flipping

[AJ]

i have a accurist 5000 (i think, its in the other room) on a short handle samuari rod.

while watching some of my shows, i am mostly in living room by myself so i will get it out and lean against kitchen bar and pitch and flip at objects on the floor, kids shoes, toy whatever is handy.... I feel that this is good practice as you have to keep rod faily low so not to hit ceiling fan... helps me to work on short distance and different targets....  ever so often will pitch thru one the boys open doors for farther...

been doing this a week or two and went from not hardly being able to do either pitch or flip to able to hit my target within 6 in or less 75% of time.... each day i notice getting closer and better at it.... only time momma complain is when i hit fan or her lol..

oh i failed to mention i am using 5 1/4in washers as weight, small weight and non breakable...   

WATCH THE CHRISTMAS TREE THO the lights play havoc with the washers when it wraps round them, christmas presents are NOT the best targets lol

i need a cat to torment lol


jk jk the kids work well too

[Coonhound]

I made it my mission this year to learn to pitch really well. I've always flipped, but i've never been good at pitching.

I learned a few things:

My biggest break-through was when i figured out to break the rod handle over the inside of my wrist. When you hold your rod naturally, the handle goes down the outside of your forearm. I learned that if i turned my hand down and ran the rod handle across the inside of my wrist, toward the inside of my elbow, i could use my wrist to "flick" the bait. This made hitting targets so much easier, and allowed the full use of my rod to move the bait.

I also learned that if you pull the bait straight to you, then flip straight out all in one straight line, it almost becomes like shooting a rifle. Line your sites up and squeeze the trigger. For me, those sites become the bait, the line, and the rod tip. I just pull back on the bait a bit and flip my wrist foward.

I'm assuming most guys already know this, but i was pretty proud of myself for figuring it all out.

[bass1cpr]

   Here's a tip to help sharpen your flipping and pitching delivery.

   Lay a coffee mug or a big drink mug on it's side the handle keeps it from rolling. Dress a jig with a trailer just like you'd use fishing, cut the hook point off just behind the barb. The mug laying on it's side better simulates how the jig should land on the water.

   When you can land the jig in the mug without any sound you have done it perfectly and that translates to better presentation on the water. Give it a try it really helps.

[BassHunter69]

ahhhhhhhhhh a favorite subject of mine. flipp'n @ the cat 

just kidding. dont have one or it would be a major target since i detest cats bad childhood with em.

but any how i love pitching and flipp'n i set up many differnt targets in the back yard at differnt distances just for pitching,flipping,and casting,and for many differnt presentations as well. i like to be verstaile because on the water theres time you'll knever know what situation you may come across since bodies of waters change from year to year or even that new lake or whatever you have never fished. its paid off for me more then once in practing these differnt presentations year around. now since i cant hear (im deaf) i have to go by feel and belive me you can tell if your making a noisy presentation just by feel.
my granddad made me work on this as a kid growing up and when i lost my hearing i had to start all over con focus on feel,and sight. ( i bet some guys are on their way to buy ear plugs now ) 
learning to fish by feel is a whole nother ball game and takes much more practice then using your ears.  plus it does pay off when you get a bite upon entry you can feel it even before you see the line move.

[pretjah]

with pitching this is what i've found helps me...i'm short 5'7 1/2" yeah that's right i put the 1/2 in there so deal with it !! lolol

anyhow because i'm short i dont get alot of range of motion with a 7 foot rod so i've found it helps to go slightly on an angle with it..

here is a drawing i did a while ago to help explain it

topview





frontview

[BlackStrat]

Good artwork Pretjah!

[BassHunter69]

pretjah you ainrt short your a tall guy im 5 foot 5 
because of that i have a (broom stick) 5 foot flipping rod with a qauntum snap shot  spinning reel its ex fast action just perfect for these Short applications  (no Pun Intended)

[flabassnut]

Fishing in Florida you get lots of practice flippin' heavy cover means big fish

[OHbassaholic]

My neighbors think I'm nuts because I practice almost ANY time I get a chance.  My wife has pix of me out in the snow pitching around the yard.

It sucks not working full time at the store anymore.  I got quite a bit of practice while demonstrating BCs there.  I would practice getting the plug behind targets and skipping under display cases etc. 

And the mention of cats, they can really get you some practice in mimicking enticing movement of a lure.  We don't have any cats ourselves but a neighbor cat will be around now and then...

[BassHunter69]

My neighbors think I'm nuts because I practice almost ANY time I get a chance.  My wife has pix of me out in the snow pitching around the yard.

