Hey guys!

Me and my bro are in the middle of an argument involving pitching a soft plastic lure. When i pitch, i leave the spool open and let the lure hit the bottom. He engages the spool immediately after the lure enters the water. I believe that causes the lure to pendulum back to you. How do you guys do it? Are either of our techniques right?

NOTE: We usually pitch in about 4-6ft of water.

At times both methods will work so your both right.

Listen to the bass grasshopper.

Most of the time probably 95% of the time you should wait until the bait hits the bottom.  The only time I engage the spool early is if I am pitching at a steep bank and I want to try to get the bait to fall at an angle so it can free fall without hitting the bottom. But I usually hold the line with my fingers instead of engaging the spool.

let it fall. most of the time.

    I don't engage the spool until the soft plastic hits the bottom. The only time I might engage the spool is when I am pitching in super shallow water and it won't make a difference if I engage the spool.

I always leave the spool open

WOW, wait till i show him this, LOL!!!  ;D

i let it hit bottom freely as well......

yeah im goin with most others here- let it fall.

I let mine hit the ground, unless of course I see it start to move!!

Just make sure while the spool is open that you watch your line closely. A sudden jerk from a large fish will give you a backlash and possibly take the rod from you if your are caught of guard.

Just make sure while the spool is open that you watch your line closely. A sudden jerk from a large fish will give you a backlash and possibly take the rod from you if your are caught of guard.

And that's always when the big ones seem to hit, when i'm off guard, LOL!

spool open

Let it hit bottom before I turn the handle..

most of the time i let it fall also.

Not only will I leave the spool open but most times I'll strip line to make sure my lures is on the bottom

spool open!

Not only will I leave the spool open but most times I'll strip line to make sure my lures is on the bottom

I agree with catt on this one %100.  When you engage the spool too soon, you lose that "dead fall" that gets the bass going.  As I've learned from being here, most strikes will occur on this initial fall.

BTW, this also applies to spinning reels...

Not only will I leave the spool open but most times I'll strip line to make sure my lures is on the bottom

I agree with catt on this one %100. When you engage the spool too soon, you lose that "dead fall" that gets the bass going. As I've learned from being here, most strikes will occur on this initial fall.

BTW, this also applies to spinning reels...

Agreed Id let it fall

Spool open as well.  Wait for it to hit the bottom.

 

Later,

I like the bait to fall on a slack line, most times.  That means free spool, and stripping line.  I do not want too much slack, though.  There are times, when fishing pockets that I do want the bait to pendulum through the whole, and for that, I just thumb the spool after the pitch.

Not only will I leave the spool open but most times I'll strip line to make sure my lures is on the bottom

X2

AWESOME, looks like i win, LOL!!! THANKS GUYS   ;D

AWESOME, looks like i win, LOL!!! THANKS GUYS ;D

I agree that you're both right, depending on what you want to accomplish.  If you are pitching to fish you know are on the bottom and I want a vertical fall, then I'll do it the way you described. This is what most will probably do. Your brother's method does not allow for a vertical fall, but there are going to be times you might want to let it swing like a pendelum down (no me likey most often).  For example, if they're busting it up on top, why in the world would any angler wait until the bait hits the bottom. We or at least I wouldn't. I'd pitch and engage and work it on top as your brother (no pendelum though). Letting it fall to the bottom would put your bait out of the zone.

However in the conventional sense, the way you do it and others here have said, your way is most likely the preferred way.

I almost always let mine free spool.