Help with flippin light jigs

[Vinny Chase]

I have always used spinning reels for flippin finesse jigs and worms. I got a Curado recently and i have been fine with throwing heavier baits but i started flippin my smaller tackle today and got birds nests every other throw.

What setting and tips do you have for me to get the best results and not so much frustration!!!

[burleytog]

How would you get a backlash when flipping? :-?

[Vinny Chase]

How would you get a backlash when flipping? :-?

I might be misunderstanding the term flipping, but i am just making short underhand tosses. Either way i am getting back lashed with light finesse baits

[Fat-G]

How would you get a backlash when flipping? :-?

I might be misunderstanding the term flipping, but i am just making short underhand tosses. Either way i am getting back lashed with light finesse baits

That's pitching. Try tightening the spool tension then slowly loosen it so the jig falls reasonably fast, then try engaging two+ brakes. The Curado is a great at handling light baits.

[Hammer 4]

A  flip is a 7 to 9' deal, maybe you are making a underhand pitch..?  On a flip, I have my lure/jig in my left hand, then w/o any line spooling off the reel, I flip the lure to where I want it.

That's not to say you can't flip further, it just takes practice. About the furthest I can flip is about 25' with a 1/2 oz jig.

[Vinny Chase]

How would you get a backlash when flipping? :-?

I might be misunderstanding the term flipping, but i am just making short underhand tosses. Either way i am getting back lashed with light finesse baits

That's pitching. Try tightening the spool tension then slowly loosen it so the jig falls reasonably fast, then try engaging two+ brakes. The Curado is a great at handling light baits.

Yea i have 4 brakes engaged and the tension so it falls at a good rate. IDK whats going on i guess i just have to practice more.

[Hammer 4]

How to Flip and Pitch..this may help.

http://home.comcast.net/~rkrz/infoarch/fyiflip3.htm

[K_Mac]

Pitching light lures is a technique that takes a higher skill level than most. No matter what reel you use, you have to loosen things up in order to get the spool started. This makes a skilled thumb a critical part of the operation. I practise pitching off my back porch often. The neighbors think I'm not quite right. Keep practicing. It is worth the effort.

Not a thing wrong with pitching light lures with spinning tackle, as long as line and rod match the cover. 8-)

[Vinny Chase]

How to Flip and Pitch..this may help.

http://home.comcast.net/~rkrz/infoarch/fyiflip3.htm

Thanks

[Hammer 4]

Vinny if you need a vid, youtube has some. Type flipping for bass..

[burleytog]

Vinny if you need a vid, youtube has some. Type flipping for bass..

No, he would need to search for pitching.

[Hammer 4]

I suppose he could search for Pitching, but the link I provided Includes picthing... here's another with KVD 

Vinny if you need a vid, youtube has some. Type flipping for bass..

No, he would need to search for pitching.

[ChrisAW]

Well what kind of light finesse baits are you trying to pitch? Some baits are just too light.

But I want to guess that you could be working too hard trying to get distance out of the pitching technique? If so, Distance isn't the real priority with pitching, its mainly accuracy and how it makes your bait entry quite a bit quieter into the water. Distance is what you'll be working on once you have it down. It also comes easier with heavier baits.

If you're trying too hard, you might be getting slack line during the the initial swing of the pitch. When it goes taut, it will then pull your spool but also slow the bait down again and this will cause backlashes. Your line should always stay taut.

[Vinny Chase]

Well what kind of light finesse baits are you trying to pitch? Some baits are just too light.

But I want to guess that you could be working too hard trying to get distance out of the pitching technique? If so, Distance isn't the real priority with pitching, its mainly accuracy and how it makes your bait entry quite a bit quieter into the water. Distance is what you'll be working on once you have it down. It also comes easier with heavier baits.

If you're trying too hard, you might be getting slack line during the the initial swing of the pitch. When it goes taut, it will then pull your spool but also slow the bait down again and this will cause backlashes. Your line should always stay taut.

Thanks the the advice. I am using a 1/16 ounce SK bitsy bug jig with a tiny paca craw trailer 

[Hooligan]

Thanks the the advice. I am using a 1/16 ounce SK bitsy bug jig with a tiny paca craw trailer

Typically I'm fishing that rig on spinning gear; skipping docks and the like in relatively shallow water.  If I'm not skipping it I'm straight flipping cover, not pitching.

