Hey Matt and Tim. I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I caught my first monster bass yesterday. Pitching in real hvy pads. I knew the bite,the hookset, and how to land it and I owe it all to your videos. Thanks again and keep with AWESOME videos!
This is jedi bass fishing training! Thanks guys. I've been wanting to get into flipping and pitching and didn't really know where to start. I'm officially a tactical bassinet padawan 👍
This is, without a doubt, my favorite technique explication of yours. Lots of great tips that are not so intuitive but make sense that I didn't know about. The more and more I get into bass fishing, the more I enjoy TacticalBassin's videos.
Hands down best informative /entertaining fishing channel on RU-vid. I've fished through out my life but I honestly really got into fishing this year. man the knowledge you have given me is incredible. I use to come home without a catch and now I'm pulling at least 1-5 fish from the shore all because of the information I got from you guys. Keep it up and thank you for the high quality videos/info you guys put out
I can listen and watch you guys for hours on end... you make us feel like we are just one of your buddies along for a ride. Good thing you guys decided to do this... anglers all around the world are better because of you two!!!
u overall are one of the best "youtube teachers" i swear lol, sooo detailed and informative, i also appreciate that u always post links for anything u talk about
Just want to say, I have moved to a lake and been getting back into fishing, I have already purchased 3 of your rod recommendations, 2 of them from the 200 dollar video last Christmas. I just wanted to say I love the effort you put into your videos, you love what you do and you share your knowledge with a passion. Thanks for taking the time to give that to your viewers. I just received some lures from tacklewarehouse that you guys recommended as well!
After watching a few of your flipping/punching vids, I bought a St. Croix Premier 7'2" Heavy and paired it with a SLX 151HG and now it's my favorite combo.
This video was awesome. I watch a lot of videos here and I've never seen any where there's another guy at the front of the boat fishing. I thought that was a great addition. I hope you guys do this again!
THANK YOU GUYS for your time and as a Australia fisherman flipping and Pitching is working on the Murray cod here. I've just come across your channel you have made my day putting or the gear you use up on your channel. It's a big thing for me we don't have this stuff the way you fish for bass is working for the cod here to! it's so old school here for cod fishing I'm am trying to change the way I fish for Murray cod. They are a big fish you would love them have a look for them or go to my channel lol thanks again tight line and remember to keep fishing fun.
What is your opinion on punching rods with a more moderate/parabolic bend with the belief that it will keep the fish pinned better against the surface of the mats as you try to winch them out, or go in after them? I am told that traditionally, dedicated flipping and pitching sticks have the fast to extra fast tapers, therefore they tend to rip baits out of the fish's mouth when punching mats. Side note: I was the guy in the small aluminum boat who messaged you guys a few weeks back as it was my first time on Clear Lake but the weather was in the 100+ degrees with hardly any breeze. Was able to find some schooling fish on my second to last day in deeper water and took advantage of an evening frog bite. You two are so lucky to have Clear Lake to fish day in and day out. I'd fish there again in 100+ degrees as long as I have an IV line hooked up to my arm and 3 liters of fluid on tap.
I've been using my Cronos for frogs and flippin pitchin, little punching and I think it works fine. Paired it with a Tatula SV 8:1:1. Like the set-up, a little heavy on the heavy side. Love the videos, keep at em!!!
@@joeschranz4525 I really like flouro 18-20, but if I am in thick grass or lilly pads then it's 50-65 lb braid. If you use braid make sure you use backing material or it can slip. Hope this helps!
I watch every video.. have for quite some time. This is by far the best video you guys have done in a while.. every part of info is spot on with what I have success with in the past.. Having Tim fish in the background is great idea ! It kinda gives a 2 for 1 effect.. look forward to watching to watching more.
Great vids! Keep them coming! Have a few suggestions. I noticed yall never made an in depth video about belly boat fishing. Me personally I do a lot of that living in Korea. Don't know if yall own any or not but would be a sweet video of yall catching some bass in tight cover when boats can't get into. Another thing is I noticed a lot of people in Korea use a lot of bfs rods and reels. Was wondering if theres any real difference or any other benefits from using a casting Light rod over a spinning Light rod.
This all makes sense my biggest problem with punching and flipping heavy cover is I'll get a bite set the hook super hard but I'm just not able to get that fish out, I'm a bank angler so it is not easy to get fish out of heavy cover when you're flipping I use a favorite pro series 7 ft 6 in heavy powered rod 65 lb test p line xtcb braid it's still hard to get fish out of heavy cover once to get you in that stuff even light pads you got to get them out quick
Wow Matt, this video was so amazing and informative.. So much so that I think this is my new favorite tacticalbassin video.. Punching looks so fun and intense, can't wait to start doing it. Thanks for having such an amazing channel and helping us learn to be better anglers.. -Ronnie
100% agree with Matt about rod weight being a major positive with flipping/punching and even frogging due to the constant twitch to keep the frog moving. I'd recommend for a good budget is the Dobyns Sierra and the Dobyns Sierra Micro guide 705 for shorter people like myself or the 735...great lightweight rod with tons of power! Just pulled out a 8lber through the grass while froggin and rod handled it like a dream!
