By Tyler Woolcott
With fall upon us, it’s time to bring out the big sticks and heavy braid. One of my favorite techniques to target bass is flipping and punching grass, and fall is a great time to do it. Fish seek heavy cover and vegetation to feed up on forage and get warmth under matted grass. This presents the opportunity to place your bait right in front of them.
Flipping and pitching grass can be hard to learn, but once you get the hang of it, it can be one of the most exhilarating ways to catch a bass. I live in Florida, where grass is always prevalent. It has taught me a few things about how fish position in fall, and I’ve been able to use this knowledge all over the country.
Seek out either a clean edge or patches of grass that are isolated away from expansive areas of grass. These areas concentrate fish in targetable places and give you the highest probability of getting your bait in front of a hungry bass.
When flipping, cover as much water as possible until you run into a group of fish. Fish tend to group up in the fall, and this is also true with fish in the grass. I like to flip fast, only pumping the bait up and down a time or two until I get a bite or two in an area. Once you know there are fish around, slow down, make very precise flips and work the bait up and down multiple times with each cast.
I flip and pitch with a craw-style bait. If the water has a good stain, black and blue colors are a must. If you’re working with cleaner water, green pumpkin or brown variations usually do the trick. When you are dealing with pressured fish or fishing in colder conditions, downsize and flip a creature bait like the 13 Fishing Lunch Bug. When the weather is stable and you are around aggressive fish, flip a full-sized creature bait like the 13 Fishing Invader.
Flipping/ Punching Gear
It is important to use the correct equipment to get your bait into the grass and then winch fish out. I like a 13 Fishing 7’9” Heavy Fast Envy Black rod paired up with a Concept A 8:3:1 reel. The long heavy-action rod gives you power to get a hook into fish and then get them out of grass. Pairing that rod with a fast-gear-ratio reel allows you to make lots of flips and to pick up line quickly.
Heavy braided line is imperative. I like 65-pound Seaguar Smackdown braid in grey. I use a Woo! Tungsten weight between 1 and 2 ounces, depending on the thickness of the grass. Hook size varies depending on the size bait. I use between a 3/0 and a 5/0 Hayabusa FPP Straight HD hook.
Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.