In the yard I can flip to the tiniest thing I put out there with in 20 feet. Or a certain clump of grass or a shadow line. Low to the ground and gentle. Right up under my kids trampoline. What ever it is. Put me on the deck of the boat and I struggle to hit targets some. Or make a louder splash than I’d like. Anyone else have that problem lol?

The bass will tell you how you're doing, not the trampoline or whether or not you liked it.

Yard practice is good to get us started.

Then it's time to fine-tune the presentation on the water.

That's where the confidence comes from.

Finally if & when a presentation happens to miss the mark,

we say "Fish it like you meant it".

Caught more than a few by making a 'bad cast".

Sort of like getting a giant bite while picking out a backlash.

Not that I ever do that . . . .

Keep at it.

🤓

A-Jay

I think sometimes I get excited in the boat and flub a cast - the key in bass fishing is to stay cool and do things more gentle and methodical - when I can remember that I usually make better casts.

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

The bass will tell you how you're doing, not the trampoline or whether or not you liked it.

Yard practice is good to get us started.

Then it's time to fine-tune the presentation on the water.

That's where the confidence comes from.

Finally if & when a presentation happens to miss the mark,

we say "Fish it like you meant it".

Caught more than a few by making a 'bad cast".

Sort of like getting a giant bite while picking out a backlash.

Not that I ever do that . . . .

Keep at it.

🤓

A-Jay

Thanks so much that is an excellent point for sure. Stupid trampoline anyway lol.

1 minute ago, Pat Brown said:

I think sometimes I get excited in the boat and flub a cast - the key in bass fishing is to stay cool and do things more gentle and methodical - when I can remember that I usually make better casts.

I definitely am trying to make more gentle presentations for sure. This year I’m struggling to slow down and be methodical. I’ve caught a lot this year on moving lures. And I need to get back to slower presentations and more methodical.

For me it was always about where I was in relationship to the water.

For years I used the standard Denny Brauer designed Team Daiwa flipping rod that is 7'6".

If I am too close to the water I could not dip the rod tip down low enough and it went into the water. So I needed to be physically higher up off the water.

And since the boat is not changing anytime soon something else had to give, and that was the rod length. I am now using a 6'11" rod and find it easier to maneuver, and now I don't have to be higher up off the water. Problem solved for me.

I'm curious if maybe you are having a similar issue?

I've never had braid wrap, backlash, trouble tieing an Alberto, wind knots, line getting into a split ring or losing a fish.......in the yard.

It's different on a boat. 😁

I pitch, rather than flip. I can tell you that I personally find it much more difficult to practice pitching in the yard rather than on my boat because I'm so used to being at that specific height above the water as I've done it so much. Put me on flat ground and I lose some skill. Perhaps your issue is the opposite and you just need practice from the height of your boat.

29 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

I pitch, rather than flip. I can tell you that I personally find it much more difficult to practice pitching in the yard rather than on my boat because I'm so used to being at that specific height above the water as I've done it so much. Put me on flat ground and I lose some skill. Perhaps your issue is the opposite and you just need practice from the height of your boat.

This is probably exactly the issue lol

A lot of it comes down to mechanics and confidence.

I learned to flip back in the 80’s, standing on a 5 gallon bucket in the backyard (I think it was Dave Gliebe that said this was a good idea in an old WON article). While this helped a lot with focusing on maintaining balance and a good stance, I still get off kilter on the water and lose my mechanics sometimes.

For reasons totally unknown, my boat has the trolling motor mounted on the “wrong” (starboard) side - I have gotten so used to working around it, that I can’t flip or pitch to save my life off anyone else’s boat.

Stand on the deck in the driveway, drop the trolling motor and hit some targets that way - set up buckets of water to get the splash to a minimum.

I realize the same thing @Joedodge, I was great off the dock but in the boat….. I was all over the place.

Nothing like time on the water…..

9 hours ago, A-Jay said:

"Fish it like you meant it"

I love it, I might get a tee-shirt with that on it. Hahaha

When pitching I use a minimum 1/4 oz weight. usually a 5/16th. Anything less than tha I struggle with. I pitch spinnerbaits and chatterbaits too.

11 minutes ago, scaleface said:

When pitching I use a minimum 1/4 oz weight. usually a 5/16th. Anything less than tha I struggle with. I pitch spinnerbaits and chatterbaits too.

This is a good point. At first I made big cannonball splashes when I switched to heavier weights but then I figured out that the heavier weight providing more resistance actually helps me slow the bait down to where it basically doesn’t make a sound entering AND I can do it accurately in any conditions and from much further distances AND the bait falls faster and gets more reaction bites and I MUCH more quickly and efficiently figured out the good areas to drag a bait from the bottom composition transferring through the heavier weights.

I only use weights lighter than 3/8 of an oz when the fish are in a suuuuuuper weird mood and if that’s happening I’m probably struggling anyway! Hah!

I had to learn how to do it sitting down in a kayak. Talk about a learning curve! Most often I have to use 2oz to punch through the thick stuff out in the everglades. I learned real quick that those heavy weights can turn into tungsten bullets! It’s more about doing everything in coordination or unison with the kayak, things like positioning, distance, angle, timing, etc. I do more a yo-yo-swimg to hit my target. I basically had to invent my own process which soon became habitual. I guess that’s a good point to make, that anyone can develop their own style to get the job done.

