Flipping

[BassKing813]

I'll finally be using my new flippin' stick this weekend. It's my first time trying this technique and I have a few questions.

1. Should I have my drag tightened down all the way?

2. Is flipping just a mid-day type of technique, or will it work in the evening too?

3. Since I'm using 50lb braid, should I horse the fish out of the cover as quickly as possible or let him play around?

I'll probably get out on the water at around five and start flipping. It's private lake here in Florida and loaded with big bass. I'll be using a Zoom Baby Brushhog. I guess I'll know when I have fish because I'll see my line jump or move to the side, or the fish will practically yank the rod out of my hands right? Also I understand that with flipping I should set the hook IMMEDIATELY? If any of you could answer these questions and share some of their tips it would be very helpful to me. Thanks

[x-trued]

I would have the drag set fairly tight...enough to get a good hookset, but with 50 lb braid you are going to want a little give too.

I see no reason to limit flipping to a mid-day presentation.

I would always get a fish away from cover as quickly as possible.

I always watch my line and set the hook immediately.

I hope this helps.  Good luck.  I hope you like your new flippin' stick and land a lunker or two.  Let us know how it goes.

[BassKing813]

Thanks for the help. I will definitely post my results. I am pretty confident I will catch a lunker because this is a small, private lake that holds a lot of big fish, and only the people who live on it know about it. Just last week some guy caught a 9lb bass by casting a t-rigged worm into a hole in the pads, so I figure if I flip I can catch a few.

[RandySBreth]

Don't be afraid to use a bigger bait. If what most people use is a 6" worm I would try a 10". And instead of a baby b/hog maybe a 5" tube, big creature bait, or 6" senko.

[bassnleo]

One note of caution.

I would recommend NOT tightening the drag all the way down. Reason, with a heavy flipping stick and 50 lb braid, I have seen times where you will actually tear the mouth if hooked in a softer area, fish shakes his head and it's off. I had this problem when I started flippin, I'd cross their eyes, get em free of the cover, they shake and next thing they were off. I solved it by loosening up on the drag.

When to flip: Flipping is simply a technique to get a bait into heavy cover, quietly, and with little or no commotion. With that being said, the technique is probably most effective when fish are in cover, such as when the sun is up and the sky is bright.

Don't forget to try other presentations in the early morning or in the evening, the fish may be a little away from the cover due to light penetraion being low.

[gatrboy53]

i personally dont want any slip when im flippin.proper hook set is a technique of its own.usually your fishin in heavy cover and any slip of your line and a decent bass will wrap you or hang you up.you want to get that bass out of the cover before he knows whats going on,if you dont he will use you and you'll lose some.i feel the bite way more than i see it.its a developed sense that comes w/ getting bit,but i have had them almost jerk the rod out of my hand.time of day doesnt dictate when i flip the type of cover im fishin does,although im usually throwin a frog or topwater early and late. the most important aspect is use heavy enough weight to get thru the cover your fishin.tungsten weights make a hugh difference,in size and feel,ALWAYS peg your weight,i use a rubberband not a toothpick.brush hogs are good flippin baits but sometimes the appendages get in the way and sometimes the bass dont like em. if your not gettin bit tear off the appendages and make a more streamlined bait.usually a bass isnt going to chase a flipped bait you got to hit him on the nose so flip a spot repeatedly.try to make as quite a entry as possible .alot of times you'll spook a fish w/ a noisy entry.once you catch a decent size bass on a 15' line you'll be hooked,its my favorite technique

[BassKing813]

I know that with jigs, bass don't hang on very long so you have to set the hook right away, but what about a t-rigged worm? Will the bass still engulf one of these instantly requiring the same instant hookset as with a jig?

[Raul]

Fish normally bite the bait on the fall while flipping so it doesn 't matter with what are you flipping on the hooksetting aspect, do not use ribbontail worms for flipping, the ribbon tail hangs up; paddle tail, gator tail or C tail short beefy worms are better suited for flipping than other types of worms.

[Matt Fly]

Experience will dictate drag set.   If you are in open water and no brush, trees, or heavy vegitation, you can loosen the drag some.

The only time I tighten my drag down is:   When I have 20lb test or better in an area that is known to have snags in.   That being vegitation brushpiles, dock pilings or similar hang ups.

If you caught a hawg on lighter line and had the drag tightened all the way down, you will possible break that line with out some give, or have a hook pull free.     When you use braids and heavy lines, you can get away with a tight drag.    

