Westernbass Magazine - FREE Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - Winter 2016, Page 16

Westernbass Magazine - FREE Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - Winter 2016, Page 16

GEAR

It’s important to have the right equipment for flippin’ into dense vegetation. You need to be able to overpower the bass and pull them away from cover quickly.

I use an 8’ Abu Garcia Villain heavy- action casting rod because it has a solid backbone and isn’t too stiff to rip the hook out of the fish’s mouth. I attach a lightning fast 9.0:1 geared Abu Garcia REVO Rocket casting reel spooled with 65- lb Berkley Trilene Professional Grade Braid. My rod, reel, and line combination allows me to handle anywhere from a 3/4- to 2-oz Picasso Tungsten flippin’ Weight.

If I’m on a strong flippin’ bite, I’ll have multiple setups rigged up with different size weights. Ideally, I want a weight that is just heavy enough to slide through the vegetation that I’m fishing.

GET TO FLIPPIN’

Flippin’ emergent and matted

16

Photo by Pedro Felix

vegetation

takes

dedication

while the water

is still cold. It’s

possible to

go a long time

between bites

or that you’ll

be fishing for

only a handful

of bites all day.

However, the bites

you do get can

be quality — the

quality that makes

it worth the time

and effort. So pick

up your flippin’ stick

and don’t be afraid to

drop a heavy weight

into emergent and matted vegetation this winter. It may produce your biggest bass of the year.

Photo by Kevin Hawk

®