Pithchin help needed

[bucktail]

I suck at pitchin!!!!!

 

I cant seem to control, the line coming off my reel. It either overuns or I dont get any velocity.

Can anyone give me some tips?

 

Reel setup? Preffered line? Anything.

 

I am using a Curado with a medium heavy Loomis casting rod with 50lb braid.

 

 

D

Edited August 5, 2011 by bucktail

[Harrison]

realease the bail, the lure should fall slowly and the spool should stop spinning once the lure hits the ground. If not, adjust teh magnets. This is a good starting point.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Harrison

[msp]

You may already know this but you can adjust your reel to match the weight of the jig you are using. keep it a little tight at first until you are more comfortable before you set it on free spool. shorter pitches helps with accuracy and practice as much as you can.

[Fang]

Start off with a heavier weight too. Take a larger jig +1/2 oz and cut the hook point off. Add a plastic trailer and practice with that on dry land. To start off pick targets that are 10-15 feet away and get the feel down with your thumb letting pressure off the spool and then back on to slow the lure right at point of impact. Get this down and then move back a few steps. I walk around my backyard all the time pitching into the garden, under lawn chairs and for a tough pitch try and get it under the BBQ.

[irishfield]

...sorry, I thought you were trying out for the Jays Darren !

[Dutch]

I second the heavier weight suggestion.

 

Also, just practise.

 

Put all the brakes on your curado, but loosen up on the spool screw - use your thumb to control the spool.

 

I find for me pitching is better with a shorter rod (6'6"). With my seven footer, I just get frustrated.

[ld17]

definitely go with heavier weights. 3/4 oz up to 1 oz. One key thing that is working for me is to have the proper length of line out. I usually have my bait hang down to about my reel. This give me just the right length. Next with the bail open I keep my rod say about 11 O'Clock and this is the key let bait fall away from the rod in a pendulum motion first before you flick your wrist to give the added distance. When you time this right you will get a nice taught line as your bait falls away. It also keeps the bait low to the water for a silent entry. With work and practice you will get better. But you have to practice. Also after a dozen flips or pitches I usually fire a long cast off the deep side of the boat to get all the slack out and reel back in tight so I'm ready again for a series of pitches. Good luck.

[ecmilley]

how are you pitchen? I use my 7'6 rod and i load the rod first by holding the jig before i let go as you get better you can forgo holding the jig, and practice practice practice

[dada2727]

practice in your yard, thats how I learned. set up some targets and practice, practice, practice! you should be able to pitch a half ounce jigs no problem, lots of weight.

[MSBruno]

set 4 brakes on and 2 off with your curado. set the spool tension a little stiffer and as you get better, loosen it up.

 

I get guests on my boat to pitch with curado's setup this way and they don't even need thumb the reel.

[Grimace]

Keep the fastballs low in the strikezone. Keep your hands behind the ball, don't get under the ball. Thats how those pitches get up at the letters. Don't let power hitters extend their arms. Oh one minute, your talking about fishing. Never mind.

[vinnimon]

Hey Darren, a buddy gave me a reel that he thought thats was pooched I took a look at it and it was fine, I double checked and its a flipping(quantum pitching) reel

If you get the hang of yours, pitch me a pm and I will give mine a shot for bass one day.

[bucktail]

I think Ill set it up as everyone says and keep it at the back door and practise everytime Im out in the back yard!

Vinni....might have some more time off coming up.

 

Update

 

 

Just changed the setup to what you guys recomended and it made a world of difference. Now just to gete my speeed up so i can get deep under those docks.

Edited August 7, 2011 by bucktail

[ChrisK]

Yup,practice practice practice....

While your watching tv,taking the dog for a walk,cuttin the grass or just standing around in front of the BBQ havin a beer

It'll come.....

[misfish]

practice in your yard, thats how I learned. set up some targets and practice, practice, practice! you should be able to pitch a half ounce jigs no problem, lots of weight.

[Garry2Rs]

You need a decent reel, but you don't need a $300.00 model.

I am using a little Curado 50 with great success.

Practise is very important, you have to be able to thumb to do this cast.

Setting the reel up is the key IMHO.

 

This is how I set-up my reel...

I turn on all of the centrifugal brakes.

These brakes are meant to control the spool when it tries to accelerate faster than the line is going out.

As when your pitching!

 

The friction brake is not needed, loosen it right off.

The friction brake adds drags to the spool axle so that the spool stops turning when the lure hits the water on an overhead cast. This constant drag slows the spool throughout the cast and costs you distance.

This brake is for people who can't thumb.

You can't Pitch if you can't thumb...Practise!

 

Pitching and Flipping are short range casts and a long Pitch is only about 30 feet.

These casts are used around heavy cover...You are very close to the fish.

This is a stealth technique and the goal is to cast the bait close to the water so that it lands without a splash.

 

Hold the bait, dip the rod tip then swing the rod tip up and out.

You will let the bait slip out of your fingers and swing away from you...

Let the line start to run off the reel as the bait reaches the bottom of it's arch.

You want the bait to remain at about this same height above the water from there all the way to the target,

not arch back up then fall down with a splash.

 

You will stop the spool when the bait drops in, or reaches the target, then you will feed line to the bait, so it falls straight down.

 

If you fined that you are lowering the rod tip as the bait reaches the target, and the bait settles without a splash, that is ideal!

 

Unless you are using big heavy jigs and trailers, I think a 6.5 or 7ft medium rod is easier to pitch with.

Garry2R's

Edited August 7, 2011 by garry2rs

[OhioFisherman]

Pitching really isn`t limited to a casting reel.

 

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/more-freshwater/2003/06/do-little-jig

 

http://www.flwoutdoors.com/ap/photos.cfm?mid=97939

 

Ron Yurko is formerly from my area and won a bunch of cash on a regular basis, he could flip or pitch with what ever reel he had in his hand.

 

I used the same reels for light lures, it wasn`t a casting reel.