Taking Aim

[Mobasser]

I rarely if ever see any post on accurate casting anymore here on BR. I'm wondering if it's because so many folks pitch from closer distances instead of casting? But, a pitch is another type of cast as well.                                  It seems like casting accuracy is becoming a lost art anymore, but, it's an old school skill that's just as important as your bait choice or the rod and reel your using.                                         I've been watching a video of Larry Nixon slowly working his way along, and his casting is perfection in motion. Overhead and sidearm casting, depending on the situation at hand. Each cast lands where he needs it to go, with the bait quietly entering the water.                                                       Very few can be as good as Mr Nixon on a given day. But, it pays to learn to cast accurately, and will help land more fish.                    I hope it's a skill that's not forgotten. Anyone care to comment here? What are your thoughts on accurate casting?

[new2BC4bass]

You don't see accuracy mentioned much on here because most of the guys have been fishing for so many years that accuracy is a given.  They don't even have to think about it. 

 

A lot of my casting practice is done at a local boat ramp on the Lehigh River.  In the fall leaves floating by are my primary target.  In the summer, foam coffee cups, plastic water bottles and the occasional beer can are my targets thanks to the thoughtful people upstream from me. 

[Tennessee Boy]

Someone gave me a golf tip once.  

 

"Don't aim for the middle of the fairway.  Aim at a leaf in the middle of the fairway."

 

I try to apply this to my casting.  Most cast don't need to land within a one inch circle but I try to be that accurate with my cast.  It's good practice for when that level of accuracy is needed.

[WRB]

Watching today’s pros on TV it video their casting mechanics are poor. Bait casting reel handle should upright not sideways for proper wrist movement to cast easily and accurately. Can’t cast accurately with poor mechanics.

Tom 

[gunsinger]

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

Watching today’s pros on TV it video their casting mechanics are poor. Bait casting reel handle should upright not sideways for proper wrist movement to cast easily and accurately. Can’t cast accurately with poor mechanics.

Tom 

Good info.  I'd always heard to point the handles up but thought it had something to do with how the line came off the reel.  I'll have to pay more attention to that.  I assume that only applies to an overhand cast but does it also apply to a roll cast or a side arm cast?

[WRB]

2Roll cast is all wrist movement with the thumb controlling line coming off the spool, the reel handle should be a 45 degree angle at the end of the cast, not upright. I see anglers with the thumb upright at 12 O’clock throughout the casting and push the hand forward in an effort to increase distance, both counter productive.

Tom

PS, always cast in the same hand as your dominate eye; right eye right hand, left eye left hand.

[QED]

40 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Someone gave me a golf tip once.  

 

"Don't aim for the middle of the fairway.  Aim at a leaf in the middle of the fairway."

 

[stuff deleted]

In the precision shooting disciplines we use the term "aim small, miss small" to express the same concept.

[A-Jay]

I am less concerned with 'casting form' than I am with fish catching results.

The need/level of Casting Accuracy for me is almost always directly related to where and how I'm presenting a particular bait; so clearly presentation specific.

Sometimes it's shallow or deep, or close by or a long way off,

or somewhere in between.

It's never a mighty heave all Willy Nilly with no direction in mind.

IME, results suffer if & when my accuracy suffers.

So I'm Alway casting to 'something', much of which, is only electronically detected.

 And speaking of electronics, there's been a certain 'new' type of casting accuracy developing.

Over the past few years, and with the advent of this new fangled forward looking sonar,

being able to present a bait right to a bass WITHOUT ever looking at the water, has come into play.

Kind of impressive actually.

Talk about pin point.

Either way I'll keep practicing where & when I can . . . .

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

[OkobojiEagle]

Consistency of bait release point is a practicable skill that greatly improves accuracy... consistency of rod length (at least length of rod portion above the reel) helps to this end.

 

oe

[Catt]

69 years old this month & I still practice flipping, pitching, & casting.

 

Muscle Memory

the ability to reproduce a particular movement without conscious thought, acquired as a result of frequent repetition of that movement.

[WRB]

78+ now I am amazed how accurate I still cast using a bait casting reel. I see the target and cast accurately where I want the lure to land without thinking about, it’s still automatic. Spinning not too accurate and need to think about casting and often miss a several feet, frustrating.

The dominate eye issue is major when using the opposite hand. The reason is the target isn’t where you see it, it’s off to one side and need to add that into your cast. At 60’ the target is about 5’ off. This is the problem using a spinning outfit for me, lure doesn’t land where I am looking. 