I wouldn't recommend micro guides for fishing slop. I had several times when they filled up with grass and would literally bind up the line. Need at least a medium size guide.
This may sound crazy to y'all but my flipping rod (also doubles as my frog rod when I'm on the boat) is actually an old st Croix premier 6'6" heavy-fast with an Abu Revo x. I've tried longer rods and I prefer this short ass rod. I'm way more accurate with it.
Nothing wrong with 6'6. I use it here in north west Louisiana and they've been biting great. Also schooling in afternoons late on shad ect offshore. Fun time with any bait
I got my 916C for originally swimbaits. Now also using it as a flippin stick & froggin. Like you guys said, only have a mid range reel on it. BB2pro. Fish all day on a lighter set up is a must have, I love it.
The Expride is 299.99 but a good budget option right now is the Shimano Curado 8ft XH that is on sale for 99.99!!! Doubles as a big Swimbait road as it’s rated for 1-5oz
I picked up a used Shimano Zodias 7'2" heavy rod a couple years ago for 1/2 price of new and it was in mint shape. What a great deal! I use it for punching and it's been a great rod. I mention it because I find it to be very good quality and a middle-of-the-road price point.
How do these guys only have 69k you guys should have a lot more I would rather watch this over any googan video great video Matt I love flipping trees and grass
MR. top water king alot of people say this myself included but it's because the googans have a shit load of little kids subbed to them and they all have Favorite gear lol
Love this style video, Tim in the back ground catching fish as you explain the process. Either way one of you fishing the technique with one of you teaching is awesome stuff. This is something I have not really tried all that much, I see and fish more lay downs and submerged trees than thick matted grass or weeds, but I feel the gear and techniques would be very similar. Thanks again for the videos. Keep them coming.
Cant believe I just watch an entire 35 min video and I wanted more ! Thanks for the time spent making this video guys, I understand your struggles on trying to make good quality.. could you guys give a quick glance at the camera setup and what editing software you guys use.. top to bottom your quality is in my opinion flawless..
I've always kept the hook point completely embedded in the bait when I Texas rig lizards and worms. I've never had issues with hookups and it keeps me from snagging wood and other structure.
I currently use a 7' 6" Abu Garcia Vengeance Heavy rod and a Gen 3 Revo STX with 8.0:1 gears. My area does not offer a lot of punching situations, and I also did not want to match the STX with another rod since they wouldn't match in terms of color (that's just my personal preference is matching my gear.) Even though the rod is $50, it still has a massive amount of torque and can handle what you throw at it. It has a little more tip section to it because it has a medium fast tip for froggin, but that doesn't seem to effect punching at all. There is a shorter version I do believe, but I use the 7' 6 just because I'm shorter and do bank fishing with it and need the farthest casts I can get. As for the reel, the STX is $186 new, but is cheaper on Ebay and on TW since the Gen 3 reels are being closed out. You can easily get it for $150 or less, and the 8.0 gears and 90mm handle really put it to those fish and get them up from the cover and out. So for those wanting a mid-range buy and wan't an all around setup, I recommend mine highly.
Important to be quiet, he says! 😂 You guys are hilarious when you fish with each other! This is a great informational video!! You guys are quickly becoming one of my top 3 go-to resources for finding out new information about bass fishing. Thank you for taking the time to put all this great info out there. I actually caught 4 bass walking a rapala X-pop at my heavily pressured home lake the other day. No one else was catching any bass, even finesse fishing. Had I not seen your video on poppers, I would have never even considered trying that. I will definitely be looking into different hook styles and some of the other tips from this video. Keep up the great work and again, thanks for everything you guys do!!
Good info on Rod weight. I punch A LOT on the D and I definitely feel it at the end of the day. I'll look into something lighter weight. Thanks for the info .
70k...I think the word is FINALLY getting out. 100k right around the corner. Hands down the most informative fishing channel on youtube. When that 100k hits I expect another video with some cool jams and you guys boat flippin some more 8 pounders. later
Matt, what advice could you give in order to catch bass by flipping when every cast results in multiple Mayan Cichlids fighting over your crawl bait? Please help!
Matt! I have always used a widegap ewg for punching my local pond and now I feel normal using that style of hook instead of a straight shank😅. Great video as always.
Great informative video as always guys! Really appreciate you guys going the extra mile and providing info in the description, it doesn't go unnoticed. I really love the concept of pitching and flipping but I've never really had much success. But I would rather catch 2 fish in a day flipping and pitching than catch 10 fish in a day on a senko. My biggest issue is that I fish a very clear mountain lake in North Carolina and the areas that I fish are mostly docks that are sometimes in 15-20 feet of water. I struggle with pitching deeper water and having my bait drop straight down. I usually have to switch hands immediately and feed line out as my bait drops. I typically use Jigs when pitching. Is this too deep to fish this technique? I notice that big named "jig pitchers" like Hackney and Brauer pitch jigs in stained water in brush against the bank. Are deep clear water lakes just not ideal for this technique. Sorry for the long comment but I'm desperate to learn how to catch fish with this technique.
Great questions! Its still 100% applicable but you need to completely loosen the settings on your reel (we have a video on that) so your bait doesn't pendulum at all and falls truly straight. Also, go to a heavier jig to help this process.
Oh my god...Ive always fully buried my hookpoints in my baits, whether its a beaver, craw, worm, minnow, etc. Ive always had less snags and more fish caught. Just give a lil more umpf on the hookset and you're golden.
Great video. Learned a lot. I fish a bayou that is infested with Primrose. I tried the techniques covered. No bites. Is Primrose just too tangled up of a mass of vines and stems to hold bass. Have you fished Primrose tangles?
For aging Anglers and I'm talking about guys in their late 30s the back tips in this video are a must if you plan on lifelong fishing! I'm in my 60s and have just as much passion for fishing as when I was a kid. I did not heed the back warning signs and toughed out my way through them, Big Mistake!! There are days now where my back just won't let me go out or I have to cut my fishing short. Sit-ups!! :-( I know how horrible that sounds but they'll keep you going if you want to stay in the game.... Sorry Matt and Tim but you're not kids anymore and it looks like it's time for you guys to get down and give me a 100 a day! or at least 10....
Mr. FatBasstard - I'm noticing that temperature brings on back pain from damage acquired long ago and is not necessarily from current activity. In any case, exercise and stretching will help. So I'll drop and give you two and a half right now but I'll have to do the other seven and a half by piece work. One hundred of anything is out of my league at the moment.
Great vid. In the links that you posted, you covered long and short rods. But you didn't link expensive to cheap. I was curious as to your opinions on the mid and lower price rods.
Great video guys…One of the best I've seen for Tackle and Gear information…keep it up and I hope you can make it to Central MN Lakes country and make a video.
What a great vid! I use a 7ft 4 duckett terex heavy with a 13 inception 18lbs of drag 8.1 retrieve. Thats the top of my price range. Will that get the job done in a lilly pad fiekd pitchin in the holes n havin the horses to get them out? Also if the lily pads are next to alot if 10ft water n the oads are in 3 to 3 1/2 ft of water what time of day will they hold fish? They are full of big red ears so i think the bass should br there. Thanks u guys are the best.
Great info. Very nice video guys. Matt, I'm glad you mentioned using the EWG style hooks for Punchin. I have been trying to "make" myself like the straight shank hooks, but man, I have never lost so many fish....ever. I'm sure I will find a place for them, but I will keep using my Owner Rig N and Wide Gap + also.
Great vid guys. Good info. I've git a great new respect for y'all. The difference is that I never knew how/why TB started. Love the fact that it was because of the high end misinformation factor. Way to go guys.
Great vids guys I really love the fact you are trying to help us out and responding to our questions. You should open a fishing consulting service! Would you go with the expride 7'11 XH over a champion extreme 795 or 805?
We actually do offer that service through our website LOL! But back to your question, there is a huge difference between those rods. I still love a lot of dobyns rods but for heavy flipping that Expride is in a league of its own and has actually made flipping more enjoyable for me. -Matt
I totally agree with spending the money on a good quality rod for flippin and pitchin. The rod balance and weight is crucial to successful presentations 100 flips or pitches in. Imo you have to absolute control on every flip as far as accuracy, distance and entrance. A lower end tip heavy rod will make it real hard to get bit as you get fatigued. Great tips and info as usual.
when I watched this video last year, I had the same exact issue with the snell knot. the hook wouldn't penetrate or the fish would spit it when it got to the top of the mat. it made a giant difference when I switched to an ewg. I always flipped and pitched around cover with 1/4 to 3/8 ounce with an ewg. when I come across the thick stuff. 3/4 to 1 ounce and always with the snell. after the first go round of this video, and changing to the ewg, hook ups on flipping fish have increased dramatically.
I choose hooks according to bait, even when flipping and pitching. For instance, I’ll run a flipping hook (straight shank) on beaver style baits. On baits like the rage craw, with the slimmer profiles, I’ll run a gamakatsu wide gap hook.
