General question: Am I good to boat flip bass on a L or ML casting rod? I've expanding my toolbox this year to add in some lighter applications and don't want to break my new gear. Thanks for any suggestions, consideration, and so on. 

If it's a dink (1# or less), not a problem...otherwise I'd invest in a net.

 

I net all my bass when in the canoe...even the dinks.

I suggest setting your drag with a scale or known weight to protect your rod and prevent break offs.  Set the drag to about 1/4 of the maximum line weight of the rod or 1/4 of your line test which ever is lower.

Net or lip any fish over 1lb

Imo boat flipping fish is unnecessary and abusive to both equipment and the fish. My favorite thing about MLF when it started was the fish landing penalty. If you absolutely must lift a fish with the rod, hold it parallel to the water to maximize deadlift capacity. 

14 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Imo boat flipping fish is unnecessary and abusive to both equipment and the fish. My favorite thing about MLF when it started was the fish landing penalty. If you absolutely must lift a fish with the rod, hold it parallel to the water to maximize deadlift capacity. 

Fair point, thanks!

3 hours ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

Am I good to boat flip bass

No.

Get a nice Frabill net it will last you lifetime. 

If the fish weighs more than the Lure rating of your rod ( sure hope so ) , you stand a pretty good chance of breaking the rod. Pay the $20 for a net. Easier on your equipment and the fish. 

5 minutes ago, LCG said:

If the fish weighs more than the Lure rating of your rod ( sure hope so ) , you stand a pretty good chance of breaking the rod.

If any rod was THAT delicate, I'd return it. Still, netting every fish...unless it's a 5" bluegill...insures you don't have an accident.

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

If any rod was THAT delicate, I'd return it. Still, netting every fish...unless it's a 5" bluegill...insures you don't have an accident.

Not saying it can't be done but my medium heavy rod is rated to 1oz, a pound is 16oz. That's asking for problems and probably the cause of many broken rods, maybe not right away but down the road. 

I only boat flip panfish, everything else is either netted or I reach in the water and grab it if I have no net.

5 hours ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

General question: Am I good to boat flip bass on a L or ML casting rod? I've expanding my toolbox this year to add in some lighter applications and don't want to break my new gear. Thanks for any suggestions, consideration, and so on. 

Yup ~ 

You'll be fine ~ 

A-Jay

17 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Yup ~ 

You''l be fine ~ 

A-Jay

Ouch - that's gotta hurt...how much depends on the cost of that rod.

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

Ouch - that's gotta hurt...how much depends on the cost of that rod.

I Guess ~ 

But you know that's not me.

I'm this guy . . . 

#nothingbutnet

A-Jay

 

Use a net, or lip it..

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I Guess ~ 

But you know that's not me.

I'm this guy . . . 

#nothingbutnet

A-Jay

 

Ya, me too. Even the hammer-handle northern I got last year (1.5#) was netted even though it was on my MH rod. Only thing I flip into the canoe with the rod is panfish...unless it's a BIG crappie - then it gets netted.

I trend to lip my fish.  I have a net, but have always reached down and lipped them.

56 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Yup ~ 

You'll be fine ~ 

A-Jay

That rod would have never broken if he had kept this hand off of it. He took any mechanical advantage of the rod away. That fish was not even that big. The rod was most likely a quality rod. You can get away with that with an ugly stick. GREAT VIDEO. Everyone should see this clip. Most educational thing on here in awhile. That thing went off in his fingers like a firecracker. I'd bet dollars to donuts he never done that again.

I apologize as I wasn’t trying to have a short sighted or controversial topic. I’m relatively new to bass fishing and all I know is what I see or read. I see anglers on MLF flipping all the time and had never had a conversation about it. This helps quite a bit.  

The line and hook you would likely be using with a L or ML rod wouldn't be ideal for boat flipping anything of size either.  

 

Bass smaller than 14" or so are generally OK to flip on just about any gear....At least for me.  Above that it's situational for your line/hook/rod.  I've boat flipped bass in the 5lb class and netted 12" smallies...Depends on the situation, my gear, and my judgement.  

11 minutes ago, Midwest Big Bass said:

I apologize as I wasn’t trying to have a short sighted or controversial topic. I’m relatively new to bass fishing and all I know is what I see or read. I see anglers on MLF flipping all the time and had never had a conversation about it. This helps quite a bit.  

 You Certainly do Not need to apologize ~

I'm the one who should be & needs to apologize.

Your question is certainly valid however, like may 'techniques' in fishing, there are many ways to get it done.

And we each have our own way of doing them.

Some folks boat flip most of the time, some folk never boat flip at all and then there's the bassheads who fall somewhere in the middle.

Experience has shown that boat flipping sometimes breaks rods, utilizing a net rarely does.

It's up to you how you want to handle this deal.

No real wrong answer though. 

I apologize if my response had you thinking any differently.

A-Jay

 

49 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 You Certainly do Not need to apologize ~

I'm the one who should be & needs to apologize.

Your question is certainly valid however, like may 'techniques' in fishing, there are many ways to get it done.

And we each have our own way of doing them.

Some folks boat flip most of the time, some folk never boat flip at all and then there's the bassheads who fall somewhere in the middle.

Experience has shown that boat flipping sometimes breaks rods, utilizing a net rarely does.

It's up to you how you want to handle this deal.

No real wrong answer though. 

I apologize if my response had you thinking any differently.

A-Jay

 

No worries A-Jay! I’m just here to learn. I appreciate that you and others take the time to respond with thoughts and opinions. I can’t gain perspective if people don’t take the time to answer my silly questions. 
 

Just now, Midwest Big Bass said:

No worries A-Jay! I’m just here to learn. I appreciate that you and others take the time to respond with thoughts and opinions. I can’t gain perspective if people don’t take the time to answer my silly questions. 
 

The questions are not silly and you should ask whatever you like.

Bass Resource is just that and sharing info is the foundation of it.

A-Jay

True light action rods you’ll need to be careful, but if you know what you’re doing, you can boat flip some decent sized fish on a ML outfit. How concerned you are with actually landing a fish will play into it. Species aside, I’ve flipped thousands of fish aboard with ML outfits and never broken a rod yet.