ournament bass fishing draws much of its fascination and excitement from its relentless evolution . New lures , tools and techniques freshen the game each season , keeping even the most skilled of pros on their toes .
Yet basic capabilities anchor the game , and few professional bass fishermen achieve consistent success without proficiency in a handful of staple techniques .
Here , four MLF pros share tips that will help raise your skills to a master ’ s level and prepare you for some of the summer ’ s hottest bass action .
Bobby Lane : Flippin ’ and Pitchin ’
“ There ’ s never a bad time to have a flipping stick in your hand ,” says Bobby Lane , MLF ’ s newest REDCREST winner . “ You never know when water levels will raise or lower . You never know when you might come across junk to flip . I can ’ t tell you how many times what I thought was working wasn ’ t working anymore and I ’ ve scrapped my topwater , my crankbait , my swimbait or my wacky worm and said , ‘ Just go pitch a jig !’ Those times have led to some of my best tournament comebacks .”
Indeed . Lane leveraged his pitching and flipping skills on Championship Sunday for his March 2022 REDCREST win on Oklahoma ’ s Grand Lake O ’ the Cherokees .
“ It doesn ’ t matter if it ’ s January and snowing or summer , spring or fall ,” he says . “ My flipping rig is my go-to , 100 percent .”
Berkley PowerBait Flippin ’ Jig in Bama Craw with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent
Meaty Chunk in Watermelon .
( L to R ) Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Creature Hawg in Green Pumpkin Party , Berkley PowerBait Boss Grub in Blue Fleck , and Berkley PowerBait The General in Black Blue Fleck .
Docks , laydowns and pollen mats are prime flipping and pitching targets , as are grass beds , lily pads , cattails and more . “ Anything visible to the eye ,” sums Lane .
Flipping and pitching , of course , are sister techniques performed with a pointed underhand release directed with a fluid wrist and forearm movement .
Flipping is the short line version – a pendulum presentation , executed within a fixed radius determined by rod length and measure of line stripped from the reel by the off hand .
Pitching is a casting technique executed with a similar motion but with line coming off the reel in conventional manner . The angler controls the length and speed of presentation by thumbing the reel . With its broader reach , pitching comprises roughly 80 percent of Lane ’ s combined pitching / flipping efforts .
44 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2022