Wow Matt you guys are really on target with what im doing on Long Island right now. I have been punching heavy matts and producing well. THANKYOU for the expride recommendation (frog rod) in that previous video. I just got it and i love it. 7.3 extra heavy. Its actually a tiny bit stronger than my punching rod. (St croix avid x. 7.4 heavy) I love my punching rod. i actually prefer this size it helps me boat the fish better than swinging a bass in the boat with an 8 foot rod. I think its better that the frog rod is a tiny tiny bit stronger than the punching rod. Setting a frog takes more of a swing than a punch bite. Would you agree? Also i just want to say THANKYOU for making such amazing videos. Favorite youtube channel by far. Im going to buy a tactical shirt and wear it at one of my tournaments out of respect.
You're the man! So stoked to hear the rod is working for you!! I agree on the rod actions, when you're punching having a little flex in there isn't a bad thing to help keep that hook pinned.
Thank you guys so much for these great videos! I can honestly say that I am a better fisherman today because of these detailed videos that you work hard to create.
Phenomenal vid as always. I just wanted to be clear on your short/long rod theory. If I understand correctly, you DO prefer a longer rod as long as its light? Do you feel that a longer rod gives you more power over a short rod? Im actually about to buy a punch rod and I'm looking at a 7'4" or 7'5". In fact I can't decide between a daiwa tatula elite AGS 7'4" Heavy and a Irod air 7'5" Heavy. Should I go with a longer rod in the $250-300 range? Im a day-one sub and you guys truly are the best channel hands down. You guys have taught me so much and I truly appreciate your channel.
You understood correctly. If your budget is $250-300 you'd be hard pressed to find a rod that can compete with that Expride 7'11" XH. It weighs less than most short rods but has a TON of power.
Hey guys have you ever tried punching from a kayak? If you have any tips I would really appreciate it cuz I can't seem to figure it out. Loved the video! You guys rock!!
Upgrade your weight a notch. 1.5 oz gets it done for me in my 'yak. Creep on top of them and it becomes a volume game in terms of pitches. Stick with it bc going on a weedy sleigh ride with a 5 lber in a kayak is a blast
Hey Matt, I have noticed in recent years that adding certain styles of skirts will cause that flipping hook not to rotate upward on a hookset, resulting in a drastic reduction in success. We have tried the punching skirts but even those models or variants still produce the same result. Have you experienced this at all?
My fav way of fishing right here. Great video! Matt you didnt mention the flippen hooks that have the keepers on them. They are great just like the the screw keepers. Also you said no one punches with a jig, 100%my preference! Lol
If you guys like that Jackal bait check out vertical lures X creature bait, a little more action but same concept. A pro and a con is the come garlic scented but they have that hollow body with a solid head.
Hey Matt and Tim. Me and my cousin are young bass fisherman that mostly fish in rivers with dark water and mostly timber cover. Do you guys have any suggestions of what to look for and what baits to use?
Been struggling choosing dimensions for a flipping stick. Was contemplating a Heavy, but wasn't sure if it'd be capable of punching (I mostly pitch, only punching once in a while.) After watching this, im leaning towards extra heavy. What do you think of Duckett rods? Probably the micro magic pro, or white ice series?
Hey Matt and Tim, Love the channel, keep it up! Has the Loomis/shimano conquest line changed your thinking here? Thinking about making an investment. Thanks for all the great tips Ben
Matt have you had a chance to check out the Nu Tech Jig's and jig head's ? I would sure like to here what you think about their new head design. Thanks, Tom
You working a lot about the gear and baits, would be great if you can direct me to your video or if you can make a video on how to fish this thick cover, I lose my confidence when I don't see the bait always going through the cover, or not always sure if it has gone through...
Always great information on your videos . I currently don’t have a frog or pitching rod . Do you think I could go with the Dobyns fury 7’3 heavy rod as a dual purpose rod for those Techniques?
Flipping is a technique I am just getting into and one thing I either don’t understand is the line weight of these rods for flipping compared to the pound test you should be running. I recent picked up a 7’5 heavy gloomis flipping rod the line weight says only I think 20 at most And even the rods you have listed do not have a line weight of 65 lb test So this is my question what am I not understanding about line weight? Can I put those heavier pound tests on my rod?
Also do you guys ever rig a basstrix style bait on a beast hook and throw it in the grass, essentially where you'd throw a swimjig? I caught two of my biggest fish and my clients broke there pb that day.
Great vid guys neat to see you subs steadily growing. Quick question. How many ounces does the expride weight? Just want to gain some perspective. Also it looks like i am starting to hear swingweight talked about from you more and more. As an avid golfer i have always thought about the swingweight of my rods it can make a big difference. Did you know they make swingweight machines. Thank you for a great video.
