Pitching: How?

[billmac]

I watch the pros effortlessly pitching lures all the time, but I can't seem to do it.  As soon as the lure takes up the slack on its forward motion, it jerks the spool and causes a snarl.  I'm sure I'm doing it wrong but I can't seem to manage it.

[Kevinator1]

8 minutes ago, billmac said:

I watch the pros effortlessly pitching lures all the time, but I can't seem to do it.  As soon as the lure takes up the slack on its forward motion, it jerks the spool and causes a snarl.  I'm sure I'm doing it wrong but I can't seem to manage it.

Tommy Biffle has a great video on this...here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMEtNH95jsE

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

24 minutes ago, billmac said:

I watch the pros effortlessly pitching lures all the time, but I can't seem to do it.  As soon as the lure takes up the slack on its forward motion, it jerks the spool and causes a snarl.  I'm sure I'm doing it wrong but I can't seem to manage it.

One smooth fluid motion. Shouldn't be any slack.

[Mike L]

Are you using your thumb to control the spool??

The lure should be in the opposite hand as the rod, even with the reel. When you release the lure raise the rod up and then immediately place your thumb on the spool which should be disengaged. 
 

The weight of the lure and how hard you swing your rod up will determine the distance. If you don’t control the line coming off you will get what you’re seeing. 
 

When you get experience you won’t have to hold the lure anymore, just swing it out to hit your spot.

Your thumbs muscle memory will automatically take over
 

 

 

 

Mike

[MN Fisher]

Shouldn't be any slack before you release your thumb from the spool.

[BassNJake]

It's easier to learn this using a heavier weight as well.

The weight moving forward is whats pulling the line off the spool.

Often times when pitching too light a weight the lure swings up, as it swings up it is losing momentum, while the spool is turning just as fast as the beginning of the pitch causing the reel to overrun and snarl.

 

 

[J Francho]

It sounds like you are combining the pitch with the flip casts.  

 

This shows a cast I call the flip-punch.  It also has true flips, and some pitches at the end.  There's no slack in a pitch, but the spool is disengaged.  In a flip, the spool stays engaged, but there is slack that you pull out with your opposite hand.  A pitch has some distance, usually more than the rod length.  A flip is a little more than the rod length.  I often use a flip if I'm pitch, and suddenly see a target close by that doesn't require a pitch.  if it's really sloppy, I'll do a flip-punch.  It all becomes automatic.

 

 

[scaleface]

Add some weight and try it .

[Bankc]

I was just learning to pitch a few months ago, and one thing I figured out that no one ever talks about (because it quickly becomes second nature and you stop noticing that you're doing it) is that when you raise the rod, you don't want to raise it to quickly.  In other words, you want to accelerate the rod tip, and not try to raise it at a constant speed or decelerate until after you're released the spool.  So you almost hold back on the rod tip's speed at the first, so you can accelerate through it.  

 

Also, keep the line tight the entire time (don't allow the lure to freefall at the beginning of the drop).  At no point should the line not be under the tension of the weight of the lure until the bait hit's the water. 

 

It sounds to me like you're either raising the rod too fast or too early, or decelerating your rod tip on the pitch instead of accelerating it (you have to wait until you've released your thumb off the spool before you allow it slow down).  Or your dipping it down right before raising it, creating some slack in the line that allows it to bounce.  In any case, it sounds like a timing issue where something is happening before it's supposed to. Just slow down and practice on smoothness for now.  Try just pitching a few feet in front of you to start.  Work on distance and accuracy after you get the mechanics down.

[billmac]

How much of a difference does braid vs mono vs fluoro make?

 

[J Francho]

None for me. I start the cast slow, and pick up speed as I raise the tip. Stay focused on the bait. You’re generating centrifugal force to propel the bait. The tip of the rod is a fulcrum. 

[Fishes in trees]

I learned how to overhead/side arm cast first, and I think that hindered me learning how to pitch.  I'd never seen anyone pitch until I started fishing BFL's in the early 90's.  Seeing guys getting 5 accurate casts into a place where I couldn't put one motivated me to learn how to pitch.   Fishing by myself, standing up in my little pond boat, it took me about a year before I felt anywhere close to confident and it was several years before I felt like I was competent and pitching became second nature and I didn't have to think about it.  It takes a while to get the timing down and the more you think about it the less success you'll have.

These days, distances up to 40 feet or so, I am much more likely to pitch at a target than I am to cast at it.   Distances over 40 feet, these days it seems like I am much more likely to use a side arm/ roll cast than I am to throw an overhead cast.   Of course, those times when I need maximum distance I'm most likely to use an over head cast.

 

My advice is to practice in the back yard til you get good.  Some guys are saying add weight.  My opinion is yes and no.

I think for a beginner, half an ounce is too heavy and quarter ounce is too light.  For learning, for me, 3/8 oz was the sweet spot.  Your rigs might be different and half an ounce (or heavier ) might be the ticket.

 

Don't think of pitching as just a soft plastic technique.  Back in the day, when Denny Brauer kinda known locally & regionally, but not really a name nationally in BASS circles, Denny won a tournament on Truman Lake - by quite a bit.  Folks asked him how he won and he replied - "pitching".  What he didn't tell was that he was pitching square bills into some pretty gnarly cover.  Truman at that t time had many overhanging branches and pitching was the only way to get a bait into many productive places.  Very few people, at that time, would have considered throwing any kind of crank into the cover he was throwing into.   Also, if you ever spent any time talking with him, he used flipping & pitching interchangeably.  These days flipping is flipping and pitching is pitching, it seems, at least according to terminology gurus.

