Flipping and Pitching a Jig

[NHbassfisherman]

So heres my question, and hopefully it don't sound like a beginners question, but rather a question from someone whom just started to try and perfect the technique. I know for flipping, most people want like a 7'3" - 8' Casting rod, with a Heavy power and fast action. Do you use basically the same power & action rod, for pitching as well? I'm trying to establish whether i should get a rod, specifically for pitching around docks or just pitching/casting football head jigs, around cover or into open water. Its hard to explain what i'm trying to find out. I believe my flipping rod is a Daiwa XT Tatula, 7'3" Heavy action. Can i use that for just general casting a football jig? Sorry if i'm not being thorough on all details.

[bassfisher444]

For jigs from 3/8-3/4 oz I use a 7'3" heavy Abu Garcia Veritas and that is for flipping pitching and casting. I use a 6'9" MH rod for 3/8 oz and lighter swim jigs or skipping smaller jigs under docks or overhanging trees.

[NHbassfisherman]

Thanks bassfisher444.

[willwork4fish]

Flippin and pitching are two different techniques. Nowadays a lot of people call pitching flippin. Sorry for the below explanation if you are actually flippin but usually you use a longer rod to flip.

When you flip you've got out a set amount of line, you pull it back down by the reel and pendulum the bait into the cover...you're never even hitting the thumb bar. It's for close quarters heavy cover fishing. You want the longer rod because that kind of dictates how far you can flip. Most people who still do this use a 7'6" to 8' heavy rod and if you're old you probably want it to have a moderate/mod fast action.

When you pitch you're basically doing an underhanded pendulum cast where you're letting out line from the reel. You can pitch a lot farther than you can flip. Most people pitch with a 7' to 7'6" MH/F fast action rod.

[MCIPinkie]

In answer to the OP's questions:

Except for really heavy cover pitching and flipping, you can use the same rod. Actually, you can use it then also, but might have better results with another stick.

I like a 8' heavy with a sort moderate action for real heavy cover, flooded buck brush, heavy grass, etc, but if I have my 7' pitching rod on deck, I'll use it. Don't confuse flipping and pitching. I pitch cast almost every thing on every rod if I need to be accurate.

Not being familiar with your Tatula, I can't be certain. Well, really I can. Sure you can use it for football heads. No reason why you can't. A MH might work better, but the heavy will work. A lot of rod selection depends on the individual. Do you set the hook real hard, or just moderately hard? Do you use braided line, or FC, or mono? Do you make a lot of long casts in deep water or are you a short range fisherman? All of these impact your rod choice.

My guess is you can use that rod for almost any kind of worm or jig fishing very successfully.

My $0.02.

[wmitch2]

Medium Heavy / Medium tip for "Flippin". You want the power for pulling them out, but the flex so you don't pull the bait out of his mouth.
Medium Medium / Medium to fast for "Pitchin". You want a little more flex in the tip to add distance to your pitch.
Also, Pitchin and Flippin are done with the WRIST, not with the ELBOW !!!

[Mcjenson]

Flippin and pitching are two different techniques. Nowadays a lot of people call pitching flippin. Sorry for the below explanation if you are actually flippin but usually you use a longer rod to flip.

When you flip you've got out a set amount of line, you pull it back down by the reel and pendulum the bait into the cover...you're never even hitting the thumb bar. It's for close quarters heavy cover fishing. You want the longer rod because that kind of dictates how far you can flip. Most people who still do this use a 7'6" to 8' heavy rod and if you're old you probably want it to have a moderate/mod fast action.

When you pitch you're basically doing an underhanded pendulum cast where you're letting out line from the reel. You can pitch a lot farther than you can flip. Most people pitch with a 7' to 7'6" MH/F fast action rod.

I wonder how many guys are still doing traditional flipping. Almost never see pros doing it, don't really hear of guys doing it around here, but most of our lakes aren't set up for it. Just seems like with traditional flippin you are kind of limited on hitting specific targets.

[bassfisher444]

I wonder how many guys are still doing traditional flipping. Almost never see pros doing it, don't really hear of guys doing it around here, but most of our lakes aren't set up for it. Just seems like with traditional flippin you are kind of limited on hitting specific targets.

You need heavy matted grass for it to be effective, many areas don't have that.

[willwork4fish]

I wonder how many guys are still doing traditional flipping. Almost never see pros doing it, don't really hear of guys doing it around here, but most of our lakes aren't set up for it. Just seems like with traditional flippin you are kind of limited on hitting specific targets.

You are limited to some degree but sometimes it's the best way to get a bait vertically in a really small spot...I probably do it the most fishing log jams on the Mississippi river. You'd be surprised how many fish will hit a bait when the boat is right up against the jam and you're only 10 feet from where you put your bait.

[krindgen]

Same rod for both techniques. Think about it, and the efficiency flipping/pitching is intended to provide, it would be horribly inefficient, and a PITA, to go down a bank, row of docks in particular and switch back and forth. Nowadays most people are pitching and not flipping. Though flipping is slightly more efficient than pitching.

[willwork4fish]

Same rod for both techniques. Think about it, and the efficiency flipping/pitching is intended to provide, it would be horribly inefficient, and a PITA, to go down a bank, row of docks in particular and switch back and forth. Nowadays most people are pitching and not flipping. Though flipping is slightly more efficient than pitching.

Agreed, when I'm doing both it's a 7'6" flip stick, 20lb flouro and a UV Speed Craw with 3/8oz pegged weight probably 90% of the time.

[krindgen]

Agreed, when I'm doing both it's a 7'6" flip stick, 20lb flouro and a UV Speed Craw with 3/8oz pegged weight probably 90% of the time.

What I could see, kind of like frog fishing, is having two setups, one for all around pitching/flipping and a second just for punching. If you do enough punching to justify. I've been using a Powell Endurance 775cef rod for a couple years. I use this rod for any and all flipping/pitching and I could punch with it.

[willwork4fish]

What I could see, kind of like frog fishing, is having two setups, one for all around pitching/flipping and a second just for punching. If you do enough punching to justify. I've been using a Powell Endurance 775cef rod for a couple years. I use this rod for any and all flipping/pitching and I could punch with it.

I build my own and there's a few blanks that you can flip and pitch with and also punch but I usually have a different punch rod rigged too up because I use braid to punch and flouro for flippin and pitchin. I don't like braid when flippin around wood, I've busted a couple of rods setting the hook into wood just with heavy flouro and 10-12' of line, it'd be worse with braid.