 50lb braid, you should be able to horse a fish quite easily.

I'll flip all day if jigs or plastic is the trick of the day.    I'll flip spinner baits if neccassary.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

I'd set drag at 20# (for 50# braid) so you can get a solid hookset AND get a bass up to the surface before it dives under something, then keep it above the weeds, even skip it over the top out into open water ASAP. If a 5# bass does manage to slip down into and through weeds like hydrilla it'll add another 5-10# of weeds plus extra drag on the line. That close to the boat is no place to let it play down, and you definitely don't want the bass taking off away from you deeper into brush. It's Ok if the bass takes off into open water where you CAN play it down before boating, but a heavy drag will prevent it from taking line for that. Size up cinditions before committing to a final drag choice. If you think yu can work it out into open water, consider a lower drag, but too low lets line slip on the hookset. Size of bass is a factor there. If flipping you are already right up to cover and probably won't have no room to play with. Yank it in the boat. You'll rip some lip and lose some bass other ways, but if you mess around you'll loose more.

Flipping works anytime you can get close enough to bass to fish that close, preferably during low light or stained or darker water, or in clear water with vegetation so thick a bass can't see you.

Jim

[flechero]

I'd set drag at 20# (for 50# braid) so you can get a solid hookset AND get a bass up to the surface before it dives under something

Very few freshwater reels are capable of 20# of drag, even if you use T-Mike's channel Lock trick. Besides, even if he could do that, he would likely break his rod on the first snag he tried to set hook on, assuming he has a solid hookset.

I'd set the drag to a point that you don't damage any equipment and if you need more in the initial stage of the fight, thumb the spool. Remember flippin is close range, combine that with braid and you have a good chance to break something if your drag isn't set. There is no shame in a little drag slippage on a hookset... if you don't set hook super hard, you won't lose any line and if you do, you won't break anything. Focus your worries on detecting the bite and let the reel work as it was designed to, makes for a more enjoyable day.

[Keithscatch]

I don't know about what you all are flipping and pitching into. But here in Florida there is no way you want to have a loose drag. When the fish bites you have to set the hook hard enough to move the fish's nose up so that you can get them out of the hole he was in. Loose drag means getting buried in thick heavy grass.

So it all depends on the conditions and cover you are fishing in. Fishing in Madencaine like so many north central lakes here in Florida have means drag set tight and 50lb or bigger braid and stout heavy action 7'5" flippin sticks. Fishing in lilly pads excuse me Spatterdock will allow you to ease up on your drag setting a little and pound test line you use.

I pitch all night long into holes in the grass and that works for me. Sometimes I miss fish and sometimes I can't see where my lure went and I have missed fish thinking I was on a dock when in fact a fish was pulling it. That happened last weekend to me. Oh well, I guess that is part of night fishing.

By the way, in case someone is confused by what flipping and what pitching means here it is:

Flipping=Taking the line just above the reel in one hand and pulling out almost an arms distance away from your other hand that is holding the rod, you point the rod with the other at the target. Lure dangles down under the rod a few feet. You gently rock the rod forward toward the object you wish the bait to go to and let go of the line in your other hand. This gives a subtle presentation and pin point accuracy. Best done in close say 15 feet or closer.

Pitching=Hold the lure in one hand and the rod in the other and you let the lure fall out of your hand at the same time you move the rod tip toward the destination desired. The reel is left in free spool until the bait hits the water. Then you engage the reel as soon as the lure hits the water and allow the bait to fall down right where it landed. This is best for "pitching" at objects further away then say 15 feet.

Forgive me for pointing that out as some may not know what these terms mean.  

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

My favorite reel for flipping is a $100 Ambassadeur 6500 C4 level wind with high speed 6.3:1 retrieve for yanking them up quickly, that can deliver plenty of drag, maybe as high as 40# without smoking, though I've never set it over 20#. It isn't my first choice for casting worms and other largemouth baits, but for flipping it's perfect. I use the same rig for stripers. A drag of under 12-15# is out of the question for me in thick hydrilla. I use an extra heavy rod, a bit heavy to hold very long, but it'll do the job.

Jim

[BassKing813]

My favorite reel for flipping is a $100 Ambassadeur 6500 C4 level wind with high speed 6.3:1 retrieve for yanking them up quickly, that can deliver plenty of drag, maybe as high as 40# without smoking, though I've never set it over 20#. It isn't my first choice for casting worms and other largemouth baits, but for flipping it's perfect. I use the same rig for stripers. A drag of under 12-15# is out of the question for me in thick hydrilla. I use an extra heavy rod, a bit heavy to hold very long, but it'll do the job.

