Pro bass angler Josh Douglas provides a detailed tutorial on locating the best-looking shallow water habitat for flipping, pitching, and punching mats for bass in the cold water months. He stresses the importance of targeting mixed-cover areas, mainly focusing on what might seem like dead vegetation. He explains that these areas are often warmer and draw in the bass, which follows forage like baitfish and crawdads.
FEATURED PRODUCT (retail links)
- PLASTIC – BioSpawn Vilebug: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- HOOK – Owner 4x Jungle Flippin’ Hook, 4/0: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- WEIGHT – WOO! Tungsten Never Chip Flipping Weight: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- ROD – G. Loomis GLX Flip Punch Casting Rod (953C FPR): Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Shimano Metanium XG, 8.1:1: Buy at Amazon
- LINE – Power Pro Super8Slick V2 Braided Line Moss Green: Buy at Bass Pro Shops, Buy at Tackle Warehouse
Douglas stresses that the goal isn’t necessarily to find active fish in this stained water environment. Instead, he delves into the bass’s habitat, using his eyes more than electronics to spot high-percentage spots. He highlights the significance of finding areas of slight depth change in Florida fisheries, which commonly attract the biggest bass.
Douglas provides insightful tips on punching mats, a technique essential for getting a plastic through the cover and to the fish. He explains how active bass will quickly respond to the bait falling through the mat, while less active ones might sit at the top, requiring a different approach. He suggests flipping the bait into the mat and lifting and shaking it at the top to draw fish in and trigger bites.
Gear selection is critical for successful flipping. Douglas overviews his rod, reel, and line setup for heavy-cover punching. A powerful rod combined with a fast reel and heavy braid is essential for extracting bass from heavy cover. He shares his preferred setup and why he favors a snell knot for this technique.
Josh Douglas’s approach to flipping for bass in Florida is a thorough guide for anglers looking to improve their technique and success rate. His emphasis on understanding bass behavior, proper gear selection, and strategic bait presentation makes this video a valuable resource for anyone interested in catching shallow water bass from heavy cover.
