How Do You Improve Your Casting? 2024
bkohlman reply :
What do you do in the "off season" to improve your casting?
Darren. reply :
Assuming you mean baitcasting? Either way, practice, practice, and practice some more in the yard, the drive way, etc.
I like to put "targets" (often what stuff the kids leave around the yard) in various spots and cast at them until I can hit them consistently.
For flipping and pitching I'll put a coffee can, mason jar, or something out in the yard and work at hitting it consistently...
WDinarte reply :
Practices,practices,practices... the drive way is a great place for me too, a coffee cup side ways, a soda can, empty water bottle, the beans bags board. all this are great for practices to me.
ClackerBuzz reply :
use a park bench or chair outside. pretend it is a dock/low hanging tree and try to flip as far as you can under and out the other side.
cast outside in the dark. it will really put you in touch with how to control ur spool via thumb break=IMO the heart of every casting technique.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Offseason??? I never stop fishing, that's how I keep my casting up to par.
SirSnookalot reply :
My kind of fishing does not require pin point accuracy. Fishing year round I can put my bait where I want to.
Nitrofreak reply :
By placing various targets around me in the yard, just targets are good help, but by using different weights and line sizes helps a lot too!!
Stay sharp and stay focused, reading up on your maps and things like understanding structure too is just as important as your casting, imo, take the spare time you have and make everything count.
Good luck and be safe !!!
11justin22 reply :
On 11/12/2012 at 2:04 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Offseason??? I never stop fishing, that's how I keep my casting up to par.
Haha that's my thoughts too!
K_Mac reply :
Most of us learn by trial and error with much practice. Learning from someone who knows how (see Flukes videos) will save much time and effort. Once you get the basics it's just about developing the muscle memory and hand/eye coordination to become consistent. If your neighbors don't wonder what's wrong with you "fishing" in the yard when the weather is too bad to actually fish, then you probably aren't practicing often enough. For longer casts most any target will do. For pitching to tight cover a bucket or can laying on its side is a fine target. When you can silently (and consistently) place your bait in the target you will catch more fish in tight spots or your money back. 
Refined N Focused reply :
On 11/12/2012 at 1:15 PM, ClackerBuzz said:use a park bench or chair outside. pretend it is a dock/low hanging tree and try to flip as far as you can under and out the other side.
cast outside in the dark. it will really put you in touch with how to control ur spool via thumb break=IMO the heart of every casting technique.
A-Jay reply :
Standard Off Season Training Program
A-Jay
Sam reply :
I have a weight that I tie onto the line and go into my field and practice various casts during the winter.
I want to master all five of the major casts and will be practicing the under hand roll more this winter.
You can't practice skipping the weight on the grass which is a bummer so I go to a local lake and practice skipping the weight. I only skip with a spinning rig but have been known to skip with a baitcaster every now and them.
To impove your casting you need to ask that famous question of a tourist to a New Yorker:"How do you get to Carniegh Hall?"
Answer: "Practice, practice, practice."
bkohlman reply :
Good suggestions!
james 14 reply :
It may also help to stand up on something to simulate the height you stand above the water on the boat's deck. Really this is only relevant for pitching or flipping.
zip pow reply :
Park the boat thirty foot from the back porch stand on bow and put it as far as i can under the porch without making a soun
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/13/2012 at 7:37 AM, A-Jay said:Standard Off Season Training Program
A-Jay
Do you play with the dogs like that? I like to tie stuffed dog toys or knotted socks on and get our dog chasing it across the yard or inside the house. It really helps my close quarters accuracy casting in the house.
A-Jay reply :
On 11/13/2012 at 2:09 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Do you play with the dogs like that? I like to tie stuffed dog toys or knotted socks on and get our dog chasing it across the yard or inside the house. It really helps my close quarters accuracy casting in the house.
Yes - that's how it all started.
Old Flippin Stick - 80 lb braid and a 60 lb mono leader - it's a great way to exercise them without killing me.
But they learned fairly quickly that the "Prey" travels in a straight line. And once caught, it's destroyed in seconds and there is no pulling it away from them with the rod -
I will say that my drag is put to the test - if you think a decent bass pulls - try a 120 lb sled dog . . .
A-Jay
Dale Bryant reply :
Stand on a milk crate in the driveway and cast to random targets in the yard (coffee cans work great). The neighbors might think you're nuts though.
Traveler2586 reply :
Get some Practice Plugs, i.e. http://www.basspro.c...13377/#desc-tab
I use the assortment Pack that has 1 each of 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 oz.
On 11/14/2012 at 2:49 AM, Dale Bryant said:Stand on a milk crate [ or something to get you up off ground level to simulate the boat deck above the water ] in the driveway and cast to random targets in the yard (coffee cans [anything] work great). The neighbors might think you're nuts though.