[LCG]

Slow and smooth. It's about accuracy, low trajectory, and quite entry. Not force or distance. My pitching is 20-30ft ish and a lot of thumb control. I practice in the off season in my living room with a casting plug. Can never get enough practice. 

[Mat_ski]

It is also much easier when you set your spool tension pretty loose (i like all my reels regardless of brand with just a tiny bit of side to side play).

[galyonj]

18 hours ago, J Francho said:

It sounds like you are combining the pitch with the flip casts.  

 

This shows a cast I call the flip-punch.  It also has true flips, and some pitches at the end.  There's no slack in a pitch, but the spool is disengaged.  In a flip, the spool stays engaged, but there is slack that you pull out with your opposite hand.  A pitch has some distance, usually more than the rod length.  A flip is a little more than the rod length.  I often use a flip if I'm pitch, and suddenly see a target close by that doesn't require a pitch.  if it's really sloppy, I'll do a flip-punch.  It all becomes automatic.

 

 

Yeah, this is a good video. It also reminds me that playing with my cats has taught me more about two very specific things related to fishing than I think I could have easily gotten to see any other way:

1. Cats, like many domesticated predators, play at a 1:1 mimic of the same behavior they would exhibit when they are hunting prey in the outdoors. They lie in wait and ambush the toy. The only time they bother to chase is when it's close enough that they feel like their odds of running it down and capturing it are very good.
2. It's helped me to better visualize just how much a lure moves when I manipulate the rod. For me, this is far and away the most important takeaway.

So what I do is tie one of their toy mice onto a light spinning setup, and I practice different pitching and flipping methods with them -- from classic pitching and flipping to dock shooting where you use the rod like a slingshot and all that stuff. Early in a session they're amped up for it so all I've gotta do is hold on. Once they're tired, however, it takes a little more work to get them interested. So I drag and/or hop the toy past them on the retrieve just like one might do with any number of bottom-contact lures. It's really interesting to watch them try to assess whether they can get it and whether it's worth the effort when they're already tired from playing earlier.

 

The dog tried to play once, but Morrigan, my teacup panther and 100% the house alpha, pretty quickly convinced him that isn't a great idea.

[J Francho]

This cat (he's passed away at 19 a little over a year ago) eventually starts attacking the rod, and then me, if I keep it up.  My son's cat now, cuts to the chase when playing with toys, and just attacks your head. I'm glad fish don't make this leap in logic, lol.

[galyonj]

40 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I'm glad fish don't make this leap in logic, lol.

Me too, but I bet it's not because they know better. It's just not convenient enough to them to try it. lol

[J Francho]

Let's hope so

 

 

[the reel ess]

22 hours ago, billmac said:

I watch the pros effortlessly pitching lures all the time, but I can't seem to do it.  As soon as the lure takes up the slack on its forward motion, it jerks the spool and causes a snarl.  I'm sure I'm doing it wrong but I can't seem to manage it.

Pros have better equipment than most of us. But the spool needs to be loose and you control it with your thumb. The pitch is way easier than the skip. I don't use the underhanded pitch much at all anymore since I kayak fish almost exclusively. Just keep in mind, making noise upon entry is better than not getting to the desired spot. Rod length might depend on how tall you are. Since you want to swing the bait parallel to the water, a long rod would not help a short guy. My pitching stick is 6'10" and feels just right to me. 

[Heartland]

5 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Pros have better equipment than most of us. But the spool needs to be loose and you control it with your thumb. The pitch is way easier than the skip. I don't use the underhanded pitch much at all anymore since I kayak fish almost exclusively. Just keep in mind, making noise upon entry is better than not getting to the desired spot. Rod length might depend on how tall you are. Since you want to swing the bait parallel to the water, a long rod would not help a short guy. My pitching stick is 6'10" and feels just right to me. 

What makes you feel like the PRO's are using better equipment than is available to most of us.

[the reel ess]

7 minutes ago, Heartland said:

What makes you feel like the PRO's are using better equipment than is available to most of us.

LOL. Well, they're using better equipment than me. To me a $100 rid is high end.

[Heartland]

32 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

LOL. Well, they're using better equipment than me. To me a $100 rid is high end.

Well if you are catching fish and enjoying it then price becomes somewhat meaningless.   I would be willing to bet that there are many more fish caught on 100 rigs than 500.     Get in where you fit in, lots of room for all of us.

[the reel ess]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

Well if you are catching fish and enjoying it then price becomes somewhat meaningless.   I would be willing to bet that there are many more fish caught on 100 rigs than 500.     Get in where you fit in, lots of room for all of us.

I meant to say $100 rod. My most expensive outfit would cost you $260 if you bought it new retail. But I bought that rod used for $50 from a friend and put a nice new reel on it. So I have $180 in that combo and another I have $200 in. All my other ones are decent reels and lower priced rods. When I was on a budget I spent where it mattered most and skimped where I could. Now those old Lightning Rods just won't wear out so I keep using them. Now that I could afford about whatever combos I want within reason, I still take cost effectiveness into consideration. I've been shown up by people with much cheaper stuff than mine.

[billmac]

I typically use lighter lures, and I didn't adjust my spool at all, so that might be part of the problem.

[schplurg]

I think I mess up if I try to push the rod forward rather than just using my wrist to rotate it up. I'm still figuring this out. Last time I fished I hardly made any full casts. It's a creek so it's not too tough to cover the distance.

 

I'm also pitching over tall weeds from the bank so that might make it tougher.