I first got the idea for this article while sitting on my boat at a fishing tournament. After being on a long hiatus from the lake, my casting accuracy had decreased significantly. Every time I cast I would cringe at the accuracy I had lost by being off the lake for just a few months time.
So, here is what I came up with to keep my casting accuracy up to par while I'm not on the water!
First: Purchase a cheap 1/4 oz-1/2 oz jig, and tie it on to your favorite Carrot Stix rod. These rods are simply the best rod you can get with excellent casting, feel, and sensitivity across the board.
I usually cut the hook off to keep it from getting snagged upon retrieval.
Second: Find a 5 gallon bucket, a small bucket or pot, and then use a can of upside down marker paint and draw a circle about 2-3 foot in diameter. I also drew a couple of lines on the ground at 20', 35', and 50' away from the targets I set up. (You can add more targets if you like)
I then alternate targets pitching, flipping, and casting at each target from different distances and angles.
To keep it interesting, invite a fishing buddy over and come up with your own points system to have some friendly competition!
I can do all of this off of my pool deck in my back yard or in my pasture and it only took me about 10 minutes to set it up the first time around.
Remember, if you can't hit the spots you want to hit, you are putting yourself at a serious disadvantage to catch the fish! As my college football coach always told me, "Repetition, Repetition, Repetition!"
Thanks for the read and I hope this gives some of you a good practice idea, or at least a fun way to kill time and have some friendly competition between tournaments.
Tight Lines!
BassMasterBrett