5 Gallon *Pitching* Challenge

[gilkeybr]

Short range fishing is not something I do much of.  Pretty much all of my fishing is in open water, away from shore, and with minimal visible surface structure.  That being said, *pitching* is something I still want to practice at so that I am capable if the situation ever arises.

 

So with that in mind I set out a little challenge for myself in the back yard.  It involves a common 5-gallon bucket from your favorite big box store, a tape measure and some patience.

I measured 25ft to set the bucket up away from me (common tape measure length).  This was on level ground (although it would be interesting to try with a stool or similar to simulate a boat deck).  I tried to do sets of 10 and see what the highest percentage of flips I could get into the bucket.  Surprisingly, my best results were early on where I got 6/10.  As time went on I was only able to match or do worse than that.  I was surprised how quickly I fatigued while doing this!  Even 15 minutes was enough to get my forearms pumped!  By the end I was lucky to get 3/10.

 

I would love to hear how everyone else does at this.  I bet there are some people on this forum who could easily go 10/10 or maybe even longer perfect streaks.  Also would be interest to hear what people prefer to flip with (rod length, reel brand/type, lure weight).  For instance I was using

7'1 H/F

Zillion SV 7:1

1/2 Jig + chunk

 

Pro Tip*  Use a high gear ratio reel.  It gets tiring cranking the lure back over and over again.

 

 

[J Francho]

Flipping is not pitching.  Two totally different casts.  You would not flip any farther than a bit more than the length of your rod.  For pitching, use something smaller, like a coffee can.  You want to practice and learn to be THAT accurate.  It's the difference between catching fish and losing baits.  The gear you're using looks perfect.  I just picked up a JDM Zillion that has 40+ IPT.  That's fast.

[gilkeybr]

2 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Flipping is not pitching.

Changed the title.  I always thought of the two as interchangeable...

 

If a fish is particular enough to need a lure in a coffee can size area, thats probably not a fish i'm going to catch!

[J Francho]

They are not.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fish/flip-pitch.html

 

 

[fishballer06]

I practice my pitching in the garage during the winter. I normally use a shoebox sized Tupperware container and place it around 20 feet away. It's great practice and it helps pass the winter blues. 

[J Francho]

Another fun tip: I like to put the targets in cover, like shrubbery or the bushes out front.  When you miss, you learn how to finesse the bait out the snag.

25 minutes ago, gilkeybr said:

If a fish is particular enough to need a lure in a coffee can size area, thats probably not a fish i'm going to catch!

I missed this.  This is actually the fish you should be targeting.  The techniques were developed over time to catch inactive bass in heavy cover.  You're targeting the fish that want an easy snack, without too much effort.

[GReb]

Aim small, miss small. Accuracy puts more fish in the boat. Also learn how to ease the bait in the water and not make a ruckus. 

[Tennessee Boy]

I think your practice will be well rewarded.  Denny Bauer (possible the best at pitching that ever was) credited much of his success to long hours of practice.  He used to do demonstrations where he would pitch to a small target and his jig would never get more that a few inches off the floor.  He used this technique to pitch under docks with minimal splash.

[Dirtyeggroll]

1 minute ago, GReb said:

Also learn how to ease the bait in the water and not make a ruckus. 

Yep. I've used an aluminum baking tin placed upside down and tried not to have it make a sound when the bait hits to practice the ease down.

 

We ought to setup some parameters and see who can record themselves with the longest streak.

[Catt]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Another fun tip: I like to put the targets in cover, like shrubbery or the bushes out front.  When you miss, you learn how to finesse the bait out the snag.

 

This is between my house & my neighbor, I set 1 gallon buckets beyond each opening, & pitching into them from various distances & angles.

 

[GoneFishingLTN]

16 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I think your practice will be well rewarded.  Denny Bauer (possible the best at pitching that ever was) credited much of his success to long hours of practice.  He used to do demonstrations where he would pitch to a small target and his jig would never get more that a few inches off the floor.  He used this technique to pitch under docks with minimal splash.

Any videos on how he set this up to practice?

14 hours ago, Catt said:

 

This is between my house & my neighbor, I set 1 gallon buckets beyond each opening, & pitching into them from various distances & angles.

 

Do you stand on a bucket? How do you pitch a 7/6 at ground level?

[gilkeybr]

17 hours ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

We ought to setup some parameters and see who can record themselves with the longest streak.

I think this would be very fun.  Maybe more of a winter challenge than a summer challenge, though

[Catt]

1 hour ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Do you stand on a bucket? How do you pitch a 7/6 at ground level?

 

I stand on the ground, it's really not that difficult. Sometimes I do stand on an elevated platform.

 

Flipping-n-pitching to a target that is in the wide open doesn't help me a lot because seldom is there a situation in fishing where it's that simple.

