THE PENDULUM

THE MOST POWERFULL CAST ON EARTH

By Nick Meyer. Pro Team Breakaway, National Long Distance Fishing Coach

The pendulum cast is the most powerful cast that I know of. You must
not attempt it without a shock leader and make sure that there is no
person or property in the area where the sinker might break off.
I know of instances where the sinker has broken off and gone through a
radiator in a car. Big Lou McEachern used this cast to throw a sinker
over the Houston Astrodome. That should put the bait where the fish are!

To start, face away from the direction that you will eventually cast.
Position sinker just in front of your eyes ( Fig. 1). When the sinker is in this
position there should still be at least 5 turns of shock leader around your reel.

The top casters using this cast are approaching and exceeding 300yds using this method.

Practice swinging the sinker away from you until it is parallel with the ground,with the rod tip up.
( Fig. 2)

Keep the top arm stiff and use the bottom arm to create the swing outwards

You now start to load the rod. Do not bring the power in too early or you will just shoot the sinker off early or break the shock leader. Bring the power in slow. Start to load the rod. That is all we are doing at this point. Look towards where you are going to cast and see the sinker out of the corner of your eye ( Fig 3).

When you put the power in, it is a combination of a punch with your top arm and a pull in with your lower arm ( Fig. 4).

Jerry Valentine always tells me that the butt of the rod should end up just below your rib cage.

Punch &Pull. The Finish ( Fig. 5)

Key points: practice well away from any people or property,make sure you have a clear areafor at least a quarter of a mile, use a shock leader and do not bring the
power in too fast.