Creating a Combo Specificly for Jigs/flipping

[BassFishingMachine]

I have been creating a combo specificly for throwing Jigs/flipping soft baits into stick piles, lillypads, breaking through weeds etc. So I just wanted to know what you think of what I chose so far. I bought a 6foot 6inch Medium Power Fast Action St Croix Rod. For line I chose 15lb test PLine Fluoroclear, I wanted 12lb test, but they only had 8lb and 15lb  :-/, at Dicks this is. The rod recommends 8lb-12lb, so hopefully it all goes well. So what do you guys think so far? Are my choices fairly good? What lb test/line do you use on your jigging/flipping rod? I still need a reel for this setup, so I could use a recommendation on one, looking for something that has a good amount of ball bearings (basiclly meaning its got a nice smooth feel) It also has to be a spinning reel, but I don't want to spend anything over $120, any ideas?

[LakeAnnaBasser]

For the rod you would probably want something around 7 foot and at least MH or H action. As for the reel baitcasting would be best but you said you want a spinning reel. I would feel a variety to see what reel you like. And line I usually use a 20 lb braid.

[grimlin]

Honestly i wouldn't go under 7' heavy/fast...specially around lily pads.Personal choice on my part.

[Pond Hopper]

6'6" or 7' MH or H, fast tip is a must.  Also for the reel you want a high speed reel to retrieve slack quickly.  I like 6'6" rods and a 7.1:1 would be a good gear ratio for the reel...although thats JMO

[luckyinkentucky]

Same here.  I wouldn't go under 7', and a Heavy action on the rod.  I'd use a minimum 20 lb. braid, and a baitcast reel.  You want a line that you will be able to horse the fish out of the tangles when they get caught up in the roots and tuners on lilypads and thick cover in general.  

[BassFishingMachine]

Yeah I thought the heavy would be best, I chose the medium because I love using the light rods, so I tryed to get away with the Medium 6'6", hopefully someday I can pull myself away from the light stuff when it comes to freshwater, and try the heavier rods, the fight is just so amazing on the light poles, but then again your sacraficing fight for hookup/catching the fish  :-/. Also the jigs I like to use are usually no bigger then 5/16 ounce. But what do you mean about a rod with a fast tip?

[LakeAnnaBasser]

A fast tip is more stiff. A moderate tip wpuld be flimsy like a crankbait rod.

[cart7t]

Yeah I thought the heavy would be best, I chose the medium because I love using the light rods, so I tryed to get away with the Medium 6'6", hopefully someday I can pull myself away from the light stuff when it comes to freshwater, and try the heavier rods, the fight is just so amazing on the light poles, but then again your sacraficing fight for hookup/catching the fish  :-/. Also the jigs I like to use are usually no bigger then 5/16 ounce. But what do you mean about a rod with a fast tip?

There won't be any fight.  You'll lose immediately.  The primary object in a flippin/jig rod is to get the fish out of cover ASAP after you've set the hook.  Any second lost in turning that fish puts it at the advantage.  That wimpy medium action spinning rod has just put any future battle with any decent sized fish in heavy cover in his court.  Buy plenty of jigs, you'll need them.  

[roadwarrior]

The bottomline is "flipping" has very little (nothing) to do with fighting a fish.

The technique is designed to pull a bass out of cover and get it in the boat,

PRONTO!

Although this is a VERY productive technique, as a recreational fisherman,

I don't care a thing about it.  

[flechero]

The bottomline is "flipping" has very little (nothing) to do with fighting a fish.

The technique is designed to pull a bass out of cover and get it in the boat,

PRONTO!

Although this is a VERY productive technique, as a recreational fisherman,

I don't care a thing about it.  

