Flip And Pitch Rods - Why?

[Felix77]

In researching rods ... Most flip and pitch are heavy and at least 7'6"

 

Does either or both matter?

 

If it helps I am fishing this in weedy areas in the northern NY area.  Think Lake Champlain.  It's not like the heavy stuff in Florida at all!

 

 

Just wondering your take on the flippin' stick.

[iabass8]

a longer rod gives you more leverage to get fish out of cover. it picks more line when detecting a bite which will help you hook the bass.also allows you to pitch a greater distance at a much easier rate than with a shorter rod. i should say before you get the people in here that will say they can pitch just as far as anybody else /w a 6'6 rod the person with a longer rod will exert so much less effort pitching the same distance.

 

I pitch a lot more than i flip. im very comfortable doing it /w a 7'4 rod. very accurate /w this length as well.

[smalljaw67]

I use shorter rods, my flipping stick is 7'6" but I pitch with a 7'2". A lot of people get flipping and pitching mixed up, the reason for the long rod when flipping is you get further reach, the line you use is out and the reel is engaged, kind of like dunking a worm with a cane pole. Pitching is normally done with the same rod but I don't, I find a slightly shorter rod works better with the way I pitch, which is with a good bit of line out, with the longer rod my bait ends up hitting the water when I begin to make the pitch so the 7'2" is great. I've used the 7'2" pitching rod as a close quarter flipping stickbut have the reach of a long rod lets you stay further out while putting the bait exactly where it needs to go.

[Got1Fishing]

Basically he just covered it. If you read some articles, they say most people prefer a 7'6"  or 7'8" just because there's more leverage. I use an *** 7'1" MH and I love it. I am usually throwing 3/8oz and sometimes the occasional 1/2oz when it's really deep water, and my rod never seems to be under stress. BTW it's a great rod for the price point. 

[JWOA]

  When I was in FL I used a 7'6" pitching stick. Then I used a 7' for flipping but i cant flip.....

[Sam]

Feel and power.

 

Rods are specifically designed for the application.

 

You can use any rod you wish to flip and pitch. You may have better results if you use a dedicated flip and pitch rod balanced to your line test and bait weight.

 

There is an art to making fishing rods. Engineers go to great lengths to make the best rods for different applications as possible. One day I hope you will see the TV show where they make fishing rods. It is amazing what goes into your rods.

 

 

[Felix77]

I use shorter rods, my flipping stick is 7'6" but I pitch with a 7'2". A lot of people get flipping and pitching mixed up, the reason for the long rod when flipping is you get further reach, the line you use is out and the reel is engaged, kind of like dunking a worm with a cane pole. Pitching is normally done with the same rod but I don't, I find a slightly shorter rod works better with the way I pitch, which is with a good bit of line out, with the longer rod my bait ends up hitting the water when I begin to make the pitch so the 7'2" is great. I've used the 7'2" pitching rod as a close quarter flipping stickbut have the reach of a long rod lets you stay further out while putting the bait exactly where it needs to go.

 

Are both rods MH or H?

[Felix77]

a longer rod gives you more leverage to get fish out of cover. it picks more line when detecting a bite which will help you hook the bass.also allows you to pitch a greater distance at a much easier rate than with a shorter rod. i should say before you get the people in here that will say they can pitch just as far as anybody else /w a 6'6 rod the person with a longer rod will exert so much less effort pitching the same distance.

 

I pitch a lot more than i flip. im very comfortable doing it /w a 7'4 rod. very accurate /w this length as well.

 

Is your 7'4" MH or H?  What about the tip (Fast, XF?)

 

I am trying to gauge if it's worth investing in a longer rod and one with more heft behind it.  I am kind of torn right now.

 

Thanks

[J Francho]

 

It's not like the heavy stuff in Florida at all!

 

Ummm, you're fishing the wrong spots on Champ.  I'd say matted EU milfoil and coontail that is encrusted with baby zebes is comparable to the hydrilla I've fished in FL.

 

Personally, I don't put much stock in rods labeled flip and pitch.  Ideally, a rod best suited to one is not great for the other. Also keep in mind, both are just casts - I pitch with just about every rod and reel in my boat.  I match rod to lure and cover.  My heavy, heavy cover rod is a XXH 7'6" stick with a somewhat moderate bend - if you can call it that, lol.  Speedbead knows what I mean, I bought the thing from him.  For the heaviest of cover, I like a rod that immediately distributes the hook set across the entire blank - not just the tip, then the mid section, like the typical x-fast rod that is so popular these days.  I'm setting the hook and lifting the fish out of cover - lift and separate.  That said, the nicest rods to pitch have a somewhat softer, but super fast tip.  For flipping, it's so short range, action doesn't really matter to me.

[Felix77]

Ummm, you're fishing the wrong spots on Champ.  I'd say matted EU milfoil and coontail that is encrusted with baby zebes is comparable to the hydrilla I've fished in FL.

 

I don't doubt it ....  One day I will have my own boat and find those places

 

Someday ... someday ... 

[21farms]

most flipping and pitching rods are heavy-powered because you're usually fishing closer into cover when fishing those techniques and will want to move the fish out of there fast AND because you don't need to load the rod like you would with a normal cast. however, most flipping rods i'm familiar with are 7'6" or longer (for the reach) while most pitching-specific rods are 6'10" to 7'4". personally, i like 7'2" for pitching.

[ww2farmer]

I will pitch with any rod I own, letting cover dictate length/power/action. I like to flip with a 7'6" rod, either MH or H power depending on how thick the cover is. The longer the rod, the further from the boat I can flip, and IMHO it's a lot easier to flip cover in deeper water with a longer rod. I have tried 7'11" flipping sticks, but went back to a 7'6" and that's where I will stay, it's a good all around length.

[iabass8]

Is your 7'4" MH or H?  What about the tip (Fast, XF?)

 

I am trying to gauge if it's worth investing in a longer rod and one with more heft behind it.  I am kind of torn right now.

 

Thanks

it's a 7'4H/F the tip is more in between F and XF. fantastic for pitching.

[LMB ANGLER]

flippin sticks have to be heavy and fast action, your flipping and pitching in extremely heavy cover and if you have a weak rod, you cant get the bass out with all that grass, and you need a longer rod to flip further and get to fish out wayy back in that cover. heavy and long rods are necessary for this technique. 

[smalljaw67]

Are both rods MH or H?

 

Felix, my 7'6" flipping stick is a heavy power, fast action, my pitching rod is a medium heavy with an extra fast action, it is rated 3/8oz to 1oz, a fairly stout medium heavy and the extra fast tip makes it great to pitch with. There is differences to consider like the line type, on my flipping stick I have braid, the fast action is great but the extra fast action doesn't have enough give so I don't use braid to pitch, if I'm in heavy cover I will flip, and if I am going to make a pitch in heavy cover it is usually with 20# big game but if I was going with braid my rod would be a fast or moderate fast action.