My brother was five years older than me, and was the one who got me started on bass fishing. We fished a two acre pond on our grandfather's farm in Chillicothe Mo. We had very few baits at the time, and used baits borrowed from my dads, and grandfather's tackle boxes. 99% of the time, it was either a black Arbogast Hula Popper, or my brothers favourite, a smaller wooden frog colored South Bend Bass O Reno. We constantly talked and argued about which was the better of these two baits. He always outfished me. Quietly rowing to the center of the pond, we rowed just enoupgh to move the john boat, casting to the moss, which rimmed the entire pond. I was confused. Was the Bass O Reno really a much better lure than my Hula Pooper? It took me some time to realize it but the answer was no. Both these old baits were equally good. The reason my brother caught so many more fish was simple. Casting accuracy. He had honed his casting skills so he could quietly drop his lure within two or three inches of the moss nine out of ten times. His bait was almost always in the zone, while mine landed on top of the moss, or way too short of the moss line. It's a fact. Accurate Casting will catch you more fish, but I'm wondering if it's almost become a lost art now. Some anglers from my town never cast anymore, they only pitch for bass. Pitching can be great way to present lures, but there's times when it pays to lay back away from your target area, and cast. Do you still think accurate casting is an important skill? Personally, I think it's one the most important skills you need.
