Tips and Reviews

Made of Metal: A Review of the Flipit Tournament Identifier Holder

Yeah, I pulled this title from a Judas Priest song. I prefer music that lasts. Durability – it isn’t simply a question of toughness. It also implies reliability. If something is durable it will function when we call upon it to work, again and again and again. When the great armies of the classical world stampeded over their neighbors, they used iron and horses. The Romans didn’t conquer the Mediterranean world with shields of clay.

I knew that I was holding a solid product when I first got my hands on a Flipit® Identifier Holder. I mean that literally: it was solid, and I put my hands on it. When I assess a product, I always begin with the most basic observation. I hold it in my hand, I turn it upside down, I look at it in different light and I consider the material from which it was made. I ask “How long will it last?” and “Will I be able to rely on this, launch after launch, cast after cast, season after season?” In short, I assess its durability. If I determine the materials are cheap, not even the most clever design or fancy paint job will persuade me to buy it.

The Flipit® ID card holder immediately had my attention. You already know the basic design principle. Take a door hinge, and fit one plate beneath your measuring board. Now move the other plate to a 90 degree angle and imagine your ID card attached to it. Sun glare? Tilt the plate and the problem is solved. Rain? Add a transparent pocket to protect the paper. The metal is durable and the design is functional. But how to attach the bottom plate to the board?

This is where angler Jim Strunk had a stroke of genius. When he invented the design, he shaped the bottom plate to the curvature of the Ketch™ Board’s cradle. Curving the heavy aluminum plate in this way, he eliminated gaps in the fit. And then using an adhesive Velcro strip, he attached the card holder to the cradle. When I first attached it, I thought “I can adjust it later.”

Be careful - the strip that attaches to the cradle is industrial grade. It is so strong that it is nearly permanent. Put your board down on the deck of your kayak to be sure the holder will be lined up right where you want it, away from pedals or other gear. When you find the spot, then attach the Velcro and the holder. Thankfully, I placed mine well on the first try. It was pure luck.

The Flipit’s materials passed the first observations and installation with the highest score. With the Flipit® holder attached to my measuring board, I set out to test it on the water. I brought it to a large tournament on a cold, windy Santee Cooper in late February. It was a trial by fire: everything was going to get water on it and I had to be sure my ID card would not fly out of the boat. I then brought it on the river where my paddling and fishing would bring a lot of water and mud in the kayak. Finally, it held my ID card on a bright, sunny day, where heat and glare would be factors.

In every one of these campaigns, the Flipit performed without fail. It was durable after the weather and I knocked it around. It adjusted easily when I photographed my catch. And when mud and grit penetrated its hinges, I rinsed and lubricated them, and they were like new.

Note that I mentioned the Ketch™ Board. Like the Flipit®, it too is made mostly of metal. I have been using a Ketch Board for many years; in the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of the Ketch Fishing team. But I was using the board long before I made the team and I know how to get out of the way of my own biases. So here is a statement of fact, not opinion: the sport of kayak fishing is moving toward the use of metal boards in tournaments. One of the national tournament trails has already adopted the Ketch board as the only permitted board and another trail will soon do the same.

Now here is my opinion: this is good news. Metal cannot be easily modified and it is more durable, for reasons stated above. And for posterity’s sake, when archeologists of the future dig up the ruins of our civilization, I would rather they find my Ketch Board and Flipit ID holder and not a piece of cheap plastic in my grave.

Do you want a long-lasting, reliable product for your tournament ID cards? Then get your hands on a Flipit®. The last batch of the original products are being sold online prior to the release of the new 2.0 version by Ketch Products. I’ve heard the new version will retain the original design with a standardized production and look, providing all the durability of the original with material as well as aesthetic improvements.

Here is the bottom line: yes, metal adds some weight to your kayak fishing rig. But our sport has moved beyond the days when we had to be mindful of paddling light kayaks loaded with heavy gear. And a few ounces of metal won’t make a difference. Indeed – they’ll help you conquer the world.

© Henry Veggian 2020

Used with permission by basstrail.com

Bio: Henry Veggian is a Tournament Angler, Tournament Director and a member of both the Jackson Fishing Team and the Ketch Products Team. He writes widely on kayak fishing, including for his bowfincountry.com blog. Follow him on Twitter (@miacalva) and Instagram (@HankVeggian).