[ChrisAW]

Thanks the the advice. I am using a 1/16 ounce SK bitsy bug jig with a tiny paca craw trailer

Hmm.. that shouldn't be too light. I've been using 1/8oz bitsy's with a trimmed zoom chunk. This probably weighs about 3/8oz. I haven't had a lot of trouble flipping them, but this is a little heavier than yours.

This isn't a jig exclusive rod/reel, right? I was about to suggest that braid seems to make flipping with light stuff easier. Its more forgiving and doesn't want to un-spool itself like mono or flouro might when given the chance. Then, just tying on a leader will keep finicky fish biting. But retying lures so often with a general purpose rod, you'll end up retying that leader on the water a lot as well, and that can be an inconvenience.

I guess for now, take it easy and learn the basics of pitching without any brakes, just using your thumb. Work at getting your bait into a small bucket about 20 feet away, and then start moving it out. You'll figure out whats comfortable for you.

I personally found that I like my bait to be about half way between the reel and the first guide on the rod. I'll lift my rod just above or even with my head, pointing the tip down, then swing the bait like you normally would. This seemed to work the best for me, and when showing a friend of mine how to pitch for this first time, worked great for him as well. But the main reason I do this is because we are in a john boat, so we're too close to the water to have the rod down in a normal position.

This is a good video, its close to what I do. But if you look at exactly 30 seconds in, that is about where my rod is from the start. It makes it easier for me to pendulum the bait and keep the line taut.

[islandbass]

Well what kind of light finesse baits are you trying to pitch? Some baits are just too light.

But I want to guess that you could be working too hard trying to get distance out of the pitching technique? If so, Distance isn't the real priority with pitching, its mainly accuracy and how it makes your bait entry quite a bit quieter into the water. Distance is what you'll be working on once you have it down. It also comes easier with heavier baits.

If you're trying too hard, you might be getting slack line during the the initial swing of the pitch. When it goes taut, it will then pull your spool but also slow the bait down again and this will cause backlashes. Your line should always stay taut.

Thanks the the advice. I am using a 1/16 ounce SK bitsy bug jig with a tiny paca craw trailer

The jig's weight, combined with that of the trailer is probably going to exceed 1/8 oz which is good becuase I know that a curado is capable.

In addition to experimenting with the cast control setting, do not get too wristy in your mechanics. You might be able to get away with doing this with heavier baits, but when the baits are lighter, you have work with what the momentum of the lure's swing can give. Adding "wristitness" is going to spell bird's nest.

Make the motions of going through the pitch but don't let the thumb off of the spool and do this until you can feel the wieght of the jig and trailer as it swings along in a pendulum shape away from you a few times.

This is what you need to be aware of. When you let the weight of the lure send it off, you will attain greater casting distance with less effort. Too much wrist is bad when you don't feel the weight of the lure swing away. You will wind up using too much thumb to compensate for adding too much energy to the casting equation thereby shorten the cast considerably, or your thumb might not act fast enough to stop an overrun from occurring.

All you need now is focused, quality practice.

[Raul]

I have always used spinning reels for flippin finesse jigs and worms. I got a Curado recently and i have been fine with throwing heavier baits but i started flippin my smaller tackle today and got birds nests every other throw.

What setting and tips do you have for me to get the best results and not so much frustration!!!

You don 't flip with the reel, you flip with the rod.

[Vinny Chase]

Practiced for a few hours and got it down.

Thanks everyone for the help!

VC

[K_Mac]

Practiced for a few hours and got it down.

Thanks everyone for the help!

VC

[Tin]

I would do the opposite and stay away from braid and that Bitsy Bug. It has a light wire hook that will bend right out. Go with the Bitsy Jig, it has a heavier wire hook so you won't have issues.

[Vinny Chase]

I would do the opposite and stay away from braid and that Bitsy Bug. It has a light wire hook that will bend right out. Go with the Bitsy Jig, it has a heavier wire hook so you won't have issues.

I have been using them for about 3 years now without a problem. In fact they are my go to bait when i am fishing structure.