How do you rig your reel to facilitate flipping and pitching?

[txstoby]

One of the problems with pitching and flipping is that if you put your bait right where you want to,  if the line does not drop straight down next to your structure, your bait will drift back towards you.  Even if you manually strip line, you lose feel and control of your bait.  Is there any way to set your brakes to help the bait drop straight down?

[ShawnDee4]

If it drops on slack line it will drop straight down. 

[Jared]

Used to have problems with this when pitching trees that have current around them. Now I have learned to let out "too much" line out. Now this works perfectly.

[pawpaw]

Someone one will probably be along to tell you to turn all the brakes off. That is probably right if you can do it, I can't.

[islandbass]

Even using a heavier rig might hekp, but it still will not be 100% free fall. The best thing (when pitching) is to strip off line asap and it is easier to do so before you re-engage the spool, especially when using braid.

If you desire so much to have a true free fall, then the best solution is to use a spinning reel.

This is one of the minor peeves I have with a casting reel, and that is the extra work the angler has to do to get a free fall, vertical drop. This is something that a spinning reel does with ease.

For the record, I love and use both reel types. I see both as tools.

[txstoby]

Thanks Island.  I used a spinning reel with braid for flipping and that worked ok. Pitching from 20 or 25 feet out was different.  What I tried to do was thumb the reel as soon as the bait hit the water and then let my thumb off as I raised the rod tip up to get some line and then watch the line as the bait fell.  The problem was that when I raised the rod tip up, it would backlash sometimes.  It is my experience that you catch a lot more fish when the bait falls closer to the stump, pole, stick-up etc.  I thought there was a way to improve your presentation by messing with the brakes somewhow.  I just did not know how many to turn on or off. 
Thanks again.

[islandbass]

Just keep your brakes at their standard setting for you.  All you have to do is keep your thumb on the spool as you strip line if the spool is still disengaged, especially when you raise the rod. The chance for backlash with the thrumb on the spool is zero.

The other thing I would do is overshoot the target intentionally. The lure would then hopefully get to the target as it swings back.

[bass1cpr]

   The best straight fall with a baitcaster is to truly be flipping. Flipping is a close quarter bait presentation meant to be fished between 12 and 15 feet.

   Pitching is anything beyond that. Hold that bait in one hand and let her fly but land softly and sometimes feed it some line. After some practice you won't even need to hold the bait, just reel it up and swing it back for another presentation.

[Baron49]

Interesting question and had to stop and think about it as I do somethings automatically.  When I pitch to some kind of deep cover and want the lure to fall straight down with some control.  Have found that raising the rod straight up after the lure hits the water with the casting reel still disengaged usually gives enough extra line for the fall.  I can still watch the line as the lure falls, if I see the line jump of move off I can quickly reel down to set the hooks.  Probably depends on how deep the water is and how long your rod is for this to work.  Setting the reel for pitching is just a matter of loosing up the cast control for the line to smoothly come off the reel and not over run.  Takes a little practice to educate your thumb but gets easier after a few thousand casts.