Don’t fish enough anymore to compensate without over thinking the cast.

Tom

[Bankc]

I'm sure most of us, if not all of us, will agree that casting accuracy is important.  The reason why it doesn't get mentioned much is, what can you say about it?  The answer to pretty much any "how can I cast more accurately" question is gonna be "practice more".  

[DitchPanda]

Honestly I'd say its one of the most important skills especially when fishing around hard cover. Largemouth are notorious for burying in junk and 3 or 4 inches can mean the difference in a bite or nada. Also when making a long cast to sight fish leading them without spooking them is often important and near impossible without competent casting skill.

[BrianMDTX]

5 hours ago, QED said:

In the precision shooting disciplines we use the term "aim small, miss small" to express the same concept.

In bowhunting, you aim at a hair. 
 

“Aim small, miss small” is applicable in many situations! 

[jbsoonerfan]

Too many 100 yard casters around here to worry about accuracy. 

[jimmyjoe]

   For me, accuracy comes with feedback. The best feedback I get is from fiberglass rods, probably because of my many years with them. When I use a spinnerbait, I really want to hit my target exactly. It doesn't really matter much in the rivers, but it sure does in lakes. 

   Other lures? Nah ..... not so much.            jj

[king fisher]

I can accurately dead center the only tree limb, or other snag along a one hundred yard bank, without even seeing it.  How's that for accuracy?

[Catt]

2 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

When I use a spinnerbait, I really want to hit my target exactly.

 

I flip-n-pitch a spinnerbait a lot during the spring around buck brush.

[FrankN209]

People talk about different forms, either poor form or correct. Not everyone is the same. People cast different, we're not robotic. Just like QB's throw different from each other, batters hit different, it depends on the person.  

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Drive for show, putt for dough. 

[QED]

Practice plugs cost almost nothing and you can use them anywhere.  No excuse for not practicing.

[Derek1]

I learned allot this year about accuracy or lack there off. 
last winter I came down with a wicked case of thyroid eye disease. Worst case of fun house mirror/ double vision you could imagine. 
after some Experimenting with tape and glasses I could drive/ work and go fishing again. 
I’m a carpenter ( can’t see can’t work). So I’m really  happy I can still provide for my family. But boy did my fishing suffer lol. 
I’ve lost all depth perception like this, so casting with any type of accuracy is difficult to say the least. 
I’ve  put so many brand new jigs and spinnerbaits  into the  bushes and trees without even getting wet, and I can’t get back-it’s not even funny. 
anyway I’ll have two good eyes back eventually, so I’m not trying to complain. 

so yeah, I think casting  accuracy 

is important, and I’ll never take  the ability to do so for granted again. 
 Ok, my five minute rant to strangers is over. 

thanks for listening 

                                      P.s.

                                           I’ve restocked jigs and spinnerbaits to give it a go again next season. One eye or two. 

[islandbass]

18 hours ago, WRB said:

Watching today’s pros on TV it video their casting mechanics are poor. Bait casting reel handle should upright not sideways for proper wrist movement to cast easily and accurately. Can’t cast accurately with poor mechanics.

Tom 

Are you talking about RH casting reels held with the right hand? Holding  an LH casting reel with the right hand so that the handle is upright would be difficult, and IMO, not good mechanics.
 

I think understand what you are describing, but I have illustrated that by saying that the handle is parallel to the y axis (i.e., vertically) when picturing an x-y-z coordinate system. Therefore, if an RH casting reel is held in the right hand, the handle is positioned up toward the sky as you described (parallel to the y axis) — And if an LH reel is held in the right hand, the handle would be positioned down toward the earth (also parallel to the y axis). 

 

I do agree with you about not being able to cast accurately without proper mechanics. 

[Bankbeater]

A long time ago I learned to hit the mark making a cast, or run every fish out of the shallows getting my bait untangled from a bush.

[gim]

There is one specific situation that requires extreme accuracy where I fish: when I’m floating a small river for brown bass in midsummer. We just float along with the current and cast towards visual targets like undercut banks, wood, and eddies. The target is about the size of a dinner plate and you often have to cast sidearm to avoid over hanging trees. Too far and you get hung up; too short and you don’t get bit.

 

I’m fully convinced that any lure will work in this situation. It just has to be accurate.