In this on the water bass fishing class, professional bass tournament angler Mike "Ike" Iaconelli talks about one of his favorite techniques, fishing matted vegetation (or any other type of heavy matted floating cover). Iaconelli starts by talking about punching components, which include, but are not limited to: VMC Tungsten Flippin Weights VMC Ike Approved Heavy Duty Flippin Hook and a streamlined bait, like the Berkley Havoc Ike's Devil Spear (No longer available at Tackle Warehouse) Iaconelli also shares bass fishing secrets like: what knot to tie when flipping mats, tips and tricks for getting better hook-ups, selecting targets in matted cover, triggering bass strikes with punch baits. Ike goes on to talk about what to do once the bass has taken the bait. Different baits require different hooksets, and Mike will discuss how to ensure you get a hook on the bass and get them to the boat, even in this heavy cover. Mike talks about using the rod power, fast reel gear ratio and trolling motor to ensure you get big bass out of grass mats. Finally, Mike Iaconelli shares tips on how to detect the different types of bites you'll get when flipping mats. Ike shares about how to know when a bass hit the bait on the fall, what to do when fish are "nipping" at the bait, like bluegill. What to do when in doubt if you have a fish on the line.

0:15 Flipping & pitching grass mats is fun
1:11 Tackle for punching grass mats : bobber stops, hooks & weights
2:22 Knot for getting the best hookups when punching mats
4:28 Another Bass University TV tip for modifying a hook to catch more bass when punching
5:22 Punching baits & fishing line
6:41 Rod & reel setup for heavy grass flipping applications to get bass out of the cover
8:07 Picking apart a grass mat and selecting prime targets
9:24 The punching technique and fishing the bait after it goes through the canopy
11:04 Punching through extra thick canopy covers
12:04 Setting the hook on a bass in a grass mat
14:58 Getting fish out of the mats when they get bogged down and stuck in the grass when you're reeling them in
16:51 Detecting the bite when flipping mats (different ways bass bite when punching mats)