Brad H:
Binder, unfortunately most of the reels that still have Flipping options are VERY expensive to source locally. I hate to say it, but your best option maybe Cabelas or Bass Pro for some decent priced ones. I cherish my remaining Daiwa's with flipping switches, would hate to lose one.
Gordon, weights can come down to 1/8oz or so, like I said earlier, its more a ballistic lob than a cast and not a lot of weight required as the spool basically free runs as you let up on the thumb bar. Fiddling with the spool sidelash and magnetic brake will also help pitching light weights.
Cheers Brad
Sweetwater:
Flipping switches are used mainly for pitch casting (as descrobed above). A flipping switch allows the thumb bar to be pressed down & it will pop back up on its own without needing to crank the handle.
Pitch casting is a delivery technique can be likened to under arm fly casting with a baitcaster for low trajectory deliveries, low splash, precise landing. Its not easy to master but well worth having in the anglers armoury. To do it well you need the right type of rod, stiffer than you'd normally use, many tend tp pull a pitch "up" with a whippy rod.
The flipping switch is also handy for deepwater jigging or flats fishing for bass. Crank crank & feed some line back to keep in better contact with the bottom.
In reality, I can do everything I need to do without a flipping switch. I recon its called that because you can occasionally hit the flipping thing in the heat of fishing a fish & can loose a fish or get a backlash.
My advise is to save your coin and get a regular reel & put the extra in your pocket.
Cheers,
fitzy..
maverick76:
G'day,
The following link is a basic how to without the use of the flipping switch. Hope this helps :)
beau:
I think the daiwa viento has a similar flippin bar or some thing?
bunjey:
Some one told me once that the yanks use the flippin bar to lob a lure tight into close snags, because you are quicker into gear to give you the best chance to survive a hit from a big fish that is lurking in there. Sounded like it happens a fair bit over there fishin for bass in the snags or something.