“Flipping the Heat Dome the Bird”

Happy Monday Spacefish!

This weekend, I found myself in a personal battle. It was a battle of will, a battle of skill — a true test of mental fortitude and fishing aptitude. My opponent was a worthy one. But it wasn’t a person, or a fish, or even an alligator, dolphin, or manatee. It was a weather phenomenon known as a heat dome.

I’m no meteorologist, but I know how to use Google. So, I asked Google’s AI to define what a heat dome is:

“A heat dome is a weather phenomenon where a persistent area of high atmospheric pressure traps hot air underneath, similar to a lid on a pot, leading to prolonged and intense heat waves. This high-pressure system prevents cooler air from circulating in and hot air from escaping, causing temperatures to rise significantly and potentially break records.”

Some defining features of a heat dome include:

• High-Pressure System: Acts like a lid, preventing air from rising and dispersing.
• Sinking Air: The air compresses and warms as it descends, intensifying the heat.
• Lack of Cloud Cover: With minimal cloud formation, more solar radiation hits the surface, cranking up the heat even more.

And all that spells bad news for fishing. It can completely destroy a bite and make the experience feel like a grind. If you went out this weekend and struggled, it’s completely understandable — I’ve been there myself. But I’ve also learned from those struggles, and over time I’ve developed and tested techniques to produce results even in brutal conditions like this.

This weekend, I fished two different lakes on the Kissimmee Chain — East Lake Toho and Lake Cypress — and found success by dialing in on a very specific, very Florida technique: flipping.

Why Florida Bass Fishing Can Be So Difficult

If you’re an old-school Florida bass angler, you already know the ins and outs of flipping. But for newer anglers or folks recently relocated to the Sunshine State, this report might be just what you need.

When I started fishing seriously in Florida in the late spring/early summer of 2022, I quickly realized that bass fishing here is a totally different animal — especially on public water. There’s a misconception out there that bass fishing in Florida is easy. You see big fish in YouTube thumbnails, social media posts, fishing shows, and magazine spreads — it’s easy to assume that anyone can just show up and catch a lunker.

Here’s the strange and fascinating thing: inexperienced anglers can catch giants in private ponds or unpressured backwaters. My four-year-old son, for example, fished a private farm pond with his Uncle Buck this summer — in the backwoods of South Georgia (Florida-esque setting) — and caught three bass in under 20 minutes. They even doubled up at one point!

Meanwhile, professional anglers with all the tools — high-end boats, sonar, and sponsor-backed lures — regularly struggle in Florida tournaments and sometimes fail to bring in a limit. Earlier this year, I read a great column by pro angler Edwin Evers that explained why Florida is just different.

Why Florida Bass Fishing Is So Challenging:

• Constant Pressure: Florida’s year-round warm weather means bass are targeted daily, making them wary and tough to fool.
• Unique Subspecies: Florida-strain largemouth are more finicky and highly reactive to weather shifts.
• Vegetation Overload: Florida lakes are typically shallow and covered in vegetation, giving bass infinite hiding places and making them tough to pattern.

So yes — even on big-name lakes, bass fishing can be brutal. Add in a heat dome, and it becomes downright daunting. That’s why I wanted to share what worked for me this weekend. If you’ve ever been skunked during these tough stretches, maybe this can help you flip the script (and some vegetation).

Flipping, Pitching, and Punching: Finding Bass in the Jungle

One of the natural reactions of bass to extreme high pressure or temperature swings is to bury themselves in heavy cover. When Florida bass hunker down in thick vegetation, you’ve got to go in after them. That’s where flipping, pitching, and punching come into play — three close-quarters techniques designed to target bass hiding in shallow, dense cover like hydrilla mats, lily pads, or Kissimmee grass.

• Flipping: A short-range, underhand presentation that quietly drops a bait into tight cover with surgical precision. Ideal for reeds, docks, or brushy shorelines.
• Pitching: You release line with one hand and sling the bait underhand with the rod — a stealthy way to target fish slightly further out.
• Punching: Your hammer for the thickest stuff — matted hydrilla, hyacinths, or vegetation mats. Using a 1 oz+ tungsten weight and a compact soft plastic, you punch through the canopy to reach fish holding beneath.

