shopping for flipping rod

[runt4561]

I need help folks. My boat was broken into this past winter and 10 of my rods/reels were stolen. I still have several setups that were inside the house but several of my key rods were taken. I am looking for a flipping rod. I have owned over 20 flipping rods in my life. a few really stand out over the others. I am going to give you guys my preferences and hopefully I can get some good feedback.

 

My flipping rod that was taken was a bass pro shops johnny morris signature series 7'6" heavy and mostly used for 3/4 oz soft plastics in central florida. I know it is not the popular choice for flipping rods but, it got the job done well and did not break in the 5 years that I owned it. That is the key for me, they have to be durable. I am 7 ft tall and 400 lbs, I wreak havoc on equipment. the only rods I have never broken are bass pro rods and g loomis. I am looking for something that can handle the same task. The BPS Johnny Morris was a little light in action for me. 3/4 oz is the most i felt comfortable flipping. I am not interested in daiwa, shimano, abu Garcia, carrot stiks, irods, g loomis. I have ruled those out for many different reasons.

 

I have a kistler klx 7'3" heavy that I do light pitching with (1/2 oz or less) and I love that rod. probably my favorite rod. I am kinda interested in another but if something out there is better, I would like to try it. I have an extra heavy 7'11" fitzgerald for punching but it weighs too much. I want comfortable, light and balanced.

 

I am intrigued by dobyns although I have a smaller mh fury and I am not impressed. also interested in powells. I bought a lews rod last year and I have been impressed with them as well. would like to know if any of you are using a lews for flipping. kinda on the fence about ducketts. i have a friend that likes his but I haven't heard anymore feedback about them. I have heard that there are some craftsmanship issues with them. I know there will be several dobyns fans and some powell fans as well.

 

basically I might be looking for two flipping rods. keep in mind, I am in florida, so the areas I fish will be similar to the delta. shallow with lots of grass, tules, hydrilla, pads etc. I am looking for a flipping rod that can handle the intermediate stuff from 1/2 oz to 1 oz and a punching rod for weights over an oz.

 

ok folks, lets see what you got. impress me!! lol  thanks for your help.

[fishballer06]

If you are most comfortable with with Johnny Morris rods, stick with them. If you are located in central Florida, I'm guessing you're fishing pretty heavy cover at times while flipping. I would suggest a rod that is rated higher than 3/4oz.

 

Another rod you may want to look into, that's around your price range, is the Okuma Scott Martin  TCS rods. I've heard nothing but great things about these rods and they come with a lifetime warranty. If you are tough on equipment, that warranty could be well worth changing brands. I believe BPS only offers 1 year now on rods?

[Kidflex]

Hammer 7'3" extra heavy. Very light and sensitive rod. Has a nice bend to it which I prefer for flipping and punching. Probably the most under rated and unknown rods out there. Tackle warehouse now carries them so I'm sure they will get more exposure. 

[junyer357]

Dobyns champion series 765 flip. I jist picked up one of these last week and was in love at first cast. Was mostly flipping 1/4 oz into brush and junk last weekend with it, but i did throw a carolina rig with 3/4oz a few times, just to see how it handled the weight and,it was no sweat. 

For punching im told the 766 is a broomstick beast. 

[roadwarrior]

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/DHC7-761-CAHFS-primmus-review.html

 

[Poolshark]

take a look into st  Croix rods....I own quite a few from these series and love them. 

legend tournament bass series

7'4 heavy fast    3/8 to 1 1/4 ounce 

7'9 heavy mod fast  1/2 to 2 ounce 

7'11 heavy mod fast  1/2 to 2 ounce 

 

mojo bass series

7'4 heavy fast  3/8 to 1 1/4 

7'6 medium/heavy mod fast  3/8 to 1 1/4

7'11 heavy mod fast  1/2 to 2 

[A-Jay]

First off ~ my condolences.   Being a larceny victim is both upsetting & frustrating.

 

I'd recommend any & All of these big sticks from St Croix's LTB Line.  Which one may simply be a matter of personal preference but two things are certain:  You'll love any one (s) you choose and they ALL Get the Job Done.

 

TBC73XHF / BIG JIG:
Our most powerful bass rod is designed to pull hawgs from the nastiest cover imaginable with jumbo-size jigs.

 

TBC74HF / SLOP-N-FROG & SWIM JIG:
Perfect rod for fishing slop and lily pads with frogs and rats. Designed to efficiently cast light frogs. Also recommended for swim jigs.

 

TBC76MHMF / PITCHIN’ & LITE FLIPPIN’:

This versatile rod is a great choice for pitching jigs into cover or for lighter flipping applications.

