Pitching and Flipping

[ODgreen]

I don't get it. I have an old in fisherman that kinda shows how its done, but it doesn't make sense. Any help?

[simplejoe]

There was a good video about it that popped up a little while back, I'll try to find it.

[ODgreen]

I found one on monkey see, it makes a lot more sense now. At least pitching, still working on flipping.

[FD.]

start here

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bass-fishing-articles.html#techniques

then, go in the back yard, find something about 2' high to stand on and get several buckets as targets, and practice, practice, practice.

Use just a 1 oz bullet weight to practice with in the beginning.

[fishermantony]

Tim Horton Classic Patterns Strategies for Heavy Cover gives a great demo!  This video can also be found on you tube if you search flipping and pitching........helped me alot!

[flyboy]

This topic focuses on an area where I am trying to improve.  The mechanics of flipping are quite simple and as another poster said the key is practice.  The difficult area is which mats and cover to flip.  I see guys haphazardly pounding a bank or grass area at a good clip on the trolling motor with no apparent bites.  On the flip side you will see guys on TV, like Horton, who have isolated cover that warrants the time to flip it properly.  I think on a lake with the topography like northern impoundments isolating productive cover is a little more strait forward, but on our Florida dishpan lakes with hundreds of yards of mats that to the untrained eye appear exactly the same, where are the fish and most importantly why?  Any of you guys have any theories?

[Sam]

May I suggest purchasing either the DVD or the paperback of Denny Brauer's Jig Fishing Secrets?

Brauer is the master of flipping and pitching and you will learn from a master.

When getting started, you may want to start with a spinning setup to avoid any backlash problems with a baitcaster.

Once you master flipping and pitching you will love fishing both techniques. 

Outdoor Press

P.O. Box 278

Humansville, MO 65674-0278

[warmer]

im curious odgreen, is there a lot of application for the technique in iowa? 

[angler1]

Which part of what tech do you not understand? PM me if you want. I can't say its "easy" to learn but once you get the idea, its very "learnable". Pratice is key. I do reccomend the backyard buckets.

[ODgreen]

im curious odgreen, is there a lot of application for the technique in iowa?

Um Sure? We have plenty of cover on some of the lakes around where I grew up, and the Farm Pond I usually fish has quite a bit.

[n8casCT]

I am also learning to flip n pitch this winter, but before I can get out there and practice, I need to get a nice rod. Would it be better to go with a shorter rod as a beginner instead of 7'4 +? I was thinking on getting my hands on a used cumara - which one?

Also, everyone was a beginner at one time or another: what was something that you would have benefited from if you knew when you were just learning?

[ODgreen]

I only own two rod/reels. My 7' Stampede and my Pro Qualifier on a 6' Ugli stick. I hope I can pitch/flip with them.

[stratos 375]

hey n8casCT, if you're just learnin, 7'4 just a tad too long. I've been pitchin since it first began to be the "next new thing" circa 1985 1/2. I fish 140 days a year and spend a lot of that time pitchin & swimmin a jig. So I can actually speak with some intelligence on this matter. Try a 6'6. any smaller & It'll work your wrist too hard. Any longer & It'll wear you out after a few hours. Pitchin ain't done out in the open all the time, sometimes you can be under trees and what not. A 7 footer gets tight in those situations. You'd be surprised what trouble the extra length can get you into.

Practice all you can, make sure to elevate yourself to mirror the actual vertical difference of boat deck/ water. Don't use a hula hoop or a plate for a target, use a tea cup. I stand on my back deck & surround myself with several targets & just pitch for what seems like hours. Even after all these years of doing it, I'm just an average pitcher.

When I see pros do it, I'm in awe. There's no magic bullet, it just takes time.

My two favorite baits are a jerkbait, & pitchin & swimmin a jig. When I can get the boat set up on long weedline & I get going, I can pitch effectively 7 to 8 times a minute, depending on how fast I really want to fish. That's about 420 pitches per hour, times 3 or 4 hours, you can see where a 7 footer would give you carpal tunnel in no time, unless you're a big guy with Popeye kneel & reel forearms.

Oh yea, iffin for some reason after practicing it just don't come to ya, forget pitchin & throw crankbaits.

[warmer]

odgen,

what is the 7' rod like?  m/h, h? 

what kind of weight/bait are you using to get through the veg you are fishing?

what kind of line are you using?

[SWMIBASSER]

im curious odgreen, is there a lot of application for the technique in iowa?

He already answered above this post, but still this is a valid question and one that should be asked more often.

I don't own a flipping stick, and honestly where 'I' am from, I would have no use for one. I don't flip. Ever.

I do pitch alot, but a pitch can be about as far as a short to medium distance cast.

[SWMIBASSER]

May I suggest purchasing either the DVD or the paperback of Denny Brauer's Jig Fishing Secrets?

Brauer is the master of flipping and pitching and you will learn from a master.

