Hey builders, I am planning to make a new flipping stick. I don't do a lot a of bass fishing anymore. I was just wondering what size rod most of you use for flipping/pitching for bass. My old rod is a 7' telescoping Bass Pro Extreme MH. I am thinking of going with a 7'6" MH Diamondback blank. What do you think about 7'6". Too long? I mostly pitch from about 35 ft. from the river bank. Any thoughts? Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Fishing is not a sport, it is an art.

My current flipping stick is 7' 10". Years before that I used a 7' 6" successfully flipping. I don't feel you would find 7' 6" too long.

My current flipping stick is 7' 10". Years before that I used a 7' 6" successfully flipping. I don't feel you would find 7' 6" too long.

I fished tournament trails many years ago. At that time, a 7' rod for bass was rare. I think I will love a 7'6' rod as I am fairly tall. I use an 8' rod for trout float fishing and it feels pretty normal to me now.

Fishing is not a sport, it is an art.

"I've fished my share of tournaments also (Red Man), best finish I had was second at Harris Chain. Used a 6' rod to flip under brush in canals. My point is one size does not fit all. Please consider what type of cover you'll do most of your flipping, open areas or close cover and go with a length that fits. Good luck!!

Good advice Jeffery. You are a better fisherman than I. I fished several Red Man events and never placed in the money. Good job. I have thought about that and I would be fishing riverbanks with heavy structure mostly for bass. I think the extra length might be better for getting fish up and out quicker. I'm also thinking it will double as a near shore sheepshead rod and be perfect for that situation.

Fishing is not a sport, it is an art.

I use the same 7 1/2' heavy action with 60 lb braid for flipping, pitching, frog and toad fishing. Works for me and I'm old, short and lightweight.

Something I would consider in choosing rod length is how tall the gunwales on your boat are. Is it more like a bass boat with gunwales that aren't very tall, or is the deck more recessed below them? I know you said you're tall, but a taller gunwale will in essence, make you shorter because your bait has to clear the height of the gunwale.

If your gunwales are shorter, a longer rod probably isn't going to present a problem. But if they're taller, it might. I do a lot of flipping and pitching for largemouth bass, More pitching though, I use rods anywhere from 5'6" - 7'3". It all depends on what bait I'm pitching, and what I'm pitching to. How far I want to pitch also plays into the length rod I use. My normal pitches are anywhere from 15 - 20', and I'll use any of the length rods I mentioned above. If I'm pitching 35' it's 6'6" or shorter rod. I use the shorter rod because I have to generate more rod tip speed to get that kind of distance while still keeping the bait low to the water. If I used a longer rod while trying to get that kind of distance, my bait will hit the gunwale of my boat.

I'm slightly under 5'8" so you may not have the problems I do with gunwale height, But it's something to think about

CORRECTION, I DIDNOT finish 2nd in a Red Man event!!! I did how ever do that on another tour @1986. I never cashed at a Red Man event. Sorry for the confusion.

I'm 5' 8-1/2" tall
some times pitch over 100 ft. {but mostly in the 35 to 50 ft. range)

personal preference is 7' 11-3/4" to 8 ft. But the 8 ft. mark is because most of the tournament circuit's I fish restrict the length to 8 ft.

Length of rod can be more of a benefit in flipping then pitching
When flipping the line goes up the rod then back down towards handle, so line's length is twice of what rod's is from reel to tip. So for every 6 inches of rod length. you're gaining a foot of line
and longer flips.

As I demonstrated in one of the seminars at I.C.R.B.E. few years back' you can also strategically place your stripper guide to increase that by a foot or two depending on how you set it up, a telescoping rod can limit some of that however.

I really like the MXH FP885 for 3/4oz and lower its 7'4"

then grab the FP936 to 1 to 1.5oz

Hey Steve, sounds like we fish similarly. I can pitch very accurately from over 100 feet so I would rarely be casting with this rod. I know the length will help with the flipping game, and flipping in a river can be awesome and fun! I have to go to a seven footer for my spinnerbait rod as it get the fish out of the cover so much better. In a lake my technique, and therefore rod needs, are totally different. I share most of my stuff between salt and fresh.

Fishing is not a sport, it is an art.

Steve,


Good to see you.

I remember once asking Bill Poe in his opinion what would be the best rod or length of rod to pitch with?

And as you know Bill lived and sold the Loomis's so much.

He said a 783.

That isn't that much of a long rod but I guess he based that off what his clients wanted or he sold and got the most feedback on.

I previously thought I would put on an 11" cork full handle so put it loosely on the blank and simulated some pitching and flipping. ( I mostly pitch) I found the grip to be too long by several inches for pitching and just OK for flipping in cool weather. That length grip reaches my jacket sleeve and makes it really a pain for pitching. (now I remember why I got rid of my first one) I'm glad I didn't just assume it would work and broke out the glue. I'm a rookie anyway, but it was a good lesson in considering the final product and testing it before any glue comes into the picture. One of the greatest thing about learning is recognizing the lessons presented. An 8" was so much better and a shorter one may be even be better. I don't have anything shorter on hand just now, but ill test something before I decide. This must be why I want to build my own. Custom is awesome.

Fishing is not a sport, it is an art.

Pitching 100'? Wow. That's farther than I cast most baits. 40' is about my max pitching distance. Any further than that and I can get a quieter bait entry into the water via casting. Anyhow .... I flip and pitch with the same rods, so I keep all my rear grips 9 3/4" long because that's what works out best for me. But if I were to build a dedicated flipping rod, I could use a longer rear grip because the travel path of the rear grip is different for me when I pitch, and when I flip. When I flip, the rear grip goes to the outside of my forearm and away from my body. When I pitch it goes to the inside of my forearm and towards my body.

If I built rods for specific seasons or weather conditions, warm versus cold, rainy versus sunny, I could use a longer rear grip for pitching because I don't have to worry about the butt hitting bulky clothing or catching on a rain suit.

When you say it like that 100' does seem a pretty long way to pitch, but in smaller rivers we pitch to both sides. Seem like about 30 meters or so.. It just seemed like the way to do it because we were mostly fishing from bass boat platforms. Casting overhead is a no no due to overhead trees in these rivers. It ain't necessarily quiet. You would be surprised how long you can pitch a 1/2 oz jig if you have to. I think I would use these rids enough to justify building two of them with different grips. Or maybe a better word is rationalize. :)

Fishing is not a sport, it is an art.

lol on the it ain't necessarily quiet comment Danny. I would imagine it wouldn't be. I'm pretty sure that the way I perform the pitching presentation is different than the one you and Steve use to pitch those kind of distances. There is no way I could generate the type of tip speed to get even close to that kind of distance. Not with the motion I use to pitch anyhow.

Oh I am all in on the rationalizing thing. lol I think we've all been there ........

till a few years back I never paid attention to how far I pitched, just pitched when need to pitch, flipping when needing to flip, casting when needed

Then at the Rod Building expo (when it was still in High Point, NC) was demonstrating to a gentleman how to pitch with a
Micro guided rod that was on display at the Batson both with 1/2 oz. jig on it. From there was pitching to a door way at the other end of the exhibition floor.

A little while later another gentleman came up to me and said "125 ft." I asked "125 ft. what?"
He Said "I measured it off" then boldly said "YOUR PITCHING THAT BAIT 125 FT" replied "ok"

I had never given it much thought, but he was evidentially impressed.