So when I go to fish by myself and i come along a small pocket in reeds or anything else Ill cast there at this point im focused on catching fish. But then I become focused on just being super accurate instead of catching fish. then the more I try the less accurate I become but the less I try (usually focusin on catching fish) the more accurate I become. Can anybody explain why this is? It confuses me and somewhat frustrates me

Overall just actually fishing (friends family or tourny) im super accurate because I'm so focused on catching fish

If you're looking for a scientific explanation, I don't have one, but I can tell you're over-thinking it.  This happens to everyone.  To me this would be a clear indicator that I'm trying to hard and just need to relax and try to enjoy my time out on the water.  If you have the confidence to relax and let muscle memory take over, you'll fish better and have more fun.

Analysis Paralysis bro!

To perform at your very best at any endeavor that requires hand/eye coordination, there is a happy medium that needs to be struck.  Your focus on what you are trying to accomplish needs to be sharp while your muscles need to be loose.  Often when people focus, they tighten up, making it that much more difficult for the body to achieve what the mind is telling it to do.  Think of when you have ever practiced something, you are often loosey-goosey and your body can perform quite well.  Part of the reason is that you aren't focused, you allow your body to relax.

 

Don't change your focus, change how you let you focus affect your body.  The simplest way to do that is just take a breath & smile and then make that cast.  It is amazing how well your body will respond.

Use the force Luke

If I focus more on being super accurate it seems I trust my instincts and my body less. When I just do it without letting my brain get too involved I impress myself at times though. 

Practice Practice Practice

 

In your yard or street.

 

Set up targets and practice for hours and hours and hours.

 

The motion will then become imbedded in your brain and you will have no problems finding your target with your bait.

Hand eye coordination works, I find myself doing the same thing in tourneys when I try to make that perfect cast. Have to relax and just fish.

Just relax, your getting too tense when you try to hit a target. It has to come natural, and that will happen with experience and time on the water. When I feel a bump I don't think about setting the hook it just comes natural. I take up slack, and as soon as I feel pressure it happens. I don't think about it any more. Put in some ear buds, and just relax! Make it enjoyable.

Funny you mention setting the hook, there are sometimes I set the hook and get a fish into the boat but thinking back I don't know why I set the hook. Just becomes a natural thing.

Generally that's an indication you're trying too hard. Coaching basketball all the time. I've got a great example from just a few days ago. One of the girls stayed after practice to shoot freethrows and I was rebounding for her. She'd miss a few and you could tell she was really focused on trying to turn the streak around. She wasn't relaxed at all and she kept shanking them. Then she started telling me about something that happened the other day and she made almost every shot while she was talking. When she went back to just shooting she made a few more and again she'd start a run of misses. The moral of the story here is just relax. It doesn't mean you can't focus on it a bit, but don't have that be the only thing your focusing on. The other thing to remember is have confidence and know you can put that bait where you want it.  

Casting is very much like pitching a baseball.  If you aren't focused on "something" then your pitches will be all over the place.  If you are focused and trying to "steer" the ball to the mit then your going to "stiff arm" the ball and again loose accuracy.  Like everyone has said, you need that happy medium where you are focused, but relaxed.  That's why you see better success when you are focusing on "catching" vs "casting".

 

When you are focused on a target, but not thinking about the mechanics, your muscle memory takes over and (assuming 1000's of casts) you will find your accuracy skyrockets. [practice, practice, practice]  The instant you begin thinking about your mechanics, your accuracy will fall off because you are mentally changing the mechanics to "try" to be more accurate even if its minor or subconscious.

 

To consitently improve ultra-accurate casts it will take tons of practice.  The key is once you find a comfortable and accurate cast to replicate it, again and again.  Again if you compare to pitching, the same techniques will help.  Start with your stance - feet first - and work your way up.  Once you are comfortable and casting accurately take note of exactly what you are doing, how you are standing, the specific motion used during your cast - and simply begin to replicate it from beginning to end.  Subtle changes in your stance will affect your casting, and you will find that over time, your brain will begin to automatically compensate for those changes and you will become more and more consistent.

 

It's kind of a double win -- the more confidence you have, the more you relax...the more you relax the more consistency you will have...the more consistency the more confidence.  So as you get "better" the easier it is to be "better".

Funny you mention setting the hook, there are sometimes I set the hook and get a fish into the boat but thinking back I don't know why I set the hook. Just becomes a natural thing.

You were in the zone. Not thinking, just reacting to your surroundings! Fishing doesn't get any better then that!

Cause you were thinking too much

you either have it on the cast or u dont.. and if u dont then consider it practicing

Generally that's an indication you're trying too hard. Coaching basketball all the time. I've got a great example from just a few days ago. One of the girls stayed after practice to shoot freethrows and I was rebounding for her. She'd miss a few and you could tell she was really focused on trying to turn the streak around. She wasn't relaxed at all and she kept shanking them. Then she started telling me about something that happened the other day and she made almost every shot while she was talking. When she went back to just shooting she made a few more and again she'd start a run of misses. The moral of the story here is just relax. It doesn't mean you can't focus on it a bit, but don't have that be the only thing your focusing on. The other thing to remember is have confidence and know you can put that bait where you want it.  

X2 This is a good analogy of psyching yourself out. I use a baseball analogy. A fly ball you have to sprint for seems easy because you're running on instinct. A supposed "easy" fly ball hit right at you gets dropped because you over think it as it's coming in. 

I've seen this happen dozens of times, and even experienced it myself.  The problem?  When you're concentrating, you're looking/thinking about where you don't want it go. Inevitably, that's exactly where it ends up.  Happens a lot in bowling too, when trying to pick up a tough spare.

 

The lure will go where you're looking.  So stop looking at that branch or dock you want to avoid, and instead look at where you want it go.  You'd be surprised at how well that works.

I can tell midway through the air if a cast is going to hit the spot, and it usually pays off depending on how the lure lands. It absolutely does matter.

I think everyone pretty well summed it up. Bottom line is; if you are doing something that requires muscle memory, you have to have faith in that. If you start thinking about things, you will only screw up the equation, because your conscious mind cannot account for every little variable that every little muscle needs to account for. I focus on preparing myself for what might happen once my bait enters the water, already assuming it's going to go exactly where I want it to. Usually that's just an awareness of the feeling in my hands, or watching the line, or things like that.

The lure will go where you're looking. So stop looking at that branch or dock you want to avoid, and instead look at where you want it go. You'd be surprised at how well that works.

Once I figured out that like shooting a shotgun or throwing darts, by focusing on my target I could hit my point of aim, my accuracy improved dramatically. Proper equipment is important and casting/pitching mechanics take practice to master, but, "The lure will go where you're looking" is where accuracy starts.

15 to 20 yrds its all mine no mistakes lol

I've seen this happen dozens of times, and even experienced it myself.  The problem?  When you're concentrating, you're looking/thinking about where you don't want it go. Inevitably, that's exactly where it ends up.  Happens a lot in bowling too, when trying to pick up a tough spare.

 

The lure will go where you're looking.  So stop looking at that branch or dock you want to avoid, and instead look at where you want it go.  You'd be surprised at how well that works.

 

x2

For me it comes down to practicing whatever it is you want to do. When you are under pressure to perform you fall back on remote control and perform like it's practiced. The harder you try the worse you get. You must stay focused without forcing what you already are good at.

During my teens gymnastics was my sport and at times you are in a zone and perform flawless, other time you are out of sorts and your performance suffers, very difficult to relax and perform under pressure.

Tom

 

Old school basser...