What do you guys do to impart action to a soft plastic after you pitch it to standing timber or laydowns. Do you just let it set? Do you hop it back to the boat slowly? Or do you drag it back to the boat slowly? Or all of these at different times? Which one seems to produce best for you guys?

lift it, jiggle it, drag it, there are many ways to put action into a soft plastic.  I like lifting and jiggling myself.

I pitch just beyond where I think a bass ought to be, let it fall stright down handing out line with the free hand so it doesn't pendulum back to me. After hitting bottom I jerk a bait back up, let it fall in the target zone. I want it to stay in that zone as long as pobbisble, then once my side of it reel it in with different retrieves, motly just to get it back for another pitch to the same spot or a new one. But there's always a possibility a bass will follow the bait and hit it if paused then restarted. If they don't do that I reel it in fast for another pitch, especially if using a popper put in a tough spot that I target.

Jim

I often pitch into thick weedy cover.  If not struck on the drop, I'll just jiggle it in place for a few seconds, then I'll try to pop it out of that spot and into a nearby one and do the same thing.  Then I reel fast and do it all over again.

My jigging reel is 6:3 to 1.  I want that line back fast so I can pitch to the next spot.

Personally I let the bait sit for 10-15 seconds before twitching my rod tip 4-5 pretty subtle, then wait 5 secs then i'll raise my rod tip, i usually get the strike after the raise of the rod tip and on the fall.  I work it the same when fishing docks as well.

I have a lot of success shaking it like you would a shakey-head worm.I also dead stick it,hop it,drag it,etc. at various times.I get most of my bites as the bait is falling into the cover on the initial pitch.

I like a 5:1 to 1.  I use a Quantum low profile reel on a 7' med. heavy rod with extra guides (all Fuji).  I like the control that i get from the longer rod and I like the horsepower that the lower gear ratios give me in thick or tight cover.  

Anyway, on a pitch, I agree with Jim.  I like to move it past or close to the area that I'm going to fish on the first few pitches/flips.  I'll try swimming, hopping, popping, dragging and everything else on those first few casts.  If that doesn't produce, then I'll flip or pitch a few times into the structure itself, hoping for the fish to hit the lure on the fall.

Try everything you can think of that would look like something to eat for the bass.

hop it

shake it

jiggle it

drag it

swim it.....

Let the fish tell you what to do.

I usually try to get my tube caught on the ends of tree branches or in weeds. Then I will just shake it for awhile. If nothing hits it I'll jerk loose. The darting action of the tube often brings savage strikes when shaking it didn't work. Just make sure you use heavy line so you don't lose all of your soft plastics.