TW_Staff
03-17-2010, 12:12 PM
Seeing as how the California Delta is where flipping got its start, it was appropriate that the top finishers in the recent Bassmaster Elite Series used that technique to catch the majority of their fish. Winner John Crews caught 16 of the 18 bass he brought to the scales on the long rod, and the other members of the final Top 5 also spent the majority of the tournament throwing underhand.
The Field:
Skeet Reese:
Second-place finisher Skeet Reese could not be reached for pattern information. BASS reported that he flipped a Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BPCC) and a creature bait and also threw a Chatterbait (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=CHAT38).
Greg Hackney:
"I got one of those, but the other fish were all 2- to 4-pounders," he said. "The first day of practice was pretty good – I had 20 or 25 pounds – but no real big ones.
"I think the fish were really affected by the cold weather. It reminded me of Florida where when the fish get cold, they don't like it. These fish like it warm – I could tell that."
He took the lead with a monster bag on day 3, but was at a loss to explain why his bites were so much bigger that day. The stringer included an 8-10 brute that tied Greg Vinson for biggest of the tournament.
Flipping gear: 7'11" Quantum Tour Edition Greg Hackney signature rod (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTGHC), Quantum Tour Edition PT Burner casting reel (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) (7:1 ratio), 50-pound Cajun braid or 20-pound Cajun fluorocarbon line, 3/8- or 3/4-ounce Tru-Tungsten slip sinker, prototype 5/0 Youvella straight-shank flipping hook (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=YPF), Strike King Rodent (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPR) (doubleheader).
He also caught one weigh-in fish on a Strike King Pure Poison (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPPJ) jig.
Mike Iaconelli:
He caught 16 of the ones he weighed in by flipping and the other four on a crankbait. He eventually opted to forego the crankbait pattern entirely because those fish, which came from a different locale than where he flipped, were smaller and most ended up being culled.
His day-2 bag was the best of the tournament.
"Two things were really key about the flipping pattern," he said. "One was that I was flipping fluorocarbon (line) instead of braid. Too many guys get caught up in flipping only with braid, but in hydrilla you can get away with fluorocarbon and you'll get more bites. It's not like when you're flipping mats.
"Another sleeper was that I was flipping to the isolated grass patches. You could get up there and see the obvious ones, but there were others that just looked like dark spots or little black circles. My signature series Cocoons (sunglasses) really helped me see those."
Flipping gear: 7'6" medium-heavy Abu Garcia Vendetta (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGVCR) rod, Abu Garcia Revo Premier (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGRPR) casting reel, 25- or 20-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC) line, 3/4- or 1/2-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=TTFW), 4/0 or 3/0 Youvella hook (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=YPF), 4" or 3” Berkley Powerbait Crazy Legs Chigger Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BPCLCC)(black/blue).
He flipped the bigger bait with the larger weight and heavier line in hydrilla and the smaller rig in more sparse cover.
Cranking gear: 7' medium-action Fenwick Elite Tech Crankshaft rod, Abu Garcia Revo Winch casting reel, 12-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC), Laser Lure Shallow Diver (red phantom).
Shaw Grigsby:
Shaw Grigsby spent virtually the entire tournament with a jig tied to the end of his line and presented it to the fish in various ways – from very short flips to casts of substantial distance. His weight-per-fish average was excellent, particularly over the last 2 days. On the flip side, he didn't weigh a limit either day.
He fished four different areas, all of which he discovered during practice, and caught a 6-pounder on each day except the first.
Jig gear: 7'2" Quantum Tour Edition Shaw Grigsby signature rod (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTSGC), Quantum Tour Edition PT casting reel (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) (6.3:1 ratio), 17-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC) line, 1/4- or 3/8-ounce Strike King jig (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKDJ) (crawfish), Strike King Rage Craw trailer (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) (watermelon-red).
TW Staff
The Field:
Skeet Reese:
Second-place finisher Skeet Reese could not be reached for pattern information. BASS reported that he flipped a Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BPCC) and a creature bait and also threw a Chatterbait (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=CHAT38).
Greg Hackney:
"I got one of those, but the other fish were all 2- to 4-pounders," he said. "The first day of practice was pretty good – I had 20 or 25 pounds – but no real big ones.
"I think the fish were really affected by the cold weather. It reminded me of Florida where when the fish get cold, they don't like it. These fish like it warm – I could tell that."
He took the lead with a monster bag on day 3, but was at a loss to explain why his bites were so much bigger that day. The stringer included an 8-10 brute that tied Greg Vinson for biggest of the tournament.
Flipping gear: 7'11" Quantum Tour Edition Greg Hackney signature rod (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTGHC), Quantum Tour Edition PT Burner casting reel (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) (7:1 ratio), 50-pound Cajun braid or 20-pound Cajun fluorocarbon line, 3/8- or 3/4-ounce Tru-Tungsten slip sinker, prototype 5/0 Youvella straight-shank flipping hook (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=YPF), Strike King Rodent (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPR) (doubleheader).
He also caught one weigh-in fish on a Strike King Pure Poison (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKPPJ) jig.
Mike Iaconelli:
He caught 16 of the ones he weighed in by flipping and the other four on a crankbait. He eventually opted to forego the crankbait pattern entirely because those fish, which came from a different locale than where he flipped, were smaller and most ended up being culled.
His day-2 bag was the best of the tournament.
"Two things were really key about the flipping pattern," he said. "One was that I was flipping fluorocarbon (line) instead of braid. Too many guys get caught up in flipping only with braid, but in hydrilla you can get away with fluorocarbon and you'll get more bites. It's not like when you're flipping mats.
"Another sleeper was that I was flipping to the isolated grass patches. You could get up there and see the obvious ones, but there were others that just looked like dark spots or little black circles. My signature series Cocoons (sunglasses) really helped me see those."
Flipping gear: 7'6" medium-heavy Abu Garcia Vendetta (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGVCR) rod, Abu Garcia Revo Premier (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=AGRPR) casting reel, 25- or 20-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC) line, 3/4- or 1/2-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=TTFW), 4/0 or 3/0 Youvella hook (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=YPF), 4" or 3” Berkley Powerbait Crazy Legs Chigger Craw (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BPCLCC)(black/blue).
He flipped the bigger bait with the larger weight and heavier line in hydrilla and the smaller rig in more sparse cover.
Cranking gear: 7' medium-action Fenwick Elite Tech Crankshaft rod, Abu Garcia Revo Winch casting reel, 12-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC), Laser Lure Shallow Diver (red phantom).
Shaw Grigsby:
Shaw Grigsby spent virtually the entire tournament with a jig tied to the end of his line and presented it to the fish in various ways – from very short flips to casts of substantial distance. His weight-per-fish average was excellent, particularly over the last 2 days. On the flip side, he didn't weigh a limit either day.
He fished four different areas, all of which he discovered during practice, and caught a 6-pounder on each day except the first.
Jig gear: 7'2" Quantum Tour Edition Shaw Grigsby signature rod (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTSGC), Quantum Tour Edition PT casting reel (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=QTPVCR) (6.3:1 ratio), 17-pound Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=BTFCC) line, 1/4- or 3/8-ounce Strike King jig (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKDJ) (crawfish), Strike King Rage Craw trailer (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=SKRCR) (watermelon-red).
TW Staff