I have a Fat Ika rigged up on a rod I use to skip under docks, overhangs, etc. Works great for that... 

I rig it "backwards" so that once it stops skipping, it skoots forward like a crayfish and travels further under the cover.  However, as well as it works rigged this way to "swim" forward, I notice upon retrieve that it curly-cues back towards me - not a natural swimming motion like your standard tube does.  

Any secrets in rigging it backwards but getting it to retrieve back to me straighter or more natural swimming motion?  

IMO when you righ backwards there is no real good swimming option.  I Texas rig a 5/0 EWG and use it for dock skipping

 Do you have the ikas lined up straight??? I just got back from using ikas and mine comes back very straight on steady retrieve. When I jerk them back to hop off the bottom they will shoot in random direction I guess. I like how they work with braid popping off the bottom better than what Fluoro does, fluoro seems to weigh it down some braid gives it a more free action.

When rigged backwards try to "walk" it back to you, like a frog. With the right cadence you can get it to move left/right pretty well Ive caught quite a few fish doing this.

The Fat Ika  is not designed to swim, but it works pretty well around docks.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/lake-guntersville-2012.html

 

8 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

The Fat Ika  is not designed to swim, but it works pretty well around docks.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/lake-guntersville-2012.html

Agreed, may be my favorite presentation Skippin under and around docks.  Most times it gets hit on the initial fall, which when rigged backwards works so well.  However, early in the spring sometimes they are slower to react and picking it up after the initial drop and swimming a ways and dropping it again can work.  I can do that well with a standard tube but with the Ika I get an unnatural swimming motion between drops and I'm not getting hit then.  Can use a tube, but tubes don't have that awesome skooting action on the drop like Ike has.  Maybe I need to rig the Ika a little more on center or off center... Will keep experimenting, but open to suggestions too --

 

The waters you fish very clear?

If so                                                                                                                                        One thing I do while sight fishing cruising bass is throw ahead of them, a good 20' or so, let ