Hi there,

My pitching/flipping experience thus far has been just throwing to standing timber, laydowns, docks, sparse pads, medium thick grass.  So far, I have been able to do just fine with a 1/4 ounce weight, 4/0 ewg offset wide gap hook, and various plastics.

However, I was in a tourney this weekend, and my Boater went to flipping HEAVY pads and grasses.  My bait would constantly get hung up, and everything just felt awkward.  I have never flipped this heavy a jungle before, and the first thing I noticed was that my traditional skin hook method of my EWG hook was impossible to not het hung.

Any suggestions on what type of hook,weight, pegs (he had a thing called a sinker/bobber stopper?), bait, that I shoudl get.  He was using the Reaction Innovation BMF hook, but it looks like they don't make em anymore?  Any suggested alternative setups and rigging advice would be very helpful.  Thanks!

Mustad Straight Shank Denny Brauer Flipping Hook

Tru-Tungsten bullet weights

Do Not Skin Hook!

Nothing wrong with a tooth pick  

Maintain contact with your lure at all times, allow the lure to free-fall unrestricted, but without letting slack form in the line; follow your lures down with your rod tip.

Pay close attention to the depth you're fishing, any sudden change in the amount of line you're using could mean you've been bit. For instance, if you're fishing 10 feet of water and the lure suddenly stops at the 7 depth, it's possible a bass has taken the bait. If you're fishing 5 feet of water and 8 feet of line sinks, chances are good a bass is traveling with the bait. This is extremely true on the initial cast and no line movement maybe noticed.

Strikes will sometimes be so subtle with no line movement that they can go unnoticed if you feel is a spongy sensation, as if the line suddenly got heavy set the hook

Always remember bottom contact is critical!

Another tip for flippers in the thick stuff is to rig your plastic backwards.  

This is a situation I have not fished in my local waters, but I certainly do want to try it

Some things I'd consider (with the caveat I stated above) if I was about to fish a similar situation...

1) 50+ lb braid if fishing in grasses/weeds

2) use a heavy sinker with a small profile (tungsten, if possible)

3) bury the hook inside the bait, as Catt mentions

4) use a compact soft plastic bait that does NOT have a lot of appendages so it slides through the vegetation

I too am a fan of Denny's flippin' hook and IMO skin hook is not the best method either, just penetrate the bait with the hook point near the exposing surface makes it completely weedless and exposes easily on the hookset.

I also use Bobber Stoppers for keeping the weight in place without actually pegging. 1) they help to avoid pinching the line during normal pegging.

2) they are extremely useful for allowing the nose of the bait to be closely centered beneath the weight so that it falls perfectly straight.

3) they are easily applied and can be slid up the line when replacing hooks etc. then slid back down for re use.

4) Also work well for keeping Carolina rig weights from sliding up the line during casts.

5) Work well for quicky light weight Carolina rig set ups as well by just placing one or two Bobber Stoppers (depending on weight used) beneath the weight and and sliding it up the line to position weight at any given length.

6) I use them at night on Tx rig when placing a bead or rattle shims between the weight and hook for noise. I place the bobber stopper about an inch above the weight so that it the weight has some room to move back and forth but keeps it in close proximity to the bait.

I use the small rubber ones that are on a small dia. wire for applying and not the thread ones....they are a pain

Hope that helps

Big O

www.ragetail.com

Another tip for flippers in the thick stuff is to rig your plastic backwards.

Explanation please? I've never heard of rigging plastics backwards. What benefit does this give you?

Another tip for flippers in the thick stuff is to rig your plastic backwards.

Explanation please? I've never heard of rigging plastics backwards. What benefit does this give you?

Hunter, I am not trying to answer for Derek but I have heard of this before but don't necessarily condone to the theory...if that's what you call it. In my experience, anything that impedes the bait from slipping thru the grass is a negative, therefore an excellent flipping puncher has to be designed purposely to not only make it thru the trash as easily as possible but also have some attractive fall or action once thru.

This is the reason for a more slender body and compact style of the favorite designs. Also a slim body with small side appendages that will fold back easily during the punch will add to the received action once it's thru.

I think those who subscribe to the backwards rigging way of thinking are actually trying to get some type of action on a bait that otherwise has no action.....and that might work in more open water conditions. But I would rather have a bait that can be equally effective in both....Just my Opinion

Big O

www.ragetail.com

One thing that was hard for me was not to drop your rod tip when setting the hook. If you do the fish will feel the weight of the sinker and spit it. if you feel a fish just lift hard and do not drop the rod.

Good luck

Everyone is talking about lower profile flipping baits to penetrate the jungle... what are some examples of these baits?

Tubes, beaver styles, Craws, SpaceMonkey, and other compact or slender creature baits etc.

Big O

www.ragetail.com

One helpful thing I learned here with regard to Jig hooksets, and is applicable here, is maintain the proper position of your rod during this presentation.  If you are holding your rod at the 11:00 or 12:00 postition, that does not give you alot of leverage to set the hook or if you do set the hook, give you the power to turn the fish and get her away from the salad bar.  Because when you drop your rod tip to get more leverage, she is going to spit that perfectly pitched bait right back through the same hole you pitched it to her through.  And when that bait hits you hook first in that little crease of skin it hurts like heck.

IT IS TAKING ME A LONG TIME TO GET THIS THROUGH MY THICK HEAD!!  But the fish provided acupuncture is helping.

Twitch

As for baits, probably the best and most popular bait for punchin' mats is the Gambler BB Cricket.

Another tip for flippers in the thick stuff is to rig your plastic backwards.

Explanation please? I've never heard of rigging plastics backwards. What benefit does this give you?

Hunter, I am not trying to answer for Derek but I have heard of this before but don't necessarily condone to the theory...if that's what you call it. In my experience, anything that impedes the bait from slipping thru the grass is a negative, therefore an excellent flipping puncher has to be designed purposely to not only make it thru the trash as easily as possible but also have some attractive fall or action once thru.

This is the reason for a more slender body and compact style of the favorite designs. Also a slim body with small side appendages that will fold back easily during the punch will add to the received action once it's thru.

I think those who subscribe to the backwards rigging way of thinking are actually trying to get some type of action on a bait that otherwise has no action.....and that might work in more open water conditions. But I would rather have a bait that can be equally effective in both....Just my Opinion

Big O

Thank you Big 0.   That explains it!

Another tip for flippers in the thick stuff is to rig your plastic backwards.

Explanation please? I've never heard of rigging plastics backwards. What benefit does this give you?

Take a look at this

http://reactioninnovations.com/images/Sweet_Beaver_rigging.jpg

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_98474____SearchResults

The weight actually hits the cover first instead of the lure hitting and just laying on the surface. I made my own weights for this and it works miracles in thick, nasty cover. For scattered cover you can even rig it backwards/weightless.