best Reel for Flippin and Pitchin

[trevor]

I am pretty new to bass fishing. What are your guys' top choices (under 200$, okay maybe a little over) for flippin and pitchin?

I had been looking at Ardent, but everyone says theyre crap, so now im not!

[bt fisherman]

i go with a diawa sol i have one and it works great

[NorCalFishinguru]

You might want to look into abu garcia. The revos have some beefy drag, are pretty solid, and you get a free pair of Wiley X sunglasses

[J Francho]

You can flip and pitch with any reel, each are just casting techniques.

[grimlin]

My choice is Daiwa Fuego...Like J Francho said,you can pitch and flip with pretty much anything.

[trevor]

ok. i was just thinking that some reels may be particularly suited to flippin. thanks!

[grimlin]

ok. i was just thinking that some reels may be particularly suited to flippin. thanks!

Just beef up the drag system if you don't trust it.... ;D

[J Francho]

Flipping doesn't require anything special, since done properly, never engage the freespool.  For pitching, I prefer aleft hand retrieve since I cast with my right.  I use Daiwa TD-X103HSDL reels with the thumb bar on top.  This way I can palm the reel, and flick the switch on and off without switching hands or touching the handles.

See the two reels, front row on the right:

Now, cover and bait weight would determine the other characteristics you want in a reel.  Fishing in heavy grass, I'd use a stout, moderate to mo. fast, heavy+ rod, and a reel with significant drag.  I recommend upgrading to dry Carbontex washers.  For tossing light baits under overhangs or docks into relatively thin cover, something like a Sol would be great right out o the box.

[SWMIBASSER]

Maybe it's because I don't flip, but to me a reel for flipping is a waste of money. Heck you could flip with a baitcaster from the 50's honestly.

Pitching is an entirely different set of requirements. Especially dependent of 'what' your pitching. A reel that tosses light weights easy will only make pitching that much easier and more accurate. IMO.

[flippin and pitchin]

Trevor,

the guys before me are so right on.  Just find a reel that has quality bearings, a super free spool and a good drag,, 20 pounds at least.  A feature some guys take for granted is the handle.  Look for a model that you can get on the handle easily and start cranking because many strikes come within a few inches of your lure dropping into the water.  It should feel good in your hand. If you are new to BC reels then run a L/H retrieve if your right handed.  No switch over and more efficient.  I'm too old to make the transition from R/H to left hand.  Then have confidence and soak that bait !   

[trevor]

ok

[bt fisherman]

You can flip and pitch with any reel, each are just casting techniques.

i have 10 different reels i use all for fliping and pitching

[bt fisherman]

I am pretty new to bass fishing. What are your guys' top choices (under 200$, okay maybe a little over) for flippin and pitchin?

I had been looking at Ardent, but everyone says theyre crap, so now im not!

it all depends on the weight of the bait

[central.PA.bass]

Trevor,

the guys before me are so right on. Just find a reel that has quality bearings, a super free spool and a good drag,, 20 pounds at least. A feature some guys take for granted is the handle. Look for a model that you can get on the handle easily and start cranking because many strikes come within a few inches of your lure dropping into the water. It should feel good in your hand. If you are new to BC reels then run a L/H retrieve if your right handed. No switch over and more efficient. I'm too old to make the transition from R/H to left hand. Then have confidence and soak that bait !

x2!

I use a Revo STX-L with 20lbs of Trilene 100% and it gets the job done

[trevor]

thanks for all the great feed back, everyone!