Without a doubt, flipping and pitching are two of the most often discussed techniques in all of bass fishing. But it wasn’t until the past decade or so that punching, which is essentially a sub-technique of flipping, became a mainstream term. The premise is simple: Use an exceptionally large weight, with a smaller and streamlined soft plastic, to “punch” through dense or matted vegetation. Palatka, Fla., pro Cliff Prince knows punching. You simply can’t rise through the Florida local ranks to make the Bassmaster Elite Series without a deep expertise in the punching discipline. Below, Prince explains how he dials in a punching pattern.
