Pitching

Pitching is often confused with "Flipping" and what pitching really is a specialized casting method where lures are cast (or "pitched") at close range, often 25 yards or less. The method is used almost exclusively with bait-casting tackle, primarily for largemouth bass.

The pitching technique is used in a variety of fishing situations where the conventional casting motion is not practical or possible. Pitching enables allows you to place lures into precise locations with accuracy that often can't be achieved with an overhead or sidearm cast. These locations include the undersides of boat docks, covered boat slips, holes or edges within weedbeds or brushpiles, bridge pilings, underneath overhanging vegetation or tree limbs, and many other forms of cover above or below the water. Pitching can also be employed whenever you need to land a lure softly, with minimal noise or splashing, at an exact target.

Technically, pitching can be accomplished with just about any type of rod and reel, though bait-casting gear is the choice of most anglers. Unlike spinning or spin-casting reels, a bait-cast reel allows the angler to precisely control how much line is unleashed on the pitch. Rod length, action and line weight can vary according to the presence of cover, water clarity and fish size.

Pitching Technique

There are two basic ways to pitch a lure on bait-casting tackle. The first, and most common, method is to simply make short, underhand casts by gently lobbing the lure toward the intended target. The cast control mechanism on the reel should be adjusted so that the spool can turn with minimal effort. As the lure is cast, the thumb should be taken off the spool earlier than it would for a normal overhead cast. This flattens the trajectory of the line and the lure as they move toward the target, enabling both to reach low-lying targets. However, the thumb should "feather" the spool to prevent overrun and to soften the lure's landing.

The second, and more difficult, pitching stroke involves gently grabbing the lure with the non-casting hand and releasing it as the rod hand swings the rod toward the target. This requires the angler to leave a length of slack line, approximately two-thirds of the length of the rod, hanging prior to the cast. At the start of each cast, the lure is lightly grasped, the rod is pointed downward, and in one single motion, the rod is swung upward and outward toward the target in a backhand motion, just as the lure is released from the hand. Although it takes some practice, this pitching style can produce increased accuracy and lower trajectory than the simple underhand lob.

Pitching Lures

Virtually any artificial lure can be used with the pitching technique; however, soft plastic baits and leadhead or rubber-skirted jigs are the most common. No matter which lure is used, it is often rigged in a weedless fashion to produce the greatest results.