Flipping and pitching

Flipping uses a fixed length of line, usually eight to twelve feet, swung out pendulum-style with the reel never disengaged. Pitching releases the spool and lobs the bait underhand out to maybe thirty feet. Both keep the bait low, land it softly and put it exactly where you aimed.

The reason to learn them is entry noise. A bait that drops through a hole in a dock or a laydown with almost no splash draws bites from fish that a normal overhead cast would have pushed out. In heavy cover at close range, that is most of the difference between anglers.

Both want a longer, powerful rod, heavy line and a jig or Texas rig with a compact profile. Seven and a half feet is a common flipping length, because the extra reach does the work your arm would otherwise have to.

Flipping is the easier of the two to learn and the more limited, since the fixed line length means you fish what is within about a rod and a half. Pitching takes more practice and covers far more water.