Spinning or Baitcasting For Flippin' and Pitchin'?

johnnie crain outdoors · Tue Apr 08, 2003 8:06 pm

I prefer to use heavy duty spinning tackle for flippin' and pitchin'. Most talk about these two techniques evolves around baitcasting. I know baitcast reels are stronger which aids greatly in extracting bass buried in brush, but seems to me, it's much easier for me to hit small targets from greater distances with spinning tackle. What do you guys us most? Spinning or Baitcasting? Both? Johnnie Crain, Iowa

BASSGUIDEPA · Post by **BASSGUIDEPA** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 1:18 am

Johnnie,

Most of my pitchin/flippin is done with a bait casting combo--this is when I am using heavy (3/8-3/4 oz) baits. I do need that extra power in the bait casting reel/rod. But, when I am using finese baits, I will use my spinning rod. I will mostly pitch to my desire target. I will use a spinning combo when there is sparse cover (since I am only using 8lb test) especially in the clearer lakes like Cayuga Lake (NY). For the really big boy in heavy cover, bait casting is the way to go.

Dennis Bligh Jr · Post by **Dennis Bligh Jr** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 1:11 pm

How are you doing Jonnie?I like to use a round baitcaster for my flippin and pitchin, Shimano Catala is my Fav. The round reels tend to hold heavier line, and more of it. But there are some instances where spinning gear will do the job that baitcasting gear cant.

Massachusetts Pro-Staff

Roger Spaulding · Post by **Roger Spaulding** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 2:23 pm

Johnnie - I mainly use baitcasting gear for pitching/flipping. Castaic Super Free/7'6" IM8 rod from Galyan's and 17-25lb mono. I can go from 1/8 oz straight tail worms to 1/2 oz jigs in heavy cover with this setup. Practice off the water has made me more accurate then anything else.

I do use spinning, but more for skipping baits than for pitching baits.

Roger Spaulding

dansfishntales · Post by **dansfishntales** » Thu Apr 10, 2003 6:04 am

Johnnie,
You've fished with me enough that I really don't know why I'm answering, but as you know, I use casting for flipping and pitching.

You also know I'm one of the strange ones that actually skips tubes with casting equipment, while most use spinning in that end of things.

Guess I've always used casting because of the accuracy I've been able to achieve.

No matter how a person goes about these techniques, it is best to use what feels, and works best. Heck, there are a few guys who use spincasting, and I heard of one using a fly reel for flipping. Guess all you need for that is something to hold line. Remember the Shimano Brush Buster? - you couldn't cast with it - just flip.

Haven't spoken with you for awhile, so hope we'll be getting together.
Dan

johnnie crain outdoors · Fri Apr 11, 2003 2:57 am

Thanks guys, a couple of you bring up another good subject-skipping. Skipping baits under docks, under tree limbs and reaching places you just can't reach by casting is a great technique in itself. Once again, for this technique I prefer spinning gear, it's just easier for me. Once, long ago before I learned that skipping even existed I faced a tournament situation where I'd found fish close to some very low overhanging tree limbs in a Mississippi river backwater creek. On practice the fish were on the outside edge and easy to catch. Of course on T-Day, they moved deep under the tree limbs which were only about six inches above the water line, every cast I made was either too far away, they wouldn't come out for it, or I would snag a tre limb. Eventually, to save the day, I moved the boat as close to the limbs as possible, got down on my kness and peeled off enough line to reach the limbs and actaully threw the jig and pig by hand up under the over hangs. Did I win the tournament? No. But I did catch some fish and my knees hurt for a week. Fishin', ya gotta love it.
Dan, I'll contact you right after this. Johnnie Crain. :rolleyes: