Best Flippin Stick

[BassinBandit]

I just bought a Carrot Stix that I will attempt (thats the key word) to flip and pitch with. I only got to try it out once but it feels great. I had one of my reels for crankin on it to try it (since I broke one of my crankin sticks ). What speed reel would yall recomend for a flippin stick?

[BassMoJo]

I perfer I 7:1:1 so I can get my slack in faster and also get it in and outta the strike zone faster. That being said, im not much of a flipper, im a Pitcher! But I to just got a 7'0 XH Carrot stick for pitching

[Joel]

99% of the time I'm pitching not flipping. And my choice of rods is a 7'0 MH IM6 Shimano Johnny Houston model. The only time I bring my H with me is if I know I'm going to be pitching into some real nasty stuff which is a rarity these days.

[dodgeguy]

7-6 bps johnny morris signature series heavy action.

[pig n jig]

Hey Dodge, its good to see you around & posting.I like throwing buzzbaits with a flipping stick but normally a flipping stick is really not needed.In my opinion these newer progressive rod blanks have enough power in the lower section of the blank and a telescopic rod tends to be a few ounces heavier than a 1 peice rod in the same rod series.

Dee Thomas wouldn't have invented the flipping technique and adapted to using what is now called flipping sticks, if it weren't for the tournament ruling that you must use fishing rods of 8' or less. The rule was put in because Dee Thomas was so successful with his "tule dipping" technique.

[Joel]

Money isn't always the main issue for not having a specialized setup for each presentation. In my case it's space. I fish out of 12-14 ft rowboats on the NYC reservoir system and everything has to be carried to and from the boat, down and up some pretty nasty paths. Realistically, 7 rods is the most that I carry at any one time, and my partner usually brings 6. Not all setups are used throughout the year, but many are for different presentations that would likely use the same setup.

BC:Pitching/Flipping/Spoons, Spinnerbait/Buzzbait, Deep diving cranks, 1/2oz wt'd Plastics, & C-Rig
Spinning: Drop Shot, finesse plastics/1/8-1/4 oz jigs/Shaky Head/Tubes/Hula Grubs/Grubs, All topwater/shallow cranks/Lipless Cranks.

As I said, space is the final frontier for me and my fellow Res Rats. Compromise, and seasonal thinking/rationalizations/past experiences are the deciding factor on what to bring. Some guys try to bring everything, but I've found that you just don't need too. Often I lug way to much stuff that I never use. Plus there is the 15 lb anchor, drift soft, misc stuff, oars, food/drink/extra cloths, etc.

Here's a picture of one of my boats with home made rod carriers that we call "Torpedo Tubes." I've also experiemented with a milk crate instead of a traditional tackle bag. Works great but is a real bear to lug once off the boat, so I've gone back to one of my regular bags.

[Bob Smith]

Joel, My hat's off to you, bud! That's an awfully tough way to go fishing. You must love it a LOT!

[Joel]

Originally Posted by Bob Smith

Joel, My hat's off to you, bud! That's an awfully tough way to go fishing. You must love it a LOT!

Yes I do. I started out fishing the salt here on Long Island, and tried some of the local freshwater lakes, pond, rivers, as a break from every week party boat fishing. Then I found the NYC reservoirs through NY BASS.com and then actually got to fish them with many of the list members. It was love at 1st site.

The reservoirs are just that, and NYC allows you to keep registered aluminum rowboats 12-16 ft chained to trees in marked boat areas for each of the reservoirs. Many of them are now closed to further boats as parking is a major issue. You have to row, no trolling, outboards, or even sail is allowed. The fishing is great with big fish to be caught. The advantage of only oars is that the vast majority of boat owners hardly ever use their boats as it hard to row all day, especially in the hot weather. You can't just move your boat from reservoir to reservoir, so many of us have more then one boat. With luck I'll I have 3 by next year. Some of the guys have more then a dozen, but they've been at it for more then 20 plus years.

As for cost, we buy used rowboats, so the average cost per boat is around $600.

The hardest part for me isn't the rowing nor the heat of dead summer (as I'm off the lake by 1pm the latest), it's the drive up and back. It's a 1 1/2 hour trip up and with NYC afternoon/rush hour traffic back home, It's always 2+ hours at a min.

[lowrider]

joel, i'm sure some of these guys really don't grasp exactly where you live. you prob hit it a little conserative on dealing with the traffic, right?

[Joel]

Originally Posted by lowrider

joel, i'm sure some of these guys really don't grasp exactly where you live. you prob hit it a little conserative on dealing with the traffic, right?

I keep on forgetting that this is a national site, not a regional site like NY BASS.

As for where I live. I live in Suffolk county which is the furthest county East on Long Island, which is located East of NYC & sticking out into the Atlantic ocean. The New York City Reservoirs are located in Westchester county which is north of the big city. In order for me to get to any of the reservoirs I need to drive through the following counties:
Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Bronx, & Westchester.