It sucks not working full time at the store anymore.  I got quite a bit of practice while demonstrating BCs there.  I would practice getting the plug behind targets and skipping under display cases etc. 

And the mention of cats, they can really get you some practice in mimicking enticing movement of a lure.  We don't have any cats ourselves but a neighbor cat will be around now and then...

dont reccemend tying on the dogs squekie toy cats are a bit better suited for getting some action. fighting the dog with the squeekie toy was like fighting a muskey or northen pike as i found out 

[OHbassaholic]

Ain't that the truth. 

[AJ]

dont reccemend tying on the dogs squekie toy cats are a bit better suited for getting some action. fighting the dog with the squeekie toy was like fighting a muskey or northen pike as i found out 

omg and I thought I was REDNECK

[GRAPEAPE]

Awesome Illustrations Pretjah

[BassHunter69]

omg and I thought I was REDNECK

well gee ho shi you should hear me talk  i got that slow southern drawl that just spells redneck 

[Raincloud36]

  I had no idea how to flip or pitch so I figured maybe having a reel with a flipping switch would help. I went to BPS early on a Saturday and told the guy behind the counter what I was looking for and why. He grabbed a rig he had and came out and spent about 45 minutes teaching me how to flip and pitch. I ended up buying a practice plug instead of a new reel, went home and have been practicing in my yard whenever I get bored.

[pretjah]

a lot of people will tell you to pitch to a coffe can or something

here's what i like to do

stand up on a step so you are slightly elevated

and pick out a patch of grass and pitch to it.

pick out a different patch of grass and pitch to that

pick out a relatively close patch and then flip to that one

pick out a patch of grass next to a bush or low hanging tree branch pitch to that

or sometimes i'll pick out a spot on the driveway under the car and pitch to that being able to pick a spot that is a foot or two back under something and actually pitch to it will be such a help to you on the water

[coldfront]

ahhhhhhhhhh a favorite subject of mine. flipp'n @ the cat 

just kidding. dont have one or it would be a major target since i detest cats bad childhood with em.

learning to fish by feel is a whole nother ball game and takes much more practice then using your ears.  plus it does pay off when you get a bite upon entry you can feel it even before you see the line move.

that right there is a great insight and for those paying attention will bring huge dividends not only in pitching  but every other aspect of fishing...

you the man BH69...

[Nickk]

I had no idea how to flip or pitch so I figured maybe having a reel with a flipping switch would help. I went to BPS early on a Saturday and told the guy behind the counter what I was looking for and why. He grabbed a rig he had and came out and spent about 45 minutes teaching me how to flip and pitch. I ended up buying a practice plug instead of a new reel, went home and have been practicing in my yard whenever I get bored.

That's awesome to get that kind of attention, info, and instruction from a big box store.

[OHbassaholic]

I've actually done that quite a bit over the 5 years working in the store.  It's a great feeling to see the lightbulb turn on in a customer when they finally "get it" about flippin' & pitchin'.  That, along with when a customer comes back in to thank me for a lure I turned them onto is the payoff for working in fishing retail.  Believe me, it's not the pay that brings folks like me back into the store to work day after day.  Unfortunately, I had to go with a higher paying full-time job and reduce down to part-time working in the store.  I miss it.

[BassHunter69]

thanks coldfront it pays off for me more often then not. having the right rod,reels and lines help in that pay off as well. personally i like spiderwire braid with viscious florocarbon when i pitch and flip for the extra sensitivity since my ears arent as good as many of yalls its just natural to me that my feel on the rod is a bit more sensitive especially since i use a med/heavy broom stick for heavy cover and a med/heavy 7 foot rod for longer distances. the key to it is focusing. i tend to get into a zen like mode so to speak where my mindset is to become one with the line. i tend to veiw pitching and flipping to be more then just a physical aspect but a mental aspect as well

[mbhutton]

'this may sound a stupid question, but what is the differance between flipping and pitching?

[Bass Mafia]

I am wondering the same, so I will sit back and wait for an answer... Didn't mean to jack Your post, but am highly curious...

Thanks.

[pretjah]

pitching is done usually in the 20-50 feet range (some a bit more  but about)

flipping is done from 5-25 feet


in pitching you take the bait in your hand (the drawings i did earlier show a pitching technique) and you pendulim it out away from the caster.

in flipping you take out the same amount of line but you grab the line right above the reel and pull it out to your side and control the bait with you hand giving you more control and a quieter entry and even more pinpoint control

[pretjah]

pitching