I’m having trouble getting my casts out as far as I need them to be - do you have a good technique that will actually increase my casting distance?

If you’re having trouble with distance, you’re probably using an overhead cast.

I’d suggest trying what is known as an “Off the Ground” cast.  You’ll want to practice it over and over, however and it’s important that you realize that this cast has a lot of power and will really throw your sinker out there at an extremely high speed.  Don’t use it around others until you’re extremely comfortable with it or you could actually hurt someone.  When using this cast, you should use a shock leader.  The concept behind the cast is that you actually load the rod with a sideways motion.  You’re actually going to be creating an arc of about 200 degrees, keeping in mind that 360 degrees is a full circle.  First of all, face the way you want the cast to go.  Turning behind yourself, place your sinker on the ground making sure you have enough tension on the line to keep the rig clipped but not enough to lift the sinker off the ground.  Keep your lead arm higher than the following arm.  Rotate your body to pull the rod around, this is a smooth motion and a very controlled movement that will actually increase in speed as the cast continues.  When you’ve completed the turn to the direction of the cast, pull your lead arm down and “punch up” with your trail arm.