How To Master
Flipping & Pitching

Some view bass fishing as a casting and cranking sport. However, conditions sometimes dictate a change in strategy. Anglers who can adjust and improvise catch bass consistently. Many fishermen quickly learn that by casting to the shorelines they will catch bass. Unfortunately, they never outgrow the pursuit of bank-running bass. These 10- and 12-inch bass are numerous and easy to fool, the targets of many anglers. Lures fished in the correct areas catch bigger bass. Using them in the right areas and with a different delivery will increase the odds of landing a heavyweight bass. When other methods fail, flipping and pitching deliveries catch bass. These are, of course, two distinctly different approaches. that produce similar results. Under the right circumstances, a bass angler with the know-how will hook and land more and bigger fish than conventional casters.
Flipping For Bass: Flipping is a deadly way to wrestle bass from the heaviest cover. To understand why, consider bass behavior. Bass seek cover under extreme conditions: hot weather, cold temperatures, heavy boat traffic. Increased fishing pressure, too, will drive bass into the thickest available cover. Being opportunistic feeders, bass will readily strike when bait is laid on their nose. Bass are in a negative feeding mood most of the time. When given a chance, they'll feed on available forage with little output of energy. The flipping technique capitalizes on the fish's habits: instead of the fish coming to you, you go to the fish. Flipping requires a longer, stouter rod say a 7 1/2 footer with heavy action and a baitcasting reel spooled with 20 to 30 pound test line. Using about a rod's length of line, with an additional 4 to 6 feet of line in your left hand, and with a pendulum motion, place your bait in a restricted area. As the bait starts forward, let the line in your left hand flow smoothly. This allows you to work cover and precise targets from 8 to 12 feet away. Once the lure is in the cover, raise and lower the rod tip and let the bait crawl up and over wood, rock, tree limbs, grass, pads or other obstructions. Repeated flips often incite a lethargic bass to inhale the lure. Constant contact with the lure is important in sensing the most delicate strike. Light, but steady, pressure gives you the feel of the lure in its swim and descent. Any interruption in the bait's travel should be interpreted as a strike. Immediately, reel most of the slack from the line, set the hook with a sweeping motion and prepare to move the bass away from the protection of heavy cover.
Pitching Into Tight Spots: Pitching a lure from a distance is a great way to reach fish thought to be inaccessible. You can also reach largemouth that are easily spooked, or holding under overhanging cover, using a variety of baits. Pitching the proper bait to bass is one of the surest ways to catch more and bigger bass consistently. When correctly done, a pitched bait lands delicately, barely making a ripple. Silent entry and the inherent action of the chosen lure often results in an immediate strike. Pitching is ideal for fishing boat docks, undercut banks, overhanging tree lines, holes in lily pads, grass and any vegetation. Moreover, it's a deadly technique that works year-round. With patience, you can become proficient at pitching after several days of practice. It's unmatched as a way to trick bass. You can use a spinning or baitcasting rod, preferably one with a faster, lighter tip. It should be stout in the butt section to help with a solid hookset. Spinning gear is better used in shallow water and light cover situations. For big bass and heavy cover, baitcasting reels are a must. The additional length of a flipping rod is a disadvantage in pitching. Spinning rods can measure 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet long, casting rods 6 to 6 3/4 feet.
How To Pitch A Lure: Flipping and pitching are stand-up techniques. While standing in the boat creates some problems, you get better accuracy and control by having the sight and angle it affords. With the right equipment in hand, the proper pitch starts with using the same techniques every time. First consideration is the amount of line with which to start. Start by grasping the lure gently between the fingers of your left hand. Some say you shouldn't touch the lure because it retains the smell and repulses fish. If you agree, spray the lure with fish attractant to mask any odors. Beginning each pitch with lure in hand provides the same starting point each time and steadies the bait to add more control. Lower the rod to a 7 o'clock position on your left side. A common misconception about pitching is that there is tension on the rod tip. Do not pull the line tight enough to create a bow in the tip. "Loading" the tip only distorts the cast. You generate distance and accuracy by speed and follow-through. Start the rod forward and release the lure simultaneously. The rod's path is slightly left-to-right and to a 1 o'clock position. Guide the lure and gain distance with thumb pressure, rod speed and follow through. Because of the down-to-up motion, your eye contact with the lure is superior in comparison to conventional casting. Normal casting comes overhead and the lure must be picked up by the eye after it has traveled much farther. In pitching, direction is almost always accurate since the rod is pointing at the target, leaving distance solely to be judged. Another asset is the low arc the lure takes. Done correctly, the lure oftentimes is never more than an inch or two above the surface, and the entry barely disturbs the water's surface. Reel settings are determined by personal preference. Open the spool wide open and set the drag completely tightened down. The reason for this is twofold: It spurs long fluid casts, unrestricted by spool tension; and bass, once hooked, should never gain entry into any cover. However, hitting the surface too soon or striking undesirable objects can produce a major backlash. The drag setting means your line and knot had better be strong. If there is a problem, a big fish will be lost in the tug of war.