Jim

I have an Ambassadeur 5500.

[Guest avid]

Seems like us Florida boys agreement about drag setting.  Screw it down all the way.  The main reason I loose fish is because they pull me into in the weeds, wrap themselves up in it and work the lure loose.

I like fatter body lures, like a sweet beaver, but the brush hog works fine.

make sure you have enough weight to bust through the weed mat.  I've gone as high as 1 and 1/2 although that is the exception.   I usulally find that 3/4 is plenty good enough.

Don't be shy about setting the hook.  When you detect a strike slam it home and start pulling that critter outta there pronto.

good luck.

[BassKing813]

Is there any chance I could snap a heavy action 7ft 6in flippin stick on the hookset? I have already broken one rod this year, and I certainly don't want my only other one, my flippin stick, to break also.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

I've snapped 3 heavy rods so far from letting big bass rule and get into thick hydrilla, and now my main flippin rod for the thickest hydrilla is a Loomis mag-heavy worm rod they suggested that I'm not used to, apparently more rod than I can break, the one I also use on stripers, and will someday have an Accurate saltwater reel mounted on it. The original flippin rod cost around $250, and the replacement is worth $100 more, a rod I'd never have ordered. I don't think there is a rod in heavy or lighter that will hold up to 65# braid with the drag clamped down as tight as it will go, and not peel the guides off like popping buttons on a too-tight shirt. I've let way off the drag to prevent that from happening even though Loomis replaces a snapped rod. It's just too much trouble to keep sending them back and waiting for a decision and replacement. I won't go below 20# drag in that stuff, now instead of hauling grass so much going in after them and risking clogging of the coolant system. I carry long pipe cleaners for that but it's a pill raising the motor and working on that on the lake. I've ruined a pile of props doing it. I've found backing in keeps the hydrilla out of the motor, but that puts the prop directly in harm's way. I have a thick cane pole to push in but can't use that and keep the line tight and reeling too. It's there for getting into fishy water without making noise. Grabbing the line and hauling it is out, a dandy way to lose a finger on braid. Any clever tricks for getting over a mired down bass are most welcome.

Jim

[gatrboy53]

improper hookset can result in broken rods and as stated above a big bass in heavy cover can break a rod. i have never broken a flippin stick but the type of fishin they are intended for , you can deffintely break one.

[Keithscatch]

Never broke a flippin rod yet. Broke a couple other lighter rods though. I am happy with the BP rod I use for flippin. It holds up nicely and was on sale when I bought it for $99. I thik it was regularily $150 or so? Can't remember it was a few years ago.

Getting fish out of a huge bail of hydrilla. Man you are on your own with that. I would cut my line before I broke my rod or fouled up my motor to get to it.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

In my case it wouldn't make sense fishing in the slop if I was to cut my line to save a rod. Here's the typical rod breaking scenario. Bass of unknown size takes jig 17 feet away from the boat and hook is set. I have steady pressure, rod bowed, already too much hydrilla between us. He's burrowed. I try to pull it to the surface. Bass finds a tunnel in the hydrilla, makes a lunge, pulling 18-20# drag. All he needs is a burst taking him 20 more feet into the slop. Dang nice bass to do that, worth staying with. He's going to get some much needed rest while I motor in, backing up when the boat stops from a total clogging, going forward again. I finally reach the fish. I bow the rod, pull him up, and the rested bass makes one last plunge. POW. That doesn't happen often  enuogh  

Usually they are under 5# and a lot more manageable. But occasionally there's a 6-7# bass making all the difference in the fight. For those there is no choice. Rear back and hold it close, or lose it. If you let it bury up it's highly likely that bass will get off. That hook hole is getting bigger and the hook is going to either fall out or finish tearing a lip off. If the bass can put enough hydrilla between us it can make enough slack over there to spit the bait out. You might just think you have a big bass still on the line, but really it's 40# of weed now. You know that when you catch up again and with every foot of approach the rod bow eases off, and finally the line is slack. Yep. Gone. Well, I'll risk breaking a rod for a bass like that. I'm not out ther to preserve rods, line and baits. They are disposable. Big bites are not disposable.

Jim

[jomatty]

thats for sure! there will never be a day when i cut the line on a big bass no matter what damage may happen to my equipment.

matt