I fished a great old lake this morning.  Endless bank cover and great obstacles.  My casting accuracy with the spinning set up was awful.  7ft medium action old 60s Garcia Conolan rod and another Ugly Stick worm rod with Pinnacle Extant reels.  Fishing from an inflatable boat low on the water.  Should I go for a shorter rod with a little more action to it, or should I just keep practicing with what I have.  My casts are high and to the left a lot of the time.  I just felt like I could never get enough flex in the rod to shoot the lure low and in the direction I wanted it to go.  Any advice welcomed.

I think a shorter rod would improve your accuracy, but the one you have can be plenty accurate.  If you are having problems a little practice will straighten it right out.  On the whole baitcasters are much more accurate than spinning equipment.

On the whole baitcasters are much more accurate than spinning equipment.

This is a statement we see quite often, but with a little practice is not necessarily true. I fish both types of equipment and am more accurate with spinning outfits. Regardless of the specific tackle, you will become more proficient over time. A shorter, stiffer rod is more easily controlled that a longer, soft rod, but then you sacrafice distance. Like most things in life, there are trade-offs.

I guess it depends on your casting.  If you aren't to far away from brush, cover, shore, etc... then a shorter stiffer rod maybe easy to throw the lure under a tree or to a certain part of the brush.  While the longer rod maybe be better to throw a lure out farther, if you were going to run a lure along the grassy/lilly pads, along the shore line, etc...  So it is up to if your close to your throw or maybe trying to cover more water.  

I prefer the longer ones for casting crankbaits and spinners, so I can cover more water, and then use a shorter one for plastics so I can center in on a certain area, but that's just me.

Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice  

I guess it depends on your casting. If you aren't to far away from brush, cover, shore, etc... then a shorter stiffer rod maybe easy to throw the lure under a tree or to a certain part of the brush. \

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Yes. I was fishing close in.  The longer medium rod just seemed to be too long and too stiff.  As I would try to compensate my accuracy just got worse.  I was much better with longer casts than shorter ones.

I agree that you can be just as accurate with a spinning setup.  Just takes more practice and less room for error.

I have tired to do that a couple of times with the long rods, adjust your throw when your use to throwing it a certain way.  I usually lose my accuracy too.  I just switch to a certain rod, but I know not every boat made, equiped, or have room for numberous rods.

good advice here.

Shorter rods are alot easier to cast with accuracy.

baitcasters are easier to cast with accuracy.

But practice practice practice is the great equalizer.

Just don't forget to have fun.  

Practice with a small bucket or a peice of cardboard with a bullseye painted on it. I cast from my back deck because it is just like being a little higher than the water level in a boat.

Get some practice plugs like these .....

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Next, get a few old buckets, or some old tires and set them out at various distances in the back yard.

Then move on to obstacles like putting a sawhorse in front of the tire.  After a week or so of doing this an hour a day you will be hitting coffee cans.  

I have a few of the Pinnacle Extant Baitcasters, and they aren't very forgiving in my opinion.  They are good reels, but they aren't forgiving.  

Whatever you do don't get frustrated, and just keep practicing.  Remember the best way to get out a backlash is to crank the reel once until it engages.  Loosen out the drag entirely, and pull it out by hand.  I don't know how many friends I've had that gave up on baitcasters, because they didn't understand the 'birds nest' concept or how to properly get one out.