When getting started, you may want to start with a spinning setup to avoid any backlash problems with a baitcaster.

Once you master flipping and pitching you will love fishing both techniques.

Outdoor Press

P.O. Box 278

Humansville, MO 65674-0278

I assume you have this book? I saw it on Amazon the other day.

Does it cover just flipping/pitching or does he cover other stuff? (swimming, finesse, dragging football's etc)

I might pick up a copy.

[J Francho]

Flipping and pitching are uniquely different casting techniques.  Many often associate both with fishing heavy cover, but that is a mistake.  Just like the sidearm, backhand, two-handed-chuck-and-duck, and roll cast, each will be useful to know.  When you're on the water, you'll start to see situations where a pitch cast will get your bait to the fish.

That said, I rarely flip.  Pitching, on the other hand, is a cast I'll use on just about every rod and reel, in any cover, or lack of.

[Catt]

Flipping and pitching are uniquely different casting techniques. Many often associate both with fishing heavy cover, but that is a mistake. Just like the sidearm, backhand, two-handed-chuck-and-duck, and roll cast, each will be useful to know. When you're on the water, you'll start to see situations where a pitch cast will get your bait to the fish.

That said, I rarely flip. Pitching, on the other hand, is a cast I'll use on just about every rod and reel, in any cover, or lack of.

Great reminders & I'll add don't forget to flip/pitch other lures as well 

[WRB]

Dee Thomas introduced flipping to professional bass fishing back in the early 70's and Dave Gliebe, Dee's partner, perfected pitching when the rod lengths were reduced to 8' max length.

Another west coast angler Gary Klein has continued with pitching jigs in heavy cover on the B.A.S.S. tournament trail and Denny Brauer became legendary at both flipping and pitching jigs for cash.

Where I fish flipping or pitching isn't common due to the sparse shoreline cover and my preference to fish outside structure.

All of the above anglers have good books and some have vedios; Google the their names for specific articles.

WRB

[J Francho]

Great reminders & I'll add don't forget to flip/pitch other lures as well

Absolutely!  One of my favorite dock techniques is to pitch a big diver way back under, and bang the pylons on the way out.  great "back boater" change up.

[salmicropterus]

This topic focuses on an area where I am trying to improve. The mechanics of flipping are quite simple and as another poster said the key is practice. The difficult area is which mats and cover to flip. I see guys haphazardly pounding a bank or grass area at a good clip on the trolling motor with no apparent bites. On the flip side you will see guys on TV, like Horton, who have isolated cover that warrants the time to flip it properly. I think on a lake with the topography like northern impoundments isolating productive cover is a little more strait forward, but on our Florida dishpan lakes with hundreds of yards of mats that to the untrained eye appear exactly the same, where are the fish and most importantly why? Any of you guys have any theories?

I really agree with this post. For me, it's not so much the "how" but the "when, where and why" that matters. I recognize from the results that others have in tough conditions that there is purpose to the technique but I can't make myelf not cover water and as much as I can. In Forida there is so much flippable cover-how do you decide what to look for? Don't mean to hijack the thread but what is the "why, where and when"?

[WRB]

I mentioned that I don't flip or pitch due to the type of our local lakes; steep rocky banks and off shore structure.

When I get a chance to fish the delta area that is primarily bank cover a mats, then you better know how to at least pitch into small heavy cover pockets. I can loop or roll cast very accurately using standard jig rods, but you can't get behind standing tulle's unless you flip or pitch using a long rod.

Where do you fish? Where there is current and baitfish. Bass don't need to hold tight to cover to protect their eyes!

Down wind blown areas where debris is piled up or natural cover and water is pushing in bait. Transitions where change occurs; rip rap wall changing to cover and any soil change like clay to sand, gravel to rocks, pilings, docks, culverts, bridges, trees, brush, cuts, channels, drains etc, that intersect heavy cover.

You can fish a lot of this type of cover using a loop cast, but you can't lift a good size bass out of the cover unless you have a heavy flipping or pitching rod. If the cover allows me to use my standard jig rod, that is what I prefer to do.

WRB

[Catt]

The mistakes I see being made are anglers thinking Flipping/Pitching is only a shallow water technique; Tommy Martin has a video that covers Deep Grass Jigging.

Another mistake is thinking Flipping/Pitching is for only matted vegetation which stumps, logs, brush, rocks virtually anything can be Flipped or Pitched with any lure available. Flipping is the only technique that will work in Buck Brush.

The more pains of old age set in the more pitching has become my goto technique because it is less stressful on the joints.

Our own Tom Redington has excellant videos showing techniques of both presentations

[simplejoe]

Great reminders & I'll add don't forget to flip/pitch other lures as well

Absolutely! One of my favorite dock techniques is to pitch a big diver way back under, and bang the pylons on the way out. great "back boater" change up.

J Francho, I never thought about Deep divers before. Thanks