By Mark Fong
With six enticing appendages, a chunky ribbed body, and a unique set of twin flappers, the aptly named Yamamoto Flappin' Hog is a meal that bass simply can't pass up. For GYCB Pro Jay Yelas, the Flappin' Hog is an important staple in his tournament arsenal. “Other than the Senko, I probably use the Flappin' Hog more than any other Yamamoto bait,” he revealed. “I have a lot of confidence in it and I've caught fish all over the country with it, from New York to Florida to California. It's just a really great soft plastic crawfish imitation that's super intriguing to the bass.”
Pitchin' and Flippin'
While Yelas is recognized as a versatile all-around angler, he has always had a special gift for fishing shallow water. As such, he loves to fish a Texas rigged 4.5” Flappin' Hog in heavy cover. “The Flappin' Hog is hard to beat for pitchin' and flippin', said Yelas. “It goes through cover extremely well, even really heavy mats. Sometimes the fish want a bait that doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles. They just want something more subtle, something along the lines of a Senko. When the fish have a preference for that type of bait, the Flappin' Hog is the perfect choice.”
“I'll rig the Hog with a tungsten bullet weight and peg it with a rubber bobber stop,” he explained. “I like a 3/8 oz weight for shallow wood, brush or docks and I'll go all the way up to a 1 oz or even a 1¼ oz for punchin' heavy matted cover. A 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG superline hook fits the bait perfectly and I find that it works better for me than a straight shank hook.”
When Yelas feels the fish are in a more aggressive mood, he'll opt instead for a flippin' style jig paired with a Flappin' Hog trailer. “I'll bite off a maybe a 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch off the back of the trailer and thread it on the hook of the jig,” he explained. “The Flappin' Hog contains a lot of salt which adds a lot of weight and bulk to the jig and makes it really easy to pitch and flip.”
Yelas is partial to a number of jigs including: the MGC Flippin' Jig, the Strike King Hack Attack and the Dirty Jigs No Jack Jig. He acknowledged that a jig works best in stained or dirty water and that he prefers to match the color of the trailer to the jig skirt.
He employs a 7'6” Team Lew's Pro flippin' stick paired with a Team Lew's Custom Pro high speed 7:5:1 casting reel for all his pitchin' and flippin' applications. He typically spools up with 50lb Strike King Tour Grade Braid for super heavy cover and for punchin'. He gives the nod to 20lb Strike King Tour Grade Fluorocarbon for fishing around docks and lighter cover.
When the Yamamoto Pro employs the flippin' and pitchin' technique, he'll make a stealthy presentation to a target, remaining at the ready, always anticipating a bite. If he fails to get bit on the initial fall, he'll work the bait vertically in the cover with a lift and drop motion before moving on to the next target.
The Carolina Rig
While some may see the Flappin' Hog as primarily a pitchin' and flippin' bait, Yelas knows better. “The Flappin' Hog excels on a Carolina Rig,” he revealed. “The C- Rig can be effective all year long, but the best time to fish it is when bass don't want a moving bait. They get in moods like that when they're still catchable but, they just don't want to chase anything. When the fish won't touch a big worm or a lizard, this is when the Flappin' Hog shines. It still has plenty of action thanks to its many appendages and flappers, it's just a lot more subtle. Add in the way it falls and glides through the water and it really works well when fish are finicky.”
Anytime he is fishing offshore, Yelas is sure to have a Carolina Rig on the deck of his boat. He likes to target ledges, humps, river channel edges, points, road beds and submerged islands. Yelas was quick to point out that smallmouths love a Carolina Rig, too. “I've had a lot of success fishing the smaller 3.75” Flappin' Hog on the Great Lakes,” he revealed. “The bottom there is relatively flat with very little contour, so I'll target rockpiles, little high spots, or just rock veins along the flat bottom. When you can feel your sinker banging along the bottom and coming through the rocks, you know you are in the right stuff.”
Yelas offered an important tip that is sure to help you put more fish in the boat. “One of the biggest keys to the Carolina Rig is the hookset. You want to reel set. When you feel a bite you just start reeling until your rod loads up and then you just kinda pull into the fish. I've seen some anglers set the hook like they do with a Texas Rig, they'll reel down and jerk really hard. You'll miss so many fish doing that with a Carolina Rig, but if you just reel set, you'll get almost every one of them, it's just funny how that is.”
Yelas relies on a heavy action 7'4” Team Lew's Pro casting rod paired with a Team Lew's Custom Pro high speed reel that he fills with 30lb braided line. On the business end, he ties a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG (3/0 for the 3.75” Flappin' Hog) to a three foot 12lb fluorocarbon leader. On the main line he threads on a 1oz tungsten weight and ties a barrel swivel to the main line and to the end of the leader.
Thoughts on Color
The Flappin' Hog comes in a variety of great Yamamoto colorways and Yelas is certain to have his boat well stocked.
“Black with Blue (021) works all over the country. Bama Bug (952) and B-Bug Grinder (386) catch a lot of fish too,” he offered. “On a jig, I prefer Green Pumpkin with Red (318), it is a bit darker than Green Pumpkin with Black (297). The 297 is probably the best selling color of all times — it's better for clear water and it's really good on a Carolina Rig. For spotted bass, I'll dye the tails on the 297 chartreuse. Last year Yamamoto came out with a few new colors including Crushed Goby (405). I've caught a lot of smallmouth on that one. When the (Bassmaster) Elite Series goes up north this year I’ll make sure I have some of the new Crushed Perch (406) in my box. It ought to be really good on smallies and largemouth.”
