How to make a castmaster with your own hands?

The shape of this bait is not complicated, although it is made with high precision, which ensures appropriate play. Therefore, it makes sense to try making a similar bait at home.

Manufacturing methods

There are three options for making Kastmater at home:

• Based on metal wire.
• Using a plaster mold.
• Using hot casting in a special mold.

CATCHABLE SPOON FOR Pike-perch WITH YOUR OWN HANDS!

First way

To make bait using the first method, you need thick wire with a diameter of 12 to 24 mm. Rods made of stainless steel, copper or brass are suitable.

The metal rod is clamped in a vice, after which a piece is cut from it at an angle of 17 degrees. This segment is discarded. A segment is again cut from the remaining piece at the same angle. This piece of metal will serve as a blank for the future spinner. After this, all that remains is to cultivate it well, making all the cuts smoother. Then, one hole should be drilled in the spoon in the front and back for the winding rings. Finally, it is better to coat the bait with waterproof paint. The result is a rather attractive spinner, such as the “Kastmaster” from Acme.

Second way

Making bait using the second method involves slightly different steps.

On the one hand, manufacturing is very simple, but it will help you get a bait shape that is close to the original. To do this, you should take the original “Kastmaster” and a small container into which you need to pour liquid gypsum. After this, the bait is taken and pressed halfway into the plaster. At this stage, measures should be taken to ensure that the next layer of plaster does not stick to the previous one. Another layer of gypsum is poured on top. After the plaster has hardened, the upper part of the plaster mold is removed and the spoon is pulled out. After this, the two halves of the mold are again connected together and two holes are made: one for filling, and the other for air outlet.

Third way

Making a spinner using the third method also involves casting.

To do this, take a metal pipe with a diameter of about 15 mm and cut a blank from it, similar in shape to the shape of the spoon. After this, the pipe is cut lengthwise, after which the workpiece, the cut part, is attached to a metal plate. It is important that the plate fits tightly to the pipe half. All that remains is to fill it with lead or solder. After pouring and cooling, appropriate holes are made in the bait, and the spoon itself is carefully processed and polished. Finally, it is coated with waterproof paint.

Wiring technique

Falls

Kastmaster (Kastmaster) is a universal spoon for pike, pike perch, perch, chub, asp. On the river!

The first stage of the fall of the spinner determines the beginning of the retrieve. After the spoon freely sinks to a certain depth, and this is mainly the bottom of the reservoir, you should make 2-3 turns with the reel to raise the spoon to a height of 2 meters from the bottom. If you need to lift it into the middle layers of water, you will have to make about 5-7 revolutions. If you turn the reel up to 20 times, the spoon will rise closer to the surface of the water.

After rising to the desired height, the bait is again given the opportunity to fall closer to the bottom.

Bites can occur both during the rise of the spoon and during free fall. The bite is transmitted to the tip of the rod. During the biting process, the line may be stretched. At the same time, we should not forget that hooks are also possible, therefore, the hooking process does not need to be forced. This fishing technique is suitable for reservoirs whose depth does not exceed 2 meters.

Climb

Lifts are part of the classic “American” retrieve, when the lure is cast, and after it reaches the bottom, the lift is carried out by lifting the rod at an angle of up to 60 degrees. At the top point of the lift, you should pause, and then the rod lowers to the starting point. This should be followed again by a pause and rewinding, after which the movements are again repeated in the same order.

As a rule, in such cases, bites follow during pauses. The bite can be felt with your hand, and can also be determined by the characteristic bend of the rod tip.

This type of wiring is suitable for reservoirs whose depth is at least 1 meter.

Uniform wiring

This is the most accessible and easiest type of fishing, which is mastered in the first stages of spinning fishing techniques. The most important thing here is to wind the line evenly onto the reel. Uniform wiring is used on all types of reservoirs with different depths.

Combined wiring

This type of wiring is nothing more than a combination of simple wiring, such as raising/lowering and uniform winding. The only thing is that it is possible to experiment with the speed of wiring and the duration of pauses during the entire wiring process. Mastering this type of wiring should follow the mastery of simpler wiring, which appears already in the process of gaining experience. Therefore, we can safely say that combined wiring is the lot of experienced spinning players.

Ultralight. Catching perch with castmaster

Catching pike perch with castmasters on the current

Fishing for pike perch in rapids and in streams of clean water is effective. If we fish from a boat, we take a place in front of the channel edge. The result will be drift fishing when the current carries the bait to the edge. We choose the weight of the castmaster such that the current carries it a little.

After casting, we wait until the bait reaches the bottom layer, pause briefly, and then pull up the line with the rod. We wind the resulting droop with a reel. We first make casts downstream, and then upstream. Pike perch attacks usually occur when the bait stops, during a pause.

Read Mittens for winter fishing

Wiring is usually slow in this case. Sometimes the current is so strong that you have to hold the line. You can simply cast, release the bow and the castmaster will be carried by the current. When we pause, after about 5-6 turns with a slow retrieve, the pike perch at this time swims up to the bait and greedily grabs it. When fishing from the shore, it is better to cast slightly upstream.

Often pike perch stays on the border of fast and slow currents, along spits, riffles and rock ridges. He manifests himself in bursts. Sometimes they compete with the asp in hunting bleak. At such moments, you should not hesitate. Take a castmaster weighing 20 grams and fish these areas. Sometimes regular uniform wiring in the upper layers is sufficient. The results will be excellent. You will take turns catching asp and pike perch. Although it is known that the castmaster is, first of all, an asp bait, in such situations the pike perch does not really miss it and is also caught well.

