Line questions about flipping

[Fishin' Fool]

Let me preface this with I live in the north so I've mainly learned on spinning rods my whole life. The last few years I've added to my casting gear. I'm ready to increase how much I flip. My question is up here in the clear water am I better off flipping with braid or fluorocarbon. I understand if it's thick nasty stuff it braid. But what if it's more scattered weeds? Thanks for your input.

[ww2farmer]

This is just how I do it:

 

Really thick stuff = straight braid

 

scattered stuff = braid with fluorocarbon leader

 

Works for me in gin clear water which we have about 50% of the time. The rest of the time we have water that ranges from lightly stained to pea soup. Rarely do we have "muddy" water.

 

One thing to consider in clear water when fishing grass, is not so much the visability of your line, but the sound your line makes in the grass. Fluoro is smooth and silent, braid makes noise. If your going after pressured fish, using a fluoro leader to cut down on the noise might mean and extra bite or two. I only go to straight braid when I am punching really REALLY thick stuff where I have the chance to be hauling in 30lbs of grass with a 5+lb fish somewhere in that wad. That's no place for an extra knot to be in the mix.

[smr913]

I don't fish much grass mostly rocks and timber.  I like the feel of braid bc I can feel every little tick. This year I'm going to experiment with 20# Pline fluoroclear as mainline. The other reason I really like braid is it's cost.  Yard for yard it may not be that much cheaper than fc but it lasts all season if not longer. 

[Fishin' Fool]

18 minutes ago, ww2farmer said:

This is just how I do it:

 

Really thick stuff = straight braid

 

scattered stuff = braid with fluorocarbon leader

 

Works for me in gin clear water which we have about 50% of the time. The rest of the time we have water that ranges from lightly stained to pea soup. Rarely do we have "muddy" water.

 

One thing to consider in clear water when fishing grass, is not so much the visability of your line, but the sound your line makes in the grass. Fluoro is smooth and silent, braid makes noise. If your going after pressured fish, using a fluoro leader to cut down on the noise might mean and extra bite or two. I only go to straight braid when I am punching really REALLY thick stuff where I have the chance to be hauling in 30lbs of grass with a 5+lb fish somewhere in that wad. That's no place for an extra knot to be in the mix.

 

If you're flipping more scattered stuff can you use a MH rod or do you still use a H?

[ww2farmer]

32 minutes ago, Fishin' Fool said:

 

If you're flipping more scattered stuff can you use a MH rod or do you still use a H?

Both will work fine...............In lighter cover I tend to lean more towards a longer MH rod, like a 7'3" or 7'6" with a little tip, so I can make long pitches and still be accurate, which helps in clear water..........usually in clear water, you have one shot, once they know your there...........game over.

[Fishin' Fool]

18 minutes ago, ww2farmer said:

Both will work fine...............In lighter cover I tend to lean more towards a longer MH rod, like a 7'3" or 7'6" with a little tip, so I can make long pitches and still be accurate, which helps in clear water..........usually in clear water, you have one shot, once they know your there...........game over.

 

So you're saying I'm gonna need some practice.  I'm thinking I'm behind the eight ball before I get going. Because I envisioned I was gonna flip with my right hand, switch the rod to my left and reel with my right hand.

[Glenn]

3 minutes ago, Fishin' Fool said:

Because I envisioned I was gonna flip with my right hand, switch the rod to my left and reel with my right hand.

 

Nothing wrong with that. There's no "right" or "wrong" way, just what feels comfortable for you.

 

As for line, I fish similar water as you, and I use 50lb Seaguar green Smackdown braid.  It's a thin-diameter line, so it's not as visible as braid from the not too distant past.

 

Still, I'll switch to 20 or 25lb Seaguar Fluoro Flippin' line when I'm fishing sparse vegetation. Braid is just overkill in those situations.

[fishnkamp]

Another option is to go with P Line CXX in moss green. That copolymer line breaks at 23 pounds so it works well in clear water while providing a real strong abrasion resistant line. The only thing is that is a line with some memory. Make sure to use a good line conditioner. It also helps to stretch the line out once in a while. 

[flyingmonkie]

I'm generally throwing flouro.  I don't worry about breaking off 25# flouro, and it excels in wood/brush which is usually what I flip.  Braid is great at cutting through vegetation, but it can also have the tendency to cut into wood.

[roadwarrior]

https://seaguar.com/about-seaguar/press-releases/99-seaguar-partners-with-denny-brauer-to-launch-new-flippin-lines.html

 

[RichF]

I'm from NY so that's where I do most of my fishing.  I get your concern with the clear water but don't know if it matters a whole lot.  I flip with 20lb flouro and a heavy rod around scattered grass, wood, and rock, 50lb straight braid in the thick stuff.  My father flips 99% of his time on the water, always with straight braid, no matter the cover or water clarity.  He does awesome and will tell you the bass don't care.  I used to do the same thing and didn't have any issues.  I just changed a bit because I like the way flouro handles and its abrasion resistance.  It also gives my baits a different fall rate. 

[basss]

I use braid, never know when you' re gonna need it. 

[RoLo]

In the areas best suited to flipping and pitching, line visibility is not an issue.

Bass in heavy vegetation are shrouded in shade even during the midday sun.

 

Chris Lane won the last Bassmaster Tourney on the St. Johns River.

Chris was flipping Lake Dexter with Hi-Vis 80-lb braid (No Leader of course)

 

Roger