"Jim" wrote in message
om...
"SimRacer" wrote in message
.com...
(Do you
really think casting is that different than a golf swing? I don't.
Muscle
memory and repetition are key.)

Sim, you are so right! Today when I was out on the water and
experimenting with a side arm cast, I used both hands on the rod
(probably violating all bass fishing etiquette) and tried a golf swing
type snap. I found that I really could cast a mile doing that. I am
working on that snap and its timing in overhead too. I'm starting to
get some real nice casts that way. Of course I'm also getting some
short ones and many of the side casts don't go where I planned, but
that just makes the good ones more appreciated.

Thanks,

JimC

Well, I wasn't saying they were exactly the same, but so long as it works
for you, I'd say use it. I more or less meant that you had to learn a good
casting motion, and then practice it (like practicing a golf swing) so your
muscle memory takes over in the field and it more or less becomes second
nature.

The problem is, also like in golf, there are different swings/motions/casts
that can be used, so you have to find a version of each that you like
(overhead, sidearm, flipping/pitching, etc) and then practice them until you
don't even have to think about it. Every year, prior to my first trip out
(which is usually in February here in NC), I will dedicate a few warm
afternoons to standing on my front casting deck, on the trailor, in my back
yard, casting at targets around my back yard. Warms those fishing muscles
back up a little, and gets me back in tune with the nuances required for
each rig, at each casting distance, with various casting styles and lure
weights. I know, sounds crazy, but I fish like I golf, not often enough, and
I never go out to the course without hitting the driving range first, so in
that regard fishing is not different to me. I like to "tune up" before
hitting the water too.

Then you'll know (after putting in the practice), when all is said and done
and you're casting like a champ, and catching fish as a result, that people
calling it luck are simply uninformed. To me, luck is simply where
preparation meets opportunity. Ergo when you perfect that side-armed,
lure-skipping cast, you'll be better prepared to use it when you come across
that abandoned dock that *must* hold a couple of nice hawgs underneath it...
:-)