Who knows about flipping and pitching? Getting back to bassfishing again and I really need to get good at pitching/flipping due to the structure in and at the banks of waters I fish. I cast and am pretty accurate but I think the splash is too big. I have a friend who is a master flipper and pitcher and it's amazing how the bait makes almost no splash. So, what makes a good rod n reel combo for this?

 

Would this work? I bought this years ago for froggin mostly...

 

rod -- Cashion F90476, 7'6" Fast, Med-Hvy 12-50lb, 1/4 to 1 oz

reel -- Lews Speed Spool Tournament Pro, TP1SHL (11 bearings)

 

This combo is about my most expensive.

 

EDIT: I see that this Lews reel is 6.7 oz and 7.1:1 gear ratio.

 

EDIT:  I also made additional comments below. TIA!

6 minutes ago, livemusic said:

Who knows about flipping and pitching?

 

Would this work? I bought this years ago for froggin mostly...

 

rod -- Cashion F90476, 7'6" Fast, Med-Hvy 12-50lb, 1/4 to 1 oz

reel -- Lews Speed Spool Tournament Pro, TP1SHL (11 bearings)

 

This combo is about my most expensive.

While the reel is a little slower than I like - that'll work for flip/pitch.

 

I do like a heavier rod to haul them out with, and be able to use heavier weights - that'll also work.

 

If you need to learn how to flip/pitch - this one of the better vids on it.

 

I saw a Scott Martin video and he mentioned 7.5 to 8 ft rods and also a Gary Klein vid and he mentioned 8ft. Is 8ft still kind of the standard? I guess a longer rod not only gives more leverage but also you have a longer arc, so, you can pitch a bit farther.

 

As for a reel, I suppose since I do not tournament fish, just fish for pleasure and do not need to reel back after a pitch as fast as possible, a slower retrieve ratio is not as important.

 

Also, since I am new to this technique, do you think shorter rather than longer rod or vice versa would be easier to learn on? And for fatigue factor, I would think the lighter in weight the rod, the better.

Think you will be just fine with that setup.  

I note that the Lews reel I have is 7.1:1 gear ratio; I do not have any reel faster than that. Do you guys think, that at the end of the day, using an 8:1 reel would make a difference? If so, can anyone recommend an 8:1 reel?

 

I saw a Daiwa Fuego 8.1:1 reel that is $100. I have seen that reel mentioned as adequate. $100 is nice but I am also willing to spend more, because the majority of time, I am making short casts of soft plastic, and as I said, I hope to graduate to flipping/pitching to the same cover on lakes I fish. As for 'getting this right', I certainly need to get a good rig for short casts of soft plastics to cover targets.

 

Could someone also comment about rod length? What would an 8ft rod get you vs. a 7.5ft rod? Yes, my 7.5ft rod will work, just seeking knowledge on this.

 

EDIT:  Hmmm... I see that @Shimano_1 commented in another thread that for this use... "I've settled on the 7 ratio with ipt around 30-31 inches being the sweet spot for me."

19 minutes ago, livemusic said:

Could someone also comment about rod length? What would an 8ft rod get you vs. a 7.5ft rod? Yes, my 7.5ft rod will work, just seeking knowledge on this.

A longer rod will let you flip and pitch further. While it's not too different in terms of casting, the return on extra length is better for flipping and pitching.

 

I use a 7'6" rod simply because 8' will not fit inside my truck.

 

Also I use a 7.3:1 reel. The same reel in 8.1:1 was full retail but I got the 7.3:1 at a nice discount, which should tell you how big of a deal that really is. Some people prefer 7.x:1 because the lower gear ratios technically give you a little extra power.

You are kind of asking 2 questions...one about rods/reels and one about splash.  Your splash question is more technique related...I pitch with most of my rods & reels.  If you want a small splash, the lure should stay close to the water and enter with minimal forward momentum.  You probably need to adjust your settings.  If too tight, the lure wants to pendulum up on release.  I would keep my spool tension loose to lower start up inertia (on mine, I have a very slight amount of play in the spool), and over tighten the brakes.  Then back off the brakes until you get the trajectory & distance you are looking for.