Flippin and pitchin

[Red]

Hey y'all, I do alot of flippin and pitchin, mostly pitchin but I am working on getting better at flippin.  I am curious how you "work" the bait, after you make your flip/pitch?  I fish flooded timber and I usually have a jig or t-rigged craw tied on.  After it hits the water, I wait a few seconds, then give it a little hop or two, wait, one more hop then on to next cast.  I feel that in this heat we are having I need to slow down my presentation.  I am wondering what some others might do.  Maybe I need to let it sit longer?  Drag instead of hop?  Basically let me know what your bait does after it hits the water with these short line techniques?

Thanks

Cliff

[pad slammer]

I will hold the tip down towards the water and just give continuous little jerks only moving the rod tip 1-2 inches. You will feel it get hung on weeds and then I just give a little harder suddle pull a lot of the time that's when the fish will hit. When you feel the fish and you will know when you do, just pull through it to set the hook. Don't give up on the cast to early they will follow it all the way to the boat. Of course this all depends on the variables. Like if you pick one up off a log find the next log hit it 4 5 6 times work it past a little then reel in your line and stick it right back on the log. I use a Texas for this.

Hope this helps

[Red]

That does help, thanks.  I usually only hit each log or whatever once and move along.  I know I should give each piece of cover more time with the bait.  I just need to focus and fish slower, like I said.  I know the fish are there, everything and everyone tells me to flip the timber on this lake, even in the dog days.  They say you can stay fairly shallow all year and catch good fish.

[BassThumb]

I do it almost exactly like you, Red.  Sometimes, Before I bring the lure back, I give it a hard 1 foot pop to try and trigger a strike.  I've been having some good luck this season trying to pitch the lure over a twig or cattail, so that I can dangle it up and down a bit and keep it in the strike zone longer

[Big Tom]

Once the bait hits the water, I let it fall straight down on slack line.  If the bait stops before I think it is on the bottom, I react accordingly.  If I am fishing a soft plastic, I will put slight tension on the line to feel what stopped my bait.  If its a jig, I go ahead and swing away.  I have found that a bass will hold on to a soft plastic much longer than they will a jig.  JJ's doesn't seem to hurt anything either.

I was on a bite not long ago where the fish were suspended in trees.  The trees were in 23 feet of water but the bass were in the 7-10 ft. range.  I would let my tube fall straight down to where I thought I was at the right depth and then start working it through each tree limb I came in contact with.  The fish couldn't stand this.  I caught a few decent bass, fairly quickly. 

[ww2farmer]

It may not apply to your situation,as I flip milfoil and other grass in 6-15 fow, but when the water gets to it's warmest here, I use the same baits in the same places  but  I increase the rate of fall to get a reaction bite out of them on the way down. Many times in the summer they suspend in the weeds, and really don't respond as well to slower falling baits.  I go as heavy as 1 oz., where "normaly" I am using a 1/4 or 3/8 oz. If they are on the bottom and not suspended, using the big weight is not working against you, and may even pick off a few extra fish with the fast fall. I don't really have a set time or water temp. when I make the switch, Usually it's when one or the other quits working.

[Hammer 4]

I'll let my jig sit there for 3 mins. if that's what it takes. I never move my bait as soon as it hits the bottom, no matter what time of the year it is.

[sbrown]

Whether pitching or flipping I am always doing it in cover primarily wood. I prefer hugging logs or flipping over limbs. I let my jigs dangle and usually get a reaction strike quickly. Worms will usually get worked a little differently. I fish creature baits like a jig. I keep my rod tip low enough to set hard when the strike is detected.

[Catt]

It may not apply to your situation,as I flip milfoil and other grass in 6-15 fow, but when the water gets to it's warmest here, I use the same baits in the same places but I increase the rate of fall to get a reaction bite out of them on the way down. Many times in the summer they suspend in the weeds, and really don't respond as well to slower falling baits. I go as heavy as 1 oz., where "normally" I am using a 1/4 or 3/8 oz. If they are on the bottom and not suspended, using the big weight is not working against you, and may even pick off a few extra fish with the fast fall. I don't really have a set time or water temp. when I make the switch, Usually it's when one or the other quits working.

Exactly even when Flippin'/Pitchin' wood