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Home > Learn to Fish & Boat > How To Fish > How to Fish with Lures > Cast and Retrieve Fishing
Use whatever lure you want, a swimbait, a crankbait, a spinner — they all are designed to be tossed out, and reeled back in using a particular motion, this is called cast and retrieve.
Those new to fishing may find this term confusing. After all, all lure fishing techniques require the angler to cast the line and retrieve it once you’ve hooked a fish. With cast and retrieve fishing, however, the casting and retrieval motions are continuous. Most often associated with fly fishing, this fishing method can cover a lot of water quickly as the motion is mostly horizontal. The speed at which you reel to retrieve the lure, the angle at which you hold the rod and the design of the lure all impact the depth of the lure on the way back. Just as there are different casting techniques to master depending on the rod used (fly, spinning, etc.), learning how to retrieve lures can be just as challenging and loads of fun. When it comes to fish casting tips, remember to ensure that you have plenty of space both behind you and in front of you to cast the line without interference and most importantly: practice, practice, practice. Once you feel confident in your casting techniques, it’s time to get to work on retrieval methods. Whether jigging, jerking/twitching or even using the Leisenring lift, you’ll find that your lure often influences the best retrieval method. Many hard swimming lures have a lip at the front that helps dive the lure to a specific depth. Many are available in deep, or shallow running versions. Soft plastic minnows, or curly-tailed worms can also be used.
Learn how to use surface poppers and techniques in the next section.
The largemouth bass is the most popular freshwater game fish in the U.S. Learn more about how you can identify a largemouth bass, where to catch it and what bait and lures to use.
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