When bass are in shallow water, they are often actively feeding. But that doesn't mean they are foolhardy and easy to catch. Shallow-water bass are extremely wary, alert to any disturbance around them. Therefore it usually takes a long cast to generate a strike. The farther the better.

Bass angling offers few promises, but here's one: If two anglers were to use the same tackle, with one lining out 25-yard casts and the other 15-yard casts, the long-cast angler will significantly out-fish the other. In fact, under most shallow water conditions, the 15-yard caster is likely to get skunked.

This rule has been confirmed time and again. One particular instance occurred a few years ago when I was casting for bass on a shallow, bulrush-studded flat. Just before sunset the bass turned on and I started catching a fish about every third cast. Two men were fishing nearby, and I watched them make repeated casts without catching a thing. The reason: Their casts were landing too close to their boat and the bass were alert to their presence.

Clear, calm water with sparse vegetation requires longer casts than dark windblown water or water strewn with heavy weed growth. In water less than about 4 feet deep, an angler will only rarely catch a bass within 20 yards of the boat (spawning bass are sometimes the exception). Envision a ring of water around your boat with a 20-yard radius, with you being the center point. Let's call this the bass-less circle.

It's confounding for novice shallow-water bass anglers to fish alongside experienced anglers. The beginners are often unable to catch a single fish. "I'm using the same lure and doing the same thing as you," they often say. Maybe. But are their casts extending beyond the bass-less circle?

With a little practice and the proper tackle, a novice angler can quickly learn to line out 30-yard casts. For shallow water fishing in heavy cover, I use a 7 ½ foot-long rod with a fast tip, and a casting reel that features multiple ball bearings. I also use the latest small diameter braided lines to accomplish long casts. It helps to buy the best equipment you can afford.

The proper casting motion is more of a quick flick of the wrist than a swing of the arm. Let the rod do the work. Instead of a long overhand motion, allow the rod to "load and launch" a lure for the greatest distance.

No matter what lure you are using, a longer cast will result in more strikes, and more fish boated, especially in clear, calm water.

Bill Marchel, an outdoors writer and photographer, lives near Brainerd.