Pitching technique- hold the bait or not

[casts_by_fly]

When I learned to pitch, I held the bait with my left and the rod in my right.  I'd swing the bait out and manage line with my right thumb.  I've seen most pros and a lot of others never touch the bait with their non rod hand.  When they bring the bait back, they use the momentum of the lure to swing straight back out.  That's faster for sure and I see why its done.  I've started doing it myself for short stuff.  I'm curious how others pitch.

[Cbump]

Other - I’m 50/50

[Team9nine]

4 minutes ago, Cbump said:

Other - I’m 50/50

This ^^

[Mike L]

After the first pitch, or if I want to greatly increase the distance at some point I’ll hardly ever touch it again. 

 

 

 

Mike

[Drawdown]

I’m still learning to pitch. So I hold the bait.

[Catt]

Ain't gonna put a percentage on it because I don't care!

 

That's something that happens in the moment!

[MN Fisher]

^ Ditto...it's completely situational.

[Bass Rutten]

The more accurate I want the pitch to be the more likely I am to hold the lure.

[Mike L]

8 minutes ago, Bass Rutten said:

The more accurate I want the pitch to be the more likely I am to hold the lure.

It the opposite for me. 
I’ve been doin it one armed so long that when the bait comes out the natural inertia of the line as it swings back and out  using the rod, can be done with pin point accuracy. 
 

Of Course the farther out you pitch that accuracy tends to diminish. 
But unlike flipping, most pitches are to a small area not usually to a specific point
 

At least it is for me. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[J Francho]

15 hours ago, Cbump said:

Other - I’m 50/50

Same

[JediAmoeba]

I am in the 50/50 class. A lot of times this is because I am holding the bait looking for the next spot I want to hit. If I am in a pad field where I am just constantly flipping over and over I never touch it unless it's weeded up.

[Bass Rutten]

6 hours ago, Mike L said:

It the opposite for me. 
I’ve been doin it one armed so long that when the bait comes out the natural inertia of the line as it swings back and out  using the rod, can be done with pin point accuracy. 
 

Of Course the farther out you pitch that accuracy tends to diminish. 
But unlike flipping, most pitches are to a small area not usually to a specific point
 

At least it is for me. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

It's interesting how different someone else's approach to the same thing can be, I can't bring the lure out of the water at one angle and pitch to another angle in one motion, if it's close the same angle then no problem. I usually pitch with lure in hand when trying to get it in that tiny gap between boats and docks, or little openings in pads etc.