Techniques For All Seasons: Generally, bass are aggressive in the spring. Water temperature dictates their mood, frequency of feeding and location. Water temperatures in the high 50s and the 60s usually stimulate feeding. Pitching lures to available cover and likely spots is recommended when water reaches the 55 degree mark. If this proves fruitless, moving into heavy cover and flipping is the alternative. Variable weather conditions will often send fish deeper into brush, wood and thick vegetation. Spring, with its cold fronts, wind and rain, has a predictable effect on fish behavior. Slow, repeated presentations are the key to catching cold-water bass. Higher summer temperatures make it possible for fish to digest food quickly and, in turn, send them searching for their next prey. Digestion is speeded by water temperatures in the low 80s. Under such conditions, you'll often catch a good number of fish, but less in the trophy-weight size. Contrary to popular belief, bass don't head for deep water in the summer. Many times they're found in 3 feet of water or less. Concentrations of green vegetation provide cover, oxygen and food supply in the warm months and make great spots for flipping and pitching. With the approach of fall, forage and bass alike begin to school. Once located, you can catch bass in good numbers; multiple catches of trophy fish in autumn are not uncommon. Falling temperatures send bass scurrying for food. They feed heavily in preparation for winter and move progressively deeper as the water becomes colder. All of which provides you with a good idea where to find fish each time out. Winter bass can be the most difficult to catch. In water 44 to 50 degrees, switch from pitching to flipping. Bass in cold water are buried in heavy cover. While approachable, they're hesitant to strike. The key is a slow, methodical presentation. Keep in mind that many times in the winter, you're fishing for two or three bites a day. The payoff - a heavyweight bass - is often worth the wait. Flipping works best when bass are in cover or muddy water. Also, when you're fishing heavily pressured lakes. Cold water and high water are likewise conducive to this short-line, stout-tackle technique. Although pitching works under some of the same conditions, it's more versatile. Skittish clear-water bass and fish in hard-to-reach places are ideal targets. On extremely windy days, at night and when bass are suspended or holding deep, flipping and pitching are ineffective. Another problem is that associated with tournament-style fishing when your partner is on deep or open-water fish. Boat positioning is of paramount importance to flipping and pitching for bass.
Best Baits For Flipping And Pitching: The baits of choice for flipping/ pitching anglers are typically jigs and plastic worms. To limit your lure choices to these, however, is a serious error. Many of the biggest bass have fallen prey to a jig and frog combination. Worms, spinnerbaits, curly-tailed grubs, buzzbaits and rattling baits have all will produce largemouth. A good angler knows when the situation calls for another lure. Flipping and pitching grant you another way to present that bait. Each method has specific advantages and should be used accordingly. Jigs - Both flipping and pitching anglers use jigs. They are weedless, penetrate cover easily and imitate a favorite bass food: crawfish. Jigs can be versatile. Their action and descent changes dramatically. A heavy jig with a little trailer will fall rapidly; conversely, a smaller jig with a large trailer will make many presentations possible. Generally, a heavier jig (over 1/2 ounce) is used for flipping. Pitching jigs start at 1/4 to 5/8 ounce. You can use a variety of pork and plastic trailers, depending on the situation. Preferred colors are brown/orange, black/red, and black/blue jigs. Worms - Rigged weedless (Texas style) or on a leadhead, worms work well for both techniques. The slender shape of the plastic worm lends itself well in close quarters. Slim-shaped baits, incidentally, are popular with bass; long, thin objects appear easy to swallow. On entering the water, worms land gently and create less disturbance. Preferred colors are purple, black, red shad and motor oil. Sizes 5, 6, 7 and sometimes larger worms are preferable. Spinnerbaits - Short-arm spinnerbaits are great drop-type baits for flipping and pitching. A single Colorado blade with a white or chartreuse/white skirt is a good choice. Again, drop can be controlled by the addition of the trailer. Short-arm spinners work well when flipped and pitched. Oddball Baits - Tube jigs, lizards, Rat-L-Trap type baits, Slug-Go type soft baits, grubs and buzzbaits are a few of the many lures that can be pitched. The key is the bait's quiet entry and instant action. Bass act instinctively to a bait that appears and then begins a frightened retreat. Each lure has its place. Uncle Josh pork trailers are ideal for almost any lure. Bass are opportunistic feeders. When food is present, they must make a choice either to strike or allow the intruder to escape. Bass - especially large bass - try to find flaws in lures. If there's no indication that the lure isn't real, the fish will readily strike. Silent lures, jigs, worms and grubs offer few clues to being artificial. For this reason, more fish are consistently caught on these types of lures. They become doubly deadly when presented using flipping and pitching methods.
Every angler encounters bass in neutral or negative feeding modes, fish in highly pressured water or simply lure-shy lunkers. In these situations, pitching and flipping catch more bass. Leave the casting and cranking to the beginners.