Any Condition Flipping Bait Combo
Flipping and pitching for catching bass works on almost any body of water that bass live in. It also works for all bass species- largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass. When we talk about flipping, we are talking about the art of a shorter range, heavy line presentation that puts the lure into the cover where the bass may be hiding. The type of places to flip are tree laydowns, under docks, into grass clumps, and similar cover locations.
When you get on a good flipping bite, it is awesome. You can catch good numbers and you often catch bigger fish. The problem comes when conditions change and the bite changes. The fish don’t move. They just get into a different mood or the fishing pressure changes them. Now, what do you do?
The 1-2 Combo
After many years of fishing the professional bass circuit, I have seen the flipping bite change many times. What and how you fish makes the difference. You need a bigger bulkier flipping bait to get bit at times. You also need a slender, more erratic falling bait under other conditions. For me, the Missile Baits D Bomb is the perfect bulky flipping bait. The Missile Baits Missile Craw is my go to for the finesse, slender bait. These are a great 1-2 combo for flipping. When one is not working, the other probably is.
D Bomb Glory
Three months after Missile Baits was in existence, Ish Monroe showed the world how good of a flipping bait the D Bomb is. He used it on the back of a jig to catch over 100 pounds of bass in 4 days down on Lake Okeechobee in March of 2012. Other anglers were flipping in his area and were flipping jigs but none were using the D Bomb. Its super thin flappers on the back of the bulky body were the perfect size and action that the bass could not resist.
Fast Forward to Falcon
After smashing bass all over the country for about a year after Ish’s win on Okechobee in 2012, he and I had a ton of confidence in the D Bomb. It was the real deal and about the only flipping bait we needed. Then we showed up to world renowned, Lake Falcon and were ready to smash them on the D Bomb since there was a bunch of flooded brush. After a day of fishing the D Bomb, Ish and I only had one bite combined. The lake had been pounded and the fish had did not want to eat any bulky baits. On the second day of practice, I switched to the Missile Craw and it was like I was fishing a different lake. The bite was on! I put Ish on the Missile Craw bite too. I ended up 3rd in the tournament and Ish finished 12th. The Missile Craw change was to credit.
Keep the Combo Ready
Since that Falcon tournament, Ish and I both know about the power of this flipping bait combo. There are a number of factors that us anglers will never be able to see that can change the bite. Keep in mind that the type of bait you are flipping can make a huge difference on whether you get bit or not. Be aware of this 1-2 flipping combo and you will definitely catch more bass when flipping and pitching.