As for the traffic. It's a crap shoot every time out. Without any traffic, cruising at 70+ mph, it takes me 1:20-40 to get to all of the reservoirs I have boats on. With weekday city rush hour traffic it's a min of 1/2 to 2 hours more added to my trip, as traffic just crawls. On the weekends it isn't much better by the mid afternoon.

[pig n jig]

Joel, your right. Its been 3 years, things could change in 3 years.

[lowrider]

i've been all over, but i'm familiar with the area mostly from listening to opie and anthony

[Bob Smith]

That kind of traffic reminds me of southern California! Wouldn't want to do that again!
I guess I'm pretty spoiled living outside a small town about 40 miles NW of Atlanta. I can drive about 2 1/2 miles through county roads to the nearest ramp on Lake Allatoona, 45 miles to Carters lake, an hour to Lake Weiss in Alabama, 2 hours to Lake Guntersville (no traffic) pretty drive through the mountains. I have a number of other lakes within two hours in just about any direction. The ones to my south and southeast require going through the Atlanta metro area and that can be dicey.
As for the rowing, I don't know if I could do that trick!? lol I love my 20' bass boat, 200 HP gas guzzler, and 74 lb trolling motor.

[Joel]

Bob, tell me about it. None of us love rowing for the sake of rowing, but it's the only way to fish these waters. If they ever allowed electric trolling motors, the resevoirs would be literally eventually fished out.

I really envy you. Less then 3 miles to a major bass lake, and within a days fishing driving distance to so many national known waters.

Every so often I get the opportunity to fish a body of water from a real Bass boat. Those are days that I really cherish. The bottom line is I take what I can get, and I'm glad to do it. Every winter I go through this scenario of what if I buy a fishing Kayak for LI waters. Seems like a good deal, but LI waters are mostly less then 8 ft deep, small, and extremely weedy by mid summer. Some so bad you can't boat in them. The rest are so pressured that no one will post about fishing them.

[Bob Smith]

Well, Joel you are just going to have to pack up the family and move down here to NW Georgia and fish out of the back of my boat! Really, if you ever get down this way be sure and let me know. I'll promise you at least a couple of days on the water!

[Joel]

Originally Posted by Bob Smith

Well, Joel you are just going to have to pack up the family and move down here to NW Georgia and fish out of the back of my boat! Really, if you ever get down this way be sure and let me know. I'll promise you at least a couple of days on the water!

Thanks, If I ever do, it's a deal.

[dodgeguy]

joel,i think they should allow trolling motors.i don't think it would hurt the fishing at all.you have a limited number of guys who know how to fish.all it would do is make those who still can't fish more mobile than they were.

[Joel]

Originally Posted by dodgeguy

joel,i think they should allow trolling motors.i don't think it would hurt the fishing at all.you have a limited number of guys who know how to fish.all it would do is make those who still can't fish more mobile than they were.

John, reservoirs like Kensico, West Croton, and Muscoot would each take on the appearance of the Long Island sound on a weekend day. There would be boats everywhere. And there are more then enough guys who can fish well enough, especially the spawn to do some serious damage to the overall health of the fishery. Its remained fairly stable without being over fished simply because the vast majority of boaters choose not to use their boats very often, or at all. Because rowing is work, and it's hard work during the heat of the summer.

[thebus71h]

For the amount you're looking to spend it's a bit more than that, but A great stick to get that's really got a lot of uses is a 7' MH Carbon Fiber Series rod from Esox Rods in Richmond, IN. You can tickle florocarbon line on the end of it, and feel it in the rod handle. Rediculous, and completely ruined me. Only way I'll fish worms and jigs anymore.

[pig n jig]

I thought Esox carbon fiber rods were in the $500.00 range ?

[JB]

and i live 8 miles from Richmond and never knew

[thebus71h]

Originally Posted by pig n jig

I thought Esox carbon fiber rods were in the $500.00 range ?

It is. Thats why I said they were more than he was wanting to spend.

[dodgeguy]

a friend of mine had a very bad time with esox rods.i would never buy any of their products.they eventually fixed the problem but it took months and far to many unanswered phone calls.there are other rod manufacturers that don't do this to customers.

[Wishing2BFishing]

"there are other rod manufacturers that don't do this to customers"

Yes, like Kistler. Great products and great service. I wish more companys did business like them.

[thebus71h]

Originally Posted by dodgeguy

a friend of mine had a very bad time with esox rods.i would never buy any of their products.they eventually fixed the problem but it took months and far to many unanswered phone calls.there are other rod manufacturers that don't do this to customers.

Problem with all that is it depends on what the issue is. Working for a major specialized retailer, I hear comments like this all the time and they bother the living hell out of me. Mainly for the reason this is there is always way more to the story than what anybody is willing to tell.

I've got a few Esox rods myself, and never had a lick of trouble with them. I've talked to them a few times, and never had an issue. biggest problem is Brent isn't a salesman, he's just a fisherman that makes some pretty nice rods. Little does many people know, his dad was the one that created Heddon lures.