Ok so I’m from Iowa and we have a lot of standing trees along with some lay down trees but they are usually in shallow water even when they end. So my understanding is you want to pitch and flip on post frontal days along with bright sunny calmer days.
when I do this I’m still not productive and hardly ever catch one doing it no matter how long I keep it in my hand. So when is the right time to do this? I use plastics and jigs
Year round.
Best advice I can give is if you are on the water and wondering if a certain technique will work then simply try it. Bass don't read books or these forums and often do their own thing. I've learned that why there may be some guidelines to help choose presentations the reality is bass fishing is not easily defined in black and white hard rules.
This time of year thru September I flip 90% of the time. Fish will bed on lay down and root wads of standing trees so I flip during the spawn. Shad and bluegill will also spawn on timber and laydowns so I flip post-spawn. In current bass look for current breaks caused by trees and stumps so I flip. In the summer bass look for shade on trees and laydowns so I flip. In the late summer/early fall the thermocline sits in so bass suspend in standing timber so I flip. So to answer your question I flip most of the year if I can. I'll throw a square bill or top water but the vast majority of my time and weight come flipping. If you aren't getting bit you need to work on your technique and switch up baits/weight till you get a bite.
All day every day is the answer. You can never go wrong pitching heavy cover. Some days better than others sure, but in a nutshell it’s always time.
F&P is just a more efficient way to get baits accurately on cover. If the fish aren't there doesn't matter your casting technique. I'd focus more on baits first to see if you can get a bite, then F&P once you determine they're there and want to get your cast count up. It's a numbers game.
Just placed 3rd yesterday. Pitchin and flippin all day. In a very short time all those fish will move offshore. Every lake is different across the country.
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I know some that pitch a square bill in this type of environment and do extremely well. I pitch 95% but anything is open.
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I've caught a lot of fish over the years just pitching to a plain looking bank or a seawall that you wouldn't think would hold a fish. My best advice to you is tie on a Green Pumpkin Pit Boss and hit the banks.
So as far as condition are concerned it really doesn't have a favorable time?
wind on banks with lots of cover, post spawn weed coves near spawning areas, heat of summer august area where a feeder creek dumps into heavy weeds after or during a decent rain. Dead of summer feeder creek itself if it has a defined channel with structure.Originally Posted by GoneFishingLTN
I got pitching a chatterbait few years ago in august in 2 ft of water to get a limit. Fish were in laydowns because shad were in and around them.
Shoot we pitch jigs on bluff walls that hit river channel 15 ft off bank.
We flip from just after ice out to the fall.
I've caught fish flipping in 40 degree water and almost 90 degree water.
I just focus on depth of the structure for the water temp. Cold and hot water I'm looking for laydowns, bluffs, or 45 degree rock banks that are on the channel side so they have more water underneath. Late prespawn, spawn, and early post spawn I'm on the shallow side.
Open water, cast. Heavy cover or small target area pitch or flip.
I pitch or cast. Very, very seldom flip.
What area of Iowa? Grew up there and miss it everyday! To answer your question pitching and flipping is all about putting your bait on the target you are aiming more with better accuracy than casting. Growing up dad used to make us practice on the back deck with a red solo cup and a half ounce weight. Once we got that we then would go to a cough syrup cup. Back then I could pick pepper outta chicken scat dang near with a rod and reel!
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