In both styles of presentation , delivering the bait with a low trajectory is critical .
“ Keep the bait low , almost parallel to the water , with little arc ,” advises the Lakeland , Florida , pro . “ Control the bait with your thumb on the spool to slow the cast and ease entry . Aim for zero splash . The less splash you produce when your bait enters the water , the more fish you ’ ll catch . Treat your bait as a stealthy creature slipping into a hole in the cover .”
Time spent in practice will pay off big time on the water .
“ I grew up pitching into a coffee cup sitting on our living room floor ,” Lane recalls . “ I wanted to pitch so gently that when the jig landed in the bottom , you could barely hear it tap the porcelain . That ’ s the difference between a good presentation and a beginner ’ s .”
Tackle
Three Abu Garcia Fantasista X rods with Abu Garcia Revo ALX reels serve Lane ’ s flipping and pitching needs . He employs both left-hand and right-hand Abu Garcia Revo ALX reels for the various tasks , pitching smaller baits and working lengthy laydowns , grass stretches or series of dock pilings with right-hand reels . He flips and pitches heavier baits ( 1 / 2-ounce and up ) with left-hand reels .
“ I can keep my bait in the water a lot more , cover the bank faster with a left-hand reel ,” Lane explains . “ I can simply pitch , click the reel , lift up with my right hand , turn the handle and pitch again .”
A 7-foot medium-heavy rod and right-hand ALX spooled with 15-poundtest Berkley Trilene 100 % Fluorocarbon pitches 1 / 4- to 1 / 2-ounce jigs and weighted soft plastics .
A 7-foot , 6-inch medium-heavy rod with a left-hand ALX spooled with 50- pound-test SpiderWire DURA-4 braid flips baits from 3 / 8 to 1 / 2 ounce .
A 7-foot , 11-inch heavy-power flipping rod with a left-hand ALX spooled with 65-pound-test DURA-4 does the heavy lifting , flipping and pitching baits weighing up to two ounces in thick cover .
“ I won ’ t flip with fluorocarbon line ,” he says . “ With weights over 1-ounce , I always go with 65-pound braid .”
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE
“ I ’ m really enjoying the new SpiderWire DURA braid . It really has my eyebrows raised .”
Bait selection
Lane ’ s pitching and flipping baits vary with the season . From December through March , jigs are his top choice . April through July are soft plastics months . From late summer through fall , he fishes a mix of jigs and soft plastics .
He prefers the recently released Berkley PowerBait jigs , designed by Gary Klein . The Berkley PowerBait Flippin ’ Jig , PowerBait Finesse Jig and PowerBait Heavy Cover Jig feature skirt
Pitching around heavy cover is a big-fish pattern for Bobby Lane .
material impregnated with PowerBait scent . For trailers , he goes with PowerBait and MaxScent Meaty Chunk and Chunk Jr . soft plastics .
The Berkley MaxScent or PowerBait General on a 4 / 0 Fusion hook pegged to a Flat Out Tungsten bullet weight is another go-to combination . The PowerBait Boss Grub and MaxScent Creature Hawg fill out his flip / pitch arsenal .
tips
Lane recommends a moment ’ s hesitation between strike and hookset for a higher hook-up ratio .
“ It ’ s like a frog bite ,” he says . “ You want the fish to have the bait just a second . A lot of guys set the hook too fast . If you watched me at REDCREST , I say , ‘ There ’ s a bite ,’ and I let the fish have it for just a second to make sure it ’ s in his mouth , drop the rod to a 45- degree angle , then set the hook . With that hesitation , your hooking percentage goes up to 95 percent , maybe 98 percent .”
last word
“ I ’ m really enjoying the new SpiderWire DURA braid ,” says Lane . “ It really has my eyebrows raised .”
JUNE-JULY 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 45