These techniques are power fishing — no finesse here. You need heavy rods, strong braid, stout hooks, and gear built for jungle warfare. I learned and refined these methods by watching a ton of Chris Mitchell Fishing on YouTube and by practicing flips into buckets in my backyard.

Side Note:

Speaking of my backyard — three years into homeownership and we’ve got a full-blown playground. There’s a QB throwing net, a short-game golf circuit, a flipping/pitching bucket setup, a Big Green Egg, and a barrel smoker. It’s like Chuck E. Cheese for 4-year-olds… and 35-year-olds.

My Set-Up: Light vs. Heavy Flipping

When kayak fishing, I live by the mantra less is more. I typically only bring 3–4 rods max and try to use universal setups that can handle multiple techniques.

Light Flipping (aka my “Paul McCartney Rig” — more on that in a second):

• Rod: 6’10” Empire Royal casting rod
• Reel: Bass Pro Shops Mega Cast baitcaster
• Line: 25 lb Reaction Tackle braid (Moss Green)
• Weight: ⅜ oz tungsten (or ⅝ oz if needed)
• Bait: 6” stick worm — Bitters Salty Sling in Black/Blue tip (later replaced with Gambler Fat Ace in same color)

I started each day with a weedless, weightless Buzz’n Gator topwater rigged on a 4/0 EWG worm hook. When I switched to flipping, I kept the same rod, added a bobber stopper, tied on a ⅜ oz weight, and swapped the topwater for a worm — simple and efficient.

Heavy Flipping / Punching (if I bring the 4th rod):

• Rod: 7’ heavy
• Line: 50 lb braid
• Bait: Compact creature bait with a 1 oz tungsten weight and heavy flipping hook
• This setup also doubles as my frog rod at daybreak.

There are tons of flipping baits out there, but I love a simple stick worm in dark colors. Bitters has been my go-to, but after burning through a pack Saturday, I grabbed some Gambler Fat Aces while walking the aisles of Bass Pro with my boys. (They don’t sell Bitters, but the Gambler baits come with Bang! garlic scent — not bad!)

The Paul McCartney Rig?

One of my all-time favorite Beatles songs is “Let It Be.” And when the heat and pressure crank up, you’ve got to slow down — BBQ style. Low and slow. Dragging a worm patiently is the key. Let it fall, let it be, give it a twitch. My bites come in three ways: on the fall, after the first twitch, or while dragging.

And when I feel pressure — if it tugs back — I drop the rod tip and set the hook like I’m trying to catch Moby Dick.

Kayak Adjustments & Target Zones

Even though I fish from a pedal-drive kayak, I like to stand when flipping. I usually place my paddle across the bow to keep oriented toward cover. Sometimes I drift, and sometimes I catch fish facing the wrong direction — like the one in the banner photo!

While most bass pros use longer rods, I prefer 6’6” to 7’ rods — much easier to manage from a kayak, and I can flip or pitch while seated if I need to.

Where to Fish:

Florida lakes are shallow. When heat sets in, there aren’t many deep spots to retreat to. So I target heavy cover in 4–6 feet of water, ideally where they get shade. The key on the Kissimmee Chain is what I call “salad fishing” — areas with mixed vegetation.

Common cover types on the chain:

• Maidencane
• Bulrush
• Kissimmee Grass
• Hydrilla
• Peppergrass
• Lily pads, lotus, and spatterdock

There are some docks on Toho, East Lake, and Hatchineha, but most of this chain is wild and natural. The best areas are where multiple types of vegetation mix.

Conclusion: Victory Over the Heat Dome

I went into this weekend with low expectations. But after two days of battling oppressive heat, I came out victorious thanks to a simple but reliable flipping setup. I honestly lost count of how many bass I caught — just check out my thumb in the photo below if you need proof.

I got a few on frogs and speed worms, but the majority — especially the better ones — came from my Paul McCartney rig.

If you’ve been struggling this summer, or if your usual confidence baits aren’t producing, try this: Tie on a dark-colored stick worm, up your weight, and go flip some salad, and maybe, just maybe, the next time there is a heat dome, you can flip it the bird.

Let it be — and see what happens. Until next time!