Great info from Chuck. One thing I would say is join Bass. The magazine is really great and tells about some of the latest techniques and methods as well as stories from the pro's. Well worth the 25 bucks a year to be a member. Keep it simple and expand on what works and keep trying on what doesn't. Flipping was one of the things I didn't really take to without a lot of practice. Most of my fishing is smallies and when I fish for largemouths flipping worked OK.