Glenn Browne’s Favorite Flipping Baits
What the Florida pro relies on in heavy cover across the country
Glenn Browne has proven time and again that he’s one of the best with a flipping stick in his hands. From a win in 2015 on Lake Champlain to three top-five finishes in the Costa FLW Series Southeastern Division in 2016, the Florida pro’s faith in flipping is often rewarded.
Browne’s combo is usually a 7-foot, 11-inch Lew’s Custom Lite Speed Stick flipping stick matched with a Team Lew’s Pro Magnesium Speed Spool reel spooled with 65-pound-test Lew’s APT braided line. As for the baits, Browne has a handful that he has complete confidence in.
The baits
All around the country, Browne applies just a few baits when he’s flipping and punching matted vegetation.
“One of my favorites is the big jig,” says Browne. “It’s a mat bait. It’s not something I punch into super-heavy stuff, but it’s something I like to use in the mornings or around looser mats where I can kind of ease it into the little holes and pockets.”
Browne’s jig is homemade with a modified Arkie head and weighs in at about an ounce. Tied with a black and blue Gambler Starflash Skirt, the Florida pro always tips it with a Zoom Big Salty Chunk. He favors the jig because its bite-to-boat ratio is better than a standard flipping Texas rig. The most recent triumph with the jig was in 2015 when he outpaced the field at Lake Champlain by nearly 10 pounds.
His other go-to flipping baits are soft plastics that he fishes on Texas rigs.
“One is a Warrior Baits Quiver Bug, which is basically a beaver-style bait,” he says. “It’s just a nice, small, compact bait, which is one of the big things when flipping mats. You don’t want something terribly bulky when you’re flipping in the real thick stuff.”
He also uses a Gambler Why Not. Thicker and a bit bigger than the Quiver Bug, the Why Not is a bait that Browne likes to flip when he wants a little more bulk.
“Another one is the Burner Craw by Gambler,” says Browne. “Like a Zoom Speed Craw, it has the little kicker tails, so if I’m fishing a little bit deeper water and want a little more action I’ll go to that.”
Unlike the Speed Craw, the Burner Craw is sized for flipping. With a bulky body, it can easily stand up to the big Gamakatsu Super Heavy Cover Flippin’ Hook that Browne favors for his punching.
Adding a skirt
The final addition to Browne’s flipping strategy is the Reins Punch Shot, which is designed for holding a skirt. Browne will often use the skirt for some extra action.
“It gives the bait a jig look, but with the regular tungsten fishability where it will get in the mats,” says Browne of the Punch Shot. “I use it quite a bit, because the Punch Shot doesn’t hinder getting in the mats like a jig.
“A lot of times, if I have multiple flipping sticks out, I’ll have a 1 1/2-ounce Punch Shot, a 1 1/2-ounce regular weight, a 2-ounce weight and then a 2-ounce Punch Shot,” says Browne. “I like to mix it up. It just gives them a different view. A lot of times, when you find an area with fish, you go back over it multiple times. So I like to add in that just for a different look.”
Color considerations
When it comes to colors, Browne keeps it simple. Black and blue is his No. 1 choice, with some junebug occasionally thrown in.
“When I get out of state, like in Alabama and stuff, I will go to some green pumpkin,” says Browne. “But I really believe you don’t have to get too crazy with colors. Pick two or three colors that you like. So much of flipping is just a reaction bite. I don’t believe that fine changes in hue make a big difference. There’s not a whole lot of reason to have 200 baits in your boat.”
