masterS series
“ with flipping , i can often be more in tune with the bass and the pattern than with any other method .” history
That first encounter with Dee was 1973 , and at that time he hadn ’ t yet fully developed the flipping method . He was using a method called “ tule dipping ” that used a 12-foot saltwater rod blank – no reel – to dabble a jig back in the reeds and vegetation of the California Delta . It was extremely effective because conventional equipment of that time was inadequate to handle the cover the bass were using .
But a lot of the other tournament anglers back then got tired of losing to Dee and felt that tule dipping was an unfair and unconventional advantage . They changed the rules on several tournament circuits to restrict rods to 8 feet and to require the use of reels . That forced Dee to change his methods , and he became even more effective with flipping .
I was extremely fortunate to come along at just that time . I was able to learn tule dipping , and I got to watch the
54 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2022