I have neighbors driving by asking if I've caught anything yet. Note: casting in the yard can be a bit hard on the retrieve through the grass if it's lumpy, and casting onto concrete is like sandpaper but the retrieve is a lot easier.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 11/13/2012 at 7:37 AM, A-Jay said:Standard Off Season Training Program
A-Jay
Thank you A-Jay, now I know I'm not the only one that practices in the snow; my wife thought I lost my mind.
Fish Chris reply :
Ha ! When one's hand-eye coordination is as screwed up as mine is, you don't improve your casting 
LOL
Instead, I just try to fish in areas that the big ones don't have to swim too far to get to my bait / lure LOL
Peace,
Fish
bazzelite19 reply :
Practice in a garage, or if your lucky you can practice on the water and catch fish all winter. Put some cans up and knock them down. Or flip/pitch into a bucket or cup.
Bankbeater reply :
Do some exercises to keep your arm and shoulder limber.
Bass Junkie reply :
Time, patience, and a healthy overdose of practice!
Fish Chris reply :
Ha ! After 45 years of practice, my casting still sucks. I don't even waste my time trying to improve it.
Fish
CPBassFishing reply :
I tie on a 3/4 oz. saltwater egg sinker. I got it for $1 at dicks and I just tie my line to the eye and practice my flipping and pitching. I don't really have to practice regular casting, its easy enough that I can pick my rod up after the few winter months and cast well.
BassThumb reply :
Snip the hook from an old 1/2 oz. spinnerbait with a side-cutter and toss it around the yard, trying to hit targets. For long-distance casting, plastic jugs make a good target, and for close-quarter practice, trying to land the bait into a 5 gallon pail set on it's side works well. Be careful when using targets because if you hit them too hard, you'll get a nasty backlash. That's one of the reasons I prefer light plastic jugs for distance casting.
WDinarte reply :
My wife and some neighbors still don't get it that you can practices some casting out the water.
But now I know that is more of one wife and some other people that think that we are somehow " LOCOS " crazy!!!! 
endless reply :
On 1/4/2013 at 6:01 AM, WDinarte said:My wife and some neighbors still don't get it that you can practices some casting out the water.
But now I know that is more of one wife and some other people that think that we are somehow " LOCOS " crazy!!!!
Sometimes crazy isn't a bad thing!!
islandbass reply :
Good stuff! The one thing I do differently, because I don't fish from a boat, is not to pitch from an elevated position.
Another thing you can experiment with is practice casting "the other way". Though I prefer LH retrieve, I can now fish with LH or RH now. Those dark, icy, evenings spent in the cul de sac practicing has earned me that skill in addition to the strange, coo coo stares from the neighbors, lol.
jhoffman reply :
I pitch weedless frogs inside, no weight smashing into anything
Teal reply :
If your are gonna practice make sure you get in 10 -15 reps back handed or left handed. It opens up an entire field of targets when u are on the water with out having to move you boat or change position. I would suggest turning the breaks up a little if I haven't tried it before. This technique is especially useful for you guys that fish in the back of the boat or from shore.
endless reply :
Just for fun for my 5 year old son, I buy those real cheap rattle traps from Walmart and I take off the hooks and allow him to practice his casting and reeling at his Pop Pops and Meemaw house since they have an inground pool.
Basswhippa reply :
On 1/3/2013 at 3:05 AM, Fish Chris said:Ha ! After 45 years of practice, my casting still sucks. I don't even waste my time trying to improve it.
Fish
A man who knows his limitations. LOL
Practice with a decent reel is key. Remember practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Eventually you will want a very good reel with good clean bearing.
A few years back Bassmaster had an article regarding a "trick caster". It was during the time that Curado Greenies, Pearl Chronarchs and Silver Calcuttas ruled the fishing scene. (Some things don't change much) The thing that was interesting to me is that the trick caster used an ABU 4600C3 which you could buy at the time for $59.99. He wasn't using a $120 to $200 reel. ABU invented Ultracast so it really is no suprise. Tourny casters today prefer some of their 80's Ultracast designs such as the 521 series/Ultra Mag plus series. A 4600 would be a great reel to start with assuming you need a reel. It is narrow and trains the thumb.
Good luck!
RAMBLER reply :
PRACTICE !
matstone7 reply :
On 11/14/2012 at 3:54 AM, Traveler2586 said:I have neighbors driving by asking if I've caught anything yet. Note: casting in the yard can be a bit hard on the retrieve through the grass if it's lumpy, and casting onto concrete is like sandpaper but the retrieve is a lot easier.
Try telling them you know the grass pickerel, grass carp, rock bass are there, just haven't bit yet. My neighbors stopped asking, lol.
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