Kent,

That surprises me a little... You normally profess to be a big fish guy more than a pure rec angler.  I know you like to play the fish but a high % of my life's bigger fish came from flippin' and pitching the nasty stuff.  Most swimbait set ups are HEAVY + and the drags are cranked all the way down and you took up swimbaiting this year and seemed to like it.  Although very different, there are certain aspects that are almost the same.  Both seem to be a big fish, heavy rod technique with a "get em to the boat fast" mentality.

I know I missed something, so what is it?

Purely curious.

[roadwarrior]

Hey Keith,

I guess I'm relating mostly to pond fishing. One of my ponds gets covered up completely around the bank in the summertime, but there are always little open pockets. One afternoon I brought out the heavy rig and big jig. Almost EVERY pocket held a big bass. Drop the jig, lift the bass...Yep, they were (mostly) big, a couple HUGE! But...that's all there was to it. I guess it was fun once, but just not something I wanted to continue doing.

However, your point is well taken. On big water, especially on an otherwise slow day, I can see where this technique could be fun. There is NO argument that flipping can be a BIG fish technique.

[flechero]

Thanks, that makes perfect sense...  I wasn't even thinking about the pond.  I had a bunch of Turkey Run and ForK images in my head, where you can't get the boat to the fish to "lift" them out.  We have lots of times where it looks like a circus trying to find a way to get a good fish out before she saws the XT off in the gunch, and you can't play them normally.  

[fishfordollars]

I fish a heavy rod with braid in the Hydrilla. When you stick a fish the braid will cut through the grass like a knife and keep him from balling up. The purpose is to stick him, keep his head up, and get him moving toward you immediately otherwise he is tied up and gone. Usually use 65lb. braid

[BassFishingMachine]

I rather a big fish have an advantage over me, then bring him in easy. I want a fight, im fishing recreational. So I'll take the chance of losing the fish with the benefit of if I catch him, itll be a beautiful fight worth while. I can understand in a tournament you want to get that fish in the boat immediately, but its all fun and games for me. If I lose a jig here and there so be it, I don't mind buying more, the ones I buy are 2$-2.50, so its no biggie. All in all I rather catch the fish and have it give a nice fight, or not catch the fish at all.

[flechero]

I rather a big fish have an advantage over me, then bring him in easy. I want a fight, im fishing recreational. So I'll take the chance of losing the fish with the benefit of if I catch him, itll be a beautiful fight worth while. I can understand in a tournament you want to get that fish in the boat immediately, but its all fun and games for me. If I lose a jig here and there so be it, I don't mind buying more, the ones I buy are 2$-2.50, so its no biggie. All in all I rather catch the fish and have it give a nice fight, or not catch the fish at all.

I think you are missing the point.  The advantage still goes to the fish.  We are talking about areas that you can not have a pretty fight and play fish.  You may be flipping areas that are open but that's not where we went.  I got news for you also... there is nothing easy about it...  you hook a good fish (insert your own # here) and have to get him out the middle of a submerged tree or from under a 2 story boathouse with upwards of 50 piers and crossmembers.  You can't "play them beautifully" unless you are using trolling wire for line and then you are going to beat the fish to death by the time she clears the last obstruction.  ...lol

I do understand what you mean, I just think you misunderstood what we meant.

[Chris at Tech]

I rather a big fish have an advantage over me, then bring him in easy. I want a fight, im fishing recreational. So I'll take the chance of losing the fish with the benefit of if I catch him, itll be a beautiful fight worth while. I can understand in a tournament you want to get that fish in the boat immediately, but its all fun and games for me. If I lose a jig here and there so be it, I don't mind buying more, the ones I buy are 2$-2.50, so its no biggie. All in all I rather catch the fish and have it give a nice fight, or not catch the fish at all.

I think you are missing the point.  The advantage still goes to the fish.  We are talking about areas that you can not have a pretty fight and play fish.  You may be flipping areas that are open but that's not where we went.  I got news for you also... there is nothing easy about it...  you hook a good fish (insert your own # here) and have to get him out the middle of a submerged tree or from under a 2 story boathouse with upwards of 50 piers and crossmembers.  You can't "play them beautifully" unless you are using trolling wire for line and then you are going to beat the fish to death by the time she clears the last obstruction.  ...lol

I do understand what you mean, I just think you misunderstood what we meant.

x2.

