Up until more recently, a topwater frog would be my go-to bait when fishing shallow vegetation like lily pads, coontail, maiden cane, milfoil, duckweed, etc.
While a frog is great for getting a strike from an aggressive bass in shallow water, little did I know I was pulling my frog right over the top of wary and giant bass that just didn't want to come to the surface for a frog. Perhaps they've seen it before, perhaps they are just in a bad mood. Who knows.
What I do know is that a few years ago when my fishing buddy Marty Sexton pulled out a 1oz tungsten weight pegged on 65lb braided line with a beaver-style plastic, he started yanking giant fish right out from under where my frog had just been -- over and over. How could this be? I had confidence in my frog that if I brought it near a bass it would eat. I started to question what I thought I knew about fishing shallow weeds and have since learned a lot and refined what rods I keep tied up for attacking the slop.
While I used to keep only 1 flipping stick in the boat, I now keep 5+ rods over 7 feet ready to go: a frog rod, a heavy swim jig rod, a heavy flipping rod, and a horny toad rod. The rest of my big-rod setups are for swimbaits and fishing deep.
I've since learned quite a bit about heavy flipping through trial and error and time on the water, and through asking my buddy Marty a million questions about the specifics he learned while flipping in Florida and southern states often with various BASS Elite pros and local guides.
Here's a few dandies that have been landed in my boat flipping heavy jigs in thick vegetation
Ben Feldman with a tank
Myself with a 5.5lb big bass of the tournament
After a few years of trials and tweaks, this is my favorite heavy flipping rig right now and some notes about why:
Rod
Old-school green Daiwa 7'6" Heavy power moderate action with an extra long rod butt.
Old-school green Daiwa 7'6" Heavy power moderate action with an extra long rod butt.
I've tested a bunch of different flipping rods and this style flipping rod is by far my favorite for flipping a big jig or tungsten weight from 1/2oz to 1.5oz. The moderate taper helps absorb the shock of braid. The slower-action taper also helps me really load the rod and pull very hard while absorbing head shakes. The longer rod butt increases leverage significantly, allowing me to pull harder than with a shorter rod butt. To me, these are the most important attributes in a flipping rod.
Line
65lb braid like Power Pro or 60lb Sunline FX2 are lines I like.
65lb braid like Power Pro or 60lb Sunline FX2 are lines I like.
Rubber stopper
I don't like the generic yellow/red/black weight stoppers. My favorite stopper is the little tacky cone-shaped stoppers made by Paycheck Baits. I have noticed that the cone shape avoids slime and snagging up on limp vegetation. The standard barrel-shaped stoppers seem just a tad more snaggy and cause more fouled lures. Barrel-shaped stoppers still perform well in most circumstances.
I don't like the generic yellow/red/black weight stoppers. My favorite stopper is the little tacky cone-shaped stoppers made by Paycheck Baits. I have noticed that the cone shape avoids slime and snagging up on limp vegetation. The standard barrel-shaped stoppers seem just a tad more snaggy and cause more fouled lures. Barrel-shaped stoppers still perform well in most circumstances.
Hook
I recently switched from an EWG hook to a VMC heavy flipping hook with the molded bait guard on the shank of the hook. I tie a snell knot to the shank of the hook, being certain to thread the line through the hook-point side of the eyelet. Do it wrong and the hook leverages away from the fish! Do it right and when you set the hook your hook point swings up. The result is an awesome hook-up ratio.
I recently switched from an EWG hook to a VMC heavy flipping hook with the molded bait guard on the shank of the hook. I tie a snell knot to the shank of the hook, being certain to thread the line through the hook-point side of the eyelet. Do it wrong and the hook leverages away from the fish! Do it right and when you set the hook your hook point swings up. The result is an awesome hook-up ratio.
Also, this style hook results in a more-weedless presentation than an EWG hook. The bait-holding knuckle by the eyelet of an EWG hook can get held up on vegetation while a straight-shank flipping hook makes a perfect wedge shape with the soft plastic causing less snags.
Plastic
I like a beaver style bait and there are a ton of companies making them. I prefer Netbait's for the slightly thicker midsection vs Reaction Innovations sweet beaver. I like the Missile Baits D-Bomb too.
I like a beaver style bait and there are a ton of companies making them. I prefer Netbait's for the slightly thicker midsection vs Reaction Innovations sweet beaver. I like the Missile Baits D-Bomb too.
Jig alternative
If I use a jig, I prefer Dirty Jigs no-jack. It's got a nice shape, an awesome hook, and they stand up. Oldham's are nice too. I haven't used many others that I like.
If I use a jig, I prefer Dirty Jigs no-jack. It's got a nice shape, an awesome hook, and they stand up. Oldham's are nice too. I haven't used many others that I like.
Colors
For clear water I really like Okeechobee craw. It's green pumpkin on one side and sparkle blue on the other side. Looks like a bluegill! Straight green pumpkin and spayed grass are my next favorites for clear water. In dirty or stained water I really like black with blue fleck or black with red fleck because it gives a better silhouette.
For clear water I really like Okeechobee craw. It's green pumpkin on one side and sparkle blue on the other side. Looks like a bluegill! Straight green pumpkin and spayed grass are my next favorites for clear water. In dirty or stained water I really like black with blue fleck or black with red fleck because it gives a better silhouette.
