The Ike Mini Flip Jig from Missile Jigs offers bass anglers a compact jig for fishing on lighter flipping setups around more sparse cover. It features a short-shank, lighter-wire flipping hook with a recessed line-tie in the jighead and a finesse strand skirt. It can be used as a finesse casting jig, light pitching jig and makes a great dock jig.
The jig is not meant to be a replacement for all heavy-duty flipping jigs. It’s designed for ultra clear water, cold water and pressured bass fishing waters, where natural presentations are of paramount importance. The finer strands on this skirt will move more with less movement by the angler. If you trim them a bit they will open up and “breath” even more.
What’s unique
The Ike Mini Flip jig was not designed for fishing in the heaviest gnarliest cover. Often when I fish really heavy cover, I stray away from jigs all together and fish pegged Texas-rigged plastics because they are more streamlined. When I like a jig for fishing cover is when I’m flipping docks, fishing rocky bluff or rip rap banks with sparse wood or fishing manmade type structures like shallow piers, bridge pilings, moorings, etc.
It has a rounded head with a flatter bottom section and weight on the shank of the hook for a unique fall. It comes in 6 of the most popular jig colors. It features a tapered collar that is perfect for sliding a trailer up the shank on there. With a drop of super glue, I’ve caught lots of bass on one jig and trailer combo. Not having a barb keeper keeps the jig compact and looks better with a plastic chunk hung on the hook bend as well.
Applications
I have really enjoyed casting this jig on rocky points, fishing bluff banks and especially for pitching around docks. I’ve mostly fished it on 17-pound monofilament, but went down to 12-pound monofilament for casting the jig in clear water like Table Rock Lake. I’ve caught all three species of black bass on it including largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass.
The 3/8-ounce jig is great for casting while I prefer the 1/2-ounce jig for pitching around docks and isolated cover. Because of the compact size of the jig, I’ve hardly any bites where I didn’t hook a fish and subsequently land them. I’m not fishing it on braid and extra heavy rods. I’m not fishing it in heavy cover. I’m fishing it with the right tackle for the size of the jig and the size of the hook. That’s an important part to having success with any fishing lure.
The Ike Mini Flip was designed by Michael Iaconelli and John Crews for fishing the pressured waters they fish for a living. It comes in three sizes – 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce. And they retail for around $5. Check them out at TackleWarehouse.com or at MissileBaits.com.
