Abstract: A casting rod includes an elongated piston chamber tube and a connected guide tube for enclosing and guiding a push rod to accelerate and project a fishing lure or other weighted device attached to a line. The push rod has a piston fixed to its rearward end for coaction with the chamber tube, and the rod projects through the guide tube having a mounting tube at its exterior exposed end which is the rod tip. A weighted device has an axial pin received within the mounting tube and attached to the line which passes through a line aperture in the mounting tube. The rod includes a valve housing and handle at its base end, the handle enclosing a CO.sub.2 cartridge which is pierced to pressurize the valve chamber. A valve interposed between the valve chamber and the cylinder chamber is opened momentarily by a firing pin impacted by a hammer to pass a charge of pressurized gas to the piston chamber to accelerate the push rod and project the lure.