The Father of Flipping Continues to Innovate : DT Guides by Dee Thomas

Introduction: If asked to list and describe a single technique that best characterizes the highly specialized world of bass fishing, I’d be hard pressed to talk about any technique other than flipping. Think about it, this single technique has influenced everything from the way we move our boats as we’re fishing, to the way our boats are laid out with “flipping” decks, to how we approach visible structure, target these spots, and present baits to those all consuming little green fish. The more contemporary techniques of pitching and punching have their roots in flipping which at its core involves precise presentation of your bait to shallow cover and maximizing the time your bait is in the strike zone.

We were recently granted the privilege of sharing some time on the water with the father of this very technique and one of the most influential figures in the history of bass fishing, Dee Thomas. The legend of Dee's story has been told and retold countless times including an excellent summation by our friends over at Bass Fishing Archives. With all Dee has seen, done, and designed, you'd think all his ideas would have been tested and tried by now, but savvy minds always wait for the right opportunity to share that which inspires them. So what could a meeting between the Father of Flipping and your source for the hottest tackle mean? One of those so called opportunities is now. After more than five years of prototyping and testing, he's finally ready. Introducing a new, tangle free guide system for your fishing rods, DT Guides, designed and patented by Dee Thomas.

Tangle Free guides are not a new concept, but Dee Thomas has had the idea for this particular design since the 1970's

DT Guides: Tangle free guides are no longer a new concept, but Dee has had the idea for his interpretation of this design for over forty years. It wasn't until the use of braided lines became more prevalent that the need for these guides made sense, but again it was a matter of opportunity. Finally, after five years of development, working through the patent process , and finding the right, US based OEM source, the first rods bearing Dee's new guide system hit the market and were debuted on a limited production stick by Zombie Rod and Tackle out of Northern California.

What he was waiting for was the right opportunity and now, together with a local OEM and Zombie rods, the guides have been debuted on a limited edition fishing rod.

Dee has been fishing the last round of prototypes for over 2 months and is quite pleased at the result.

The key to the design of these guides is the way in which the support arms extend up to toe top of the guide's ring rather than along the side. This simple adjustment in the way each guide is built leaves no protrusions around which a slack strand of braid can catch and eventually tangle.

Many will balk at the lack of inserts, but the 316 marine grade stainless steel has held up for Dee.

The guides themselves feature no inserts in the rings, a choice that might be unpopular amongst those who have fished and come to dislike similar designs by another manufacturer, but the DT Guides are built from a different, and supposed stronger and harder 316 marine grade stainless steel. The no insert design is preferred by Dee who has had his own issues with cracked inserts of varying materials including SiC.

Dee Thomas's legacy stands on its own but he's not one to rest on his laurels. If he has an idea to help others improve their catch ratios, he's going to share it and his new DT Guides are just the latest evidence of this mindset.