Odds are if you fish frogs then you’ve heard of flipping and pitching. If you’ve never tried it though, your missing your chances to catch some big bass. If you saw the video I posted yesterday, ( http://thetopwaterbite.com/2013/03/20/the-2-rod-frog-fishing-system/ ) then you’ll see that flipping and pitching can pay off big.
The first key to catching big fish flipping & pitching is to cover a lot of water quickly and quietly. This will allow you to maximize your chances of landing a pig in heavy cover. Rod &Reel setups for flipping and pitching are heavier setups similar to ones that most use for throwing a frog. These setups are crucial in making sure that you can pull a big bass out of the cover. Just as in frog fishing, success comes to those who throw their lures where others won’t/don’t. This doesn’t mean that you should be getting hung up on every pitch/flip though. You should be looking for places where fisherman who are casting would get hung up, such as submerged trees and tall grass.
Bass are often in cover for one reason: food. Cover is where bait fish and other prey are, so that’s where the bass are going to be. While it’s a good idea to flip and pitch lures that mimic these prey, your also going to want to be mindful of using anything that’s going get hung up. Most flipping setups include: a weed guard, full skirt, 5/0 wide-gap hook, a weight, and a rattle. Most anglers pin down their weight to prevent it from coming up and wrapping around branches. Remember whatever lure you are using is always going to be Texas rigged too. Here’s a good video:
Here’s another video of this technique catching a pig. I love his reaction. “Mikey finally caught a 10 pounder.”
Many of you may also be asking what the difference is between flipping and pitching. The easiest way to explain it is that pitching is basically the longer distance version of flipping. With pitching you disengage the reel and underhand cast holding the lure. With flipping you work with a set amount of line which you release with the spool engaged.