If hooking fish in the slop and not landing them is fun for you, then have at it  Personally, I get frustrated at every fish I don't land, and that would be a lot if I was using lighter equipment in the weeds, piles and pads.

[Tin]

You will hook the fish, the fish will run to cover, get caugh up, and snap you off. Thats how the fight will go. Sorry dude, go heavy.

[BassFishingMachine]

Yes but if its a real nice fish I would get to go swimming for him, and If I mounted him just imagine that fish story man... You know what I mean? Every time someone asked me how I caught that baby I could say "yep... got him on a medium action pole, couldn't bring him out of that thick cover so I went in  there after him, faught him fist to lip, and well we can see who won" Now don't you think thatll make a better fish story then "Yep I hooked him in a real thick stick pile and ripped that baby right outta of it with my heavy aciton rod, lipped him and here he is on my wall"

[BassFishingMachine]

But I probably will use a heavy action sooner or later, I Bought the rod before I even made the post, so im stuck with the medium action, just trying to make the best of it. Hopefully it goes well.

[flechero]

"Yep I hooked him in a real thick stick pile and ripped that baby right outta of it with my heavy aciton rod, lipped him and here he is on my wall"

I know you are kidding around but that's not how it goes, at all!!  

We could be on a totally different page.  I don't know what water you fish or for that matter, what you consider "thick."  Your M rod could be great for your water.  And the worst case scenario is that you got a great topwater and senko rod...  you can always get something heavier later, when you decide that you need it.  

[jwo1124]

This is one of the best posts I've read all day.

I can see where Bass Machine is coming from. He isn't into tournament fishing where the name of the game is hook 'em, flip 'em, and lip 'em. I have watched many Bass Master tournaments on TV and when you see the guys flippin' that heavy gress with a big 7' H or XH pole and 80 lb. braid, it takes them a few seconds to get that fish in the boat. It seems he is out for more of a challenge than a sure thing. In tournament fishing, where your main or secondary income is on the line, you better be sure every fish that tugs your line is ging in the livewell. For recreational guys, as Bass_Machine put it, it's all fun and games; until someone loses an eye of course ;D So I guess for BFM, he finds fun and excitement in a challenge, or perhaps it's from taking on the underdog position that many anglers spend countless dollars on trying to do that to the bass.

Personally, I would think that would be just as fun hooking up witha bass 5 feet out and yanking it out of heavy cover as it would be hooking a bass on a crank or spinnerbait 50 feet out and fighting them in. You still get that adrenaline rush when you feel that fish tug on your line and you set that hook. It doesn't matter if the fight is 3 seconds or 30 seonds, you still get that rush of excitement which makes it all worth while once you are holding that fish.

To each his own. From what I know now, I wouldn't reccommend a 6'M rod, especially a spinning rod, for flippin' a jig into heavy cover. But if you'd ask me why, I'd say because you won't be able to horse the fish out. But as BFM said, he find more joy in catching a fish that actually has a fighting chance, more than he does than just catching a fish. And I can totally respect that, he's not fishing for money, so If he loses a fish, it's really no sweat of his brow. Sure it stinks he may go home with out a picture of a fish on his thumb, but he'll still feel that rush when the fish hits and he sets the hook. He may not feel the satisfaction of landing it, but he may still have fun. And for the rec. angler, that's all it's really about. Plus, as BFM already alluded to, catching a bass out of heavier cover with a M action spinning rod is more of an accomplishment than horsing one out with a H power rod and heavy braid.

Tight lines to Bass fishing Machine and to everyone else.

Just don't let me find you in my fishing spot J/K

.....but really, there'es a whole lake-Get Outta Here!