Remember that flipping and pitching are nothing but short accurate soft casts. It is my least favorite thing to do when out in the boat. I would much rather toss a plastic bait way out to far off target then do a hundred short pitches to a 20 yard target. It’s just personal preference, and I only do it when there is no other way of finding fish.

I love fishing this way. Very effective and exciting.

A wide, stable boat with a foot controlled elec motor and the ability to stand up is perfect.

Now I fish out of tiny boat with a manual motor and I must stay seated (legs are too weak and wobbly to stand).

So this is what I do: Use a 10 foot, 2 pc rod (Todd Huckabee Rod, "Meat Dragger") with a reel with a flippin switch and 40 lb braid. With a lot of practice, I can pendulum swing a bait next to cover with no splash while keeping the boat a reasonable distance away, closer than I should be but dirty water helps. It is pretty awkward, and I almost gave up on this method, but kept at it. It gets even more awkward when you hook a big one and have to hand over hand the rod to lip him!

I couldn't figure out how to flip sitting down low to the water so this is what I do. It works but I'd stand if I could.

Hope this helps if you are in a similar situation.

Pitching and flipping are two of my favorite techniques. I love, LOVE working this creek channel.

Like @A-Jay said, if you miss the mark, do your best with what you have.

I have made some perfect flips/pitches, and caught nothing...and made some mistakes, and landed some nice LMB's.

I don’t fish from a boat most of the time, but I’ve noticed the same thing in shore fishing. I practice a lot in the yard, all kinds of casting, and then on the water I’m not accurate. But I realized it’s because I was relaxed at home in the yard and I get a little bit anxious on the water.

When I’m by myself on the water and I’ve been there a while, I calm down and I have pinpoint accuracy just like in the yard.

I’m starting to get better. The other day I went fishing with a friend, and I didn’t think anything about it. I was skipping under this tree from shore. I’m not the best skipper yet, I forgot all about him though, and I was in the zone. He said “how are you doing that without backlashing?” That made me feel good.

The other thing I’ve noticed is I most often use the same wore out spinner bait for casting practice in the yard. I use a whole bunch of different kinds of rods, reels, and line. So I use a half ounce spinner bait for practice and then switch to a weightless fluke on the water, and then of course it doesn’t transfer over seamlessly. So I’ve started using a smaller spinner bait.

Pitching and flipping in the yard I'm an ace. Casting in the yard, underhand roll cast, I'm about 90% accurate. Get me in a boat casting toward the bank and I may hit where I want to 1 out of 10 times. It's something about those bushes over there that intimidate me LOL!!!

Greetings and Happy Friday All,

Yeah, standing on firm ground when casting is different than being on the water (kayak, canoe, boat, paddle board). That additional movement with variability affects cast accuracy.

The main thing is keep casting while trying to have fun with it. As many have conveyed, it may still catch fish when it is in the water. I mention 'in the water' as I've had many casts that didn't quite land in the water, yet still had a happy ending. I over shot one which landed it on the rocks. I then had to give it a tug, only to have it pop free and drop in next to a branch. Bam! The line started moving fast laterally. Wowza!

Others in the forum have previously mentioned the feathering effect when the bait approaches the water at a low angle to achieve graceful gentle landing. A bit of critical timing is necessary to apply enough resistance to lower the entry speed significantly while still hitting the intended destination. It is a deliberate oversend, with brakes applied just at the end for that quality finish.

Depending on if using a casting reel or spinning reel, the approach is to use a finger to add resistance just prior to the bait hitting the water. A similar approach is used to land a fly gently without the line bunching up due to excess energy.

Get the bait to hit the water. Then refine the delivery over time with plenty of practice. Have fun too!

Yeah, my neighbors have a great time seeing the old guy casting at the various plants in the garden when he can't be out at the lake.

Enjoy a great weekend all! Be well, Cheers!

I have days where I can hit anything and everything and I have days where I couldn’t hit the water if I fell out of the boat. No blue pill for that, just practice and patience. Still fishing whether you’re doing it well or not.

One of the things that made me a better caster was that I cast every single day for over a year. So instead of just casting in the yard occasionally I cast in the yard every single day plus fishing at least three times a week.

Casting in the yard isn’t exactly the same as on the water, and there’s no substitute for time on the water, there is likewise no substitute for time with a real in your hand.

When you’re in the yard, stand on an elevated platform. Recreate the situation and trust yourself and your muscle memory.

15 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

When you’re in the yard, stand on an elevated platform. Recreate the situation and trust yourself and your muscle memory.

An old milk crate is a handy substitute for a boat deck in the yard👍

5 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

When you’re in the yard, stand on an elevated platform. Recreate the situation and trust yourself and your muscle memory.

Ditto

Its takes practice and patience to make an accurate and silent entry when flipping or pitching, standing over sitting.

When flipping in a seated position use the shortest rod you have with less line out while bringing your rod up with your wrist only.

It doesn’t take much to get it out while bringing the line down.

It’s more of a timing thing that takes practice but not as complicated as you might think.

When pitching from a seated position it’s all wrist when holding the bait with your off hand to get the momentum you need.

In time you won’t even use your off hand it’s all a pendulum swing bringing the bait to the gunnel with a short swing up and out.

Mike