 

In the first picture one would think, that's easy looks wide open. In the second picture that little opening to my right is what I was actually standing under.

 

[J Francho]

2 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Any videos on how he set this up to practice?

Do you stand on a bucket? How do you pitch a 7/6 at ground level?

There's a TON of videos on YouTube.  Many are pitching from shore.  I can pitch with a 6' topwater rod, and all the way up to my 15' centerpin rod.  Look up "wallace" or "modified wallace" casting to see how that works.  It's a little different, but the mechanics are the same: pendulum and centrifugal force.  Once you are good at it, you'll develop a whip, or flicking action, where you actually load up the rod, and can cast 20 yards or more.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Theres really only 2 ways to fish our local rivers, underhand cast and pitching. I pitch regularly every time I go out. In our rivers, tons of structure, current pushing/pulling you, and you need to be as accurate and quiet(entering the water) as possible. 

 

I use a 7'3H Duckett Ghost w/ 8:3:1 SLX

Practice makes perfect, the more you flip the better you get. I never practiced in the yard, but lots of time on the water. Pitching is probably one of my favorite ways to catch Bass. 

 

Good thread!  ?

[Smalls]

21 hours ago, gilkeybr said:

Changed the title.  I always thought of the two as interchangeable...

 

If a fish is particular enough to need a lure in a coffee can size area, thats probably not a fish i'm going to catch!

You know how your arm got tired after 15 minutes? Imagine doing it all day on the water with no fish to show for it because you were just blind pitching to nothing, or busy getting your bait unwrapped from overhanging trees. Accuracy is pretty much the number one objective in pitching. 

[gilkeybr]

58 minutes ago, Smalls said:

You know how your arm got tired after 15 minutes? Imagine doing it all day on the water with no fish to show for it because you were just blind pitching to nothing, or busy getting your bait unwrapped from overhanging trees. Accuracy is pretty much the number one objective in pitching. 

I think the scenarios are a bit different.  In the back yard it is nonstop pitching and cranking your lure back quickly to do the next pitch.  No pause to work the bait, or let it sink, etc.

[WRB]

Make up some 12"or dinner plate size hoop rings with old garden hose and a wood dowel. Hoops lay flat on the ground or float on water. For me buckets are too high off the ground for good practice targets. 10 yards is about my limit to pitch any further it's  the (Hank Parker) loop p/roll cast to 20 yds or so. 

Tom

 

[scaleface]

I practice by knocking  honey bees   off dandelions . 

[Smalls]

3 hours ago, gilkeybr said:

I think the scenarios are a bit different.  In the back yard it is nonstop pitching and cranking your lure back quickly to do the next pitch.  No pause to work the bait, or let it sink, etc.

 You’re missing the point. 

[Catt]

4 hours ago, gilkeybr said:

I think the scenarios are a bit different.  In the back yard it is nonstop pitching and cranking your lure back quickly to do the next pitch.  No pause to work the bait, or let it sink, etc.

 

Muscle memory ?

[papajoe222]

On 5/21/2019 at 12:19 PM, gilkeybr said:

 Even 15 minutes was enough to get my forearms pumped!  By the end I was lucky to get 3/10.

 

The main reason pitching is no longer a presentation I use regularly is because of the shoulder pain that accompanies it. I use a roll cast for anything over 20ft. but I taught myself a pitch of sorts that doesn't involve raising my arm. Keeping my elbow tucked to my side, I just let the bait go and raise the rod tip as it swings toward the target. I don't get much distance out of it, but the entry is extremely quiet and  it's very accurate.

[Harold Scoggins]

Practice pays. About 10 years ago, I wanted to pitch from a sitting position.(kayak) I practiced off and on all winter and got to where I could consistently hit a 1' square at 20'. I then set up a bench that was about 18" high and practiced pitching under it at 12-15' without hitting the bench. That took awhile, but I finally mastered it. Practice pays.

[Catt]

I said it before, at 68 I practice flipping, pitching, & casting almost every day.

 

Even though I don't flip that often I still practice it because I never know when the situation will arise that it maybe the ideal "cast".

 

You want every aspect of "casting" to be second nature!

 

Not only do I practice from various distances & angles but with various weights. 

 

[fishwizzard]

Most of the bank fishing I do occurs at medium to very overgrown spots, some days 90% of my casts will be a pitch or a “big pitch”.  A normal pitch will be around 20’ and I want dinner plate accuracy.  A big pitch is when I want to get like 40-50’ but don't have the room for even a sidearm or backhand cast.  For that I am happy with trashcan lid accuracy. 

 

I live down a long gravel drive that runs through the woods. My pitching practice involves walking down it pitching to the base of every tree.  I practice big pitches by targeting trees a bit into the woods where I have low branches to contend with.