 

TBC79HMF / PUNCHIN’:
This heavy power rod with its moderate-fast action is ideal for punching jigs through the thickest of cover. Also well suited for flipping.

 

TBC710HF / SWIM BAIT:
A perfect rod for handling a variety of swim baits with ease and efficiency.

 

TBC711HMF / FLIPPIN’:
At just under 8', this stick provides just the right combination of power and tip flex for all heavy cover vertical presentations.

 

A-Jay

 

[J Francho]

I like the LTB line from Saint Croix - one of my favorite lines of rods.  If you're looking to spend a little less, I really like my Mat Daddy from Okuma.  It has a couple features that you'd appreciate when truly flipping.

 

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/mat-daddy-helios-review.html

[runt4561]

thanks for all of the replies. I think I am definitely leaning toward a dobyns champion. I like st Croix rods but I had an 8 foot LTB when they first came out and it was seriously unbalanced. so much that I sold it a month after I bought it. I have been interested in the okuma matt daddy, but I hear that they have soft actions. I am a big fan of stiff rods for flipping and I was concerned that they would be too soft. my issue with the parabolic actions is the bend that a heavy weight puts in the tip of the rod. it makes it difficult for me to pitch that heavy weight without making a big entry.

 

please if you guys have any more opinions, share them. I like hearing them.

[J Francho]

Action is taper.  Power would relate to "softness."  A good flipping stick spreads the load across the blank, using all it's power.  Yes, the Mat Daddy has a mod fast to fast taper or action, but it's a pool cue at rest.  "Soft" would not be a word I'd use to describe the rod, lol.

[lmbfisherman]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

First off ~ my condolences.   Being a larceny victim is both upsetting & frustrating.

 

I'd recommend any & All of these big sticks from St Croix's LTB Line.  Which one may simply be a matter of personal preference but two things are certain:  You'll love any one (s) you choose and they ALL Get the Job Done.

 

TBC73XHF / BIG JIG:
Our most powerful bass rod is designed to pull hawgs from the nastiest cover imaginable with jumbo-size jigs.

 

TBC74HF / SLOP-N-FROG & SWIM JIG:
Perfect rod for fishing slop and lily pads with frogs and rats. Designed to efficiently cast light frogs. Also recommended for swim jigs.

 

TBC76MHMF / PITCHIN’ & LITE FLIPPIN’:

This versatile rod is a great choice for pitching jigs into cover or for lighter flipping applications.

 

TBC79HMF / PUNCHIN’:
This heavy power rod with its moderate-fast action is ideal for punching jigs through the thickest of cover. Also well suited for flipping.

 

TBC710HF / SWIM BAIT:
A perfect rod for handling a variety of swim baits with ease and efficiency.

 

TBC711HMF / FLIPPIN’:
At just under 8', this stick provides just the right combination of power and tip flex for all heavy cover vertical presentations.

 

A-Jay

 

Best response.

[Oklahoma Mike]

13 hours ago, Kidflex said:

Hammer 7'3" extra heavy. Very light and sensitive rod. Has a nice bend to it which I prefer for flipping and punching. Probably the most under rated and unknown rods out there. Tackle warehouse now carries them so I'm sure they will get more exposure. 

 

I was going to also recommend Hammer but I would go with the 7'11" flipping stick, which is a XXH. It has a longer handle and larger diameter blank to help horse those pigs through thick mats. Very light and comfortable.

[mwh33]

I have used a Dobyns 746dx, Dobyns  765 flip ce, Megabass Black Jungle Super Red Demon, and a Okuma TCS mat daddy. All good rods. I use them for different applications. Dobyns 746dx is for pitching into heavy cover, Dobyns 765 flip is for tossing swim jigs into heavy cover, Super Red Demon is for punching thick mats, and the TCS is used to flip mats and flip thick cover up close.

[Mike L]

22 hours ago, Kidflex said:

Hammer 7'3" extra heavy. Very light and sensitive rod. Has a nice bend to it which I prefer for flipping and punching. Probably the most under rated and unknown rods out there. Tackle warehouse now carries them so I'm sure they will get more exposure. 

I've been hearing a lot about Hammer rods recently for some reason..

I may to check them out. 

 

 

 

Mike

[WRB]

Dobyns FR765Flip @$110, hard to beat at that price point.

Tom

[runt4561]

I ended up purchasing an okuma scott martin matt daddy 711 xh. I found somebody that had one and got to play around with it yesterday. it had the exact action I was looking for. even though the rod has a good parabolic bend through the shaft, the tip was not as soft as I thought it would be. the rod is very light and pitches a 1 1/2 oz weight very well. I ordered one last night along with a 7 ft h. thanks to all that offered your insight.