So this morning I was outside practicing some dif casts in my driveway for about an hour, while sitting on the tailgate of my truck.

Everyone that drove by looked at me like I was crazy.

Maybe I am! lolz

Dan

No worries there,I used to do that EVERY weekend after my dad taught me how to fish.I would beg him to take me fishing but either it was too hot or windy or he was busy,he still took me lots though. Man was I hooked on fishing(still am) I would go in the yard and out in the street with my Zebco 202 and fiberglass rod,Send a bass casting sinker flying,sometimes hitting peoples parked cars(WHOOPS--SEE). I could probably open a terminal tackle store if I were to climb into the tree that was in the front yard of my old house and retrieve all the swivels and sinkers I broke off up in there.'

My friends would even "pretend fishing" They(my friends) were the fish,and I would cast out and reel in my sinker and they would have to chase it,MAN did they put up a fight when I "Hooked" em. Then it would get hot and they would get "Lockjaw" and no matter what scenario I would put together I couldnt get em to bite.(they basically got bored of the game) Eventually they sprouted legs, crawled out of the water(which was the grass in my front yard) got on thier bikes and pedaled home for dinner.........AHH the child hood memories.

AND FRESHLYHOOKED THOUGHT HE GOT STRANGE LOOKS FROM PASSERS BY

ahh, the memories I have of learning to fly fish,...I caught more grass and more clothes lines than anyone else in the neighborhood!!

this week that is what I did, cast and cast to the grass.....practicing with that baitcaster. Sorry no memory of casting into the grass in the childhood  :-[, it would have been fun.

Don't feel bad I still yard fish. I do it mainly now to check out a new line or other equipment. So your not the only one.

Nope, you aren't alone.  Been yard fishing for years.  If you really want your neighbors to think you are nuts try standing on a step ladder to simulate a casting deck pitching a jig into a coffee can.  There was a method to my madness, but they didn't know that ;D.  Except one guy-he knew exactly what I was doing.  Naturally he was a fellow basss fisherman ;D

Like Chris, and Reb,

But I still hop up on the bow of my boat (on the trailer in the drive) and pitch to spots around the yard. I do this every time I finish a rod I have built, or anytime I re-spool new line.

It's still funny to me how many different birds are attracted to a pitched worm.   ;D

As for the neighbors, they know I'm nuts.  

I try and do it every day I'm not fishing, have even done it in the rain!  Crazy, maybe.  Obsessed, for sure!  Luckily my neighbor that can see me also is a fisherman and my other neighbor can't see me.  Wouldn't care if he could though.

To see how lures act underwater, you should try catsting into a pool. ;D

I fish my pool often. I always fish new hard baits in the pool, it's surprising just how many are defective right out of the box.

I'm still searching for the right bait. I've fished all hours of the day and even occasionally at night. I still can't get a bite.

Just watch out for the puppy bream piles  

I have a 24' pool and some rings that i scatter in it and try and hit with a lure.

I keep one rod rigged with a hookless fluke, just to antaganize my neighbors cat with.

Hey mudpuppy,

I'm fairly new to this bass fishing stuff, just how do you rig a fluke without a hook?

    I also practice in my yard a lot.  I usually stand on a bucket to get me off the ground.  My 4 cats are a major pain.  They always seem to find me when i want to practice.  : I wish i had my own pond.

A friend and I used to have casting contests in the yard. We would each pick a lure to bet and which ever one of us was the closest to the most targets won the lure. It was great practice and loads of fun. I still yard fish. I take the hooks off of old lure to keep them from hanging. I pick targets in the yard and cast to them. It has greatly improved my accuracy.

I wrap the line around it like on a snelled hook, you might just tie it in the center also. It has to be pretty tight, tape might work, they get rough. I know he has gotten where first or second cast , all I see is a red blur streak across the yard and he is balled up on the fluke. Sometimes after a few throws he will get bored and I can toss what ever I want to "at least for a while" We have a pond but I get alot more action out of the cat, and don't have to jack with a bunch of small fish.

Thanks Muddpuppy,

I've been hearing a lot about shaking fish off during prefishing, I haven't started fishing tournaments yet.

I just bought my first fiberglass bass boat a couple months ago and I plan on starting tournaments in September.  

If you are going to acturally fish with them you may want to flatten the barb on a hook or cut it off at the bend to make them barbless. I was just doing that to torment the creatures around the house. I am not sure what kind of action you will keep by tying the baits like that, but you could try. They also make a hook and the name ecsapes me at the moment where the barbs are on the out side of the hook it makes it a little quicker and easier to shake fish off if you are going for numbers or practice fishing a spot.

To see how lures act underwater, you should try catsting into a pool

Been there and done that.  I had a lot of fun doing that when I lived in an apartment-talk about strange looks!  Except for other fishermen-they thought it was a great idea and they started doing it ;D

ahh yes yard fishing great times but nothing beats the real thing i think you would all agree