True, you shouldn’t rely on just one bait. After several successful hooks, the bite may stop. At this point it is useful to change the model. You can try a lighter bait. Usually such a change brings results, and on the very first postings.

When fishing for pike perch occurs near the dam itself, where there are powerful flows of water, castmasters are thrown into areas where the current is strongest. At such moments, the bait behaves chaotically. We let her go free swimming. When it reaches an area where the current weakens, then the pike perch most often takes it in this place. The technique of catching pike perch using castmasters in this case is very simple, one might even say primitive. You need to methodically throw it into the current and wait for bites. As mentioned above, when the locks are opened, you can count on decent catches. The catches often include both asps and chubs.

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Fishing tactics

We are looking for the optimal wiring method

As a rule, spinning anglers begin to fish water areas, starting with the simplest retrieves and with short casts. Having fished the coastal zone, the fisherman begins to move on to long-distance fishing, including more complex types of fishing. Moreover, it is advisable not to throw the bait at the same point, but to throw it into one place no more than 5-7 times, after which you need to move to another, more promising place.

Choosing a place to catch predatory fish

The outcome of successful fishing depends on how well the fishing spot is chosen. Most of the predatory fish are found on the rifts, as well as in places where there are exits from holes. “Castmaster” must be cast at a certain angle to the current, if there is one. If there is no current, then you can cast to any point in the reservoir. When fishing in the current, it is better to use bait weighing 25 grams or more. It is possible to cast such baits at a distance of up to 100 meters.

Choosing the right bait

The choice of bait weight depends on the size of the fish that is intended to be caught and the fishing conditions. For catching perch, a spinner weighing 7 grams or 14 grams is sufficient. Asp, which is preferred by fry, are also caught with such a “Castmaster”. But for catching pike, especially trophy ones, it is better to take a spoon weighing 21 grams or more.

How to choose a castmaster for an asp?

In fishing stores you can find both branded and homemade castmasters of different colors, weights and sizes. If the density of asp in the body of water where you are going to fish is at an acceptable level, then you will catch it using Chinese analogues.

What castmasters are suitable for asp fishing? If we catch specimens above 1 kg, then it is better to use spoons weighing from 14 to 20 grams. But during the period of asp activity, weights up to 10 grams will do. Most often they are used when fishing on asp boilers. We fish in the water column with heavier and medium models.

In autumn, large asps are often caught from the bottom. For such fishing, it is better to use heavy baits weighing over 30 grams. Sometimes homemade castmasters over 40 grams turn out to be more catchy in places with strong currents, near a riverbed edge or a hole. From mid-autumn, the so-called asp distribution often occurs. It is caught with a “step”, uniform wiring in the bottom layer and in the water column.

The best results when catching asp are shown by classic lures of silver and white colors. As a rule, they shine well and have a perfectly smooth surface. Often during asp fishing, additional elements in the form of artificial flies, woolen threads and other similar accessories are attached to the tee of the spinner.

Experienced spinning anglers are well aware of the visual abilities of the asp. This fish is excellent at navigating the terrain and distinguishing between color shades. She perceives castmasters of different colors differently. In any case, it makes sense to use spinners of different colors when we want to attract a passive asp. For example, on clear days he willingly takes golden-colored baits. And in cloudy weather, asp are better caught with castmasters of steel and silver colors.

Some anglers use one interesting move. They hang the tee to the thick part of the castmaster. Before this, no bites were observed, but as soon as such a simple move was made, the asp began to take very actively. This once again confirms the long-known opinion that during the low-biting period, luck comes to those fishermen who are not afraid to experiment, who can move away from dogmas and stereotypes and use imagination and ingenuity.

Of course, the game of such a castmaster will be significantly different from the original one. It may happen that the spinner will cling to the main fishing line. And it’s not a fact that on all reservoirs the asp will greedily attack this type of castmaster. But that's not the point. The main thing is to change something during unsuccessful fishing. It happens that you unsuccessfully carried out 4 experiments, but on the 5th time you were bitten by a heavy pike. Even if you were counting on an asp today, you will agree that a bonus in the form of a 5-kilogram pike is worthy compensation. And such experiments are not in vain, even if they are unsuccessful. Sooner or later one or more of them will fire.

What other advantages do castmasters have besides good flight characteristics? Narrowed models have very little resistance during wiring. It turns out that the bait overcomes areas with different current strengths well. It’s a shame not to use this very useful quality of castmasters when fishing on rifts and in areas where the current is above average.

Read: Catching burbot on girders in winter

Let's talk separately about the amplitude of vibrations and the nature of the movements of the castmasters for the asp. The movements of the spoon do not have a large scope and during a uniform retrieve the bait stays well in a certain horizon. That is, there is no such thing that we are leading the bait and during a short pause it suddenly falls off. It still retains the inertia of movement, and then smoothly goes to the bottom. This behavior is typical for baits from ACME.

Let us also turn to the “accessories” of castmasters. Some anglers change the winding ring to a swivel and do it completely wrong. The fact is that in this way the game of the entire spinner changes. It doesn't turn out the way the manufacturer intended. It is necessary for the castmaster to oscillate in one plane, but in this case it will wobble incomprehensibly.

Be sure to always use sharp tees only. Yes, it is possible, and sometimes necessary, to replace factory hooks with others. But during fishing you should constantly monitor their sharpness

This is especially important when we fish in the bottom layer, when the tee often touches the bottom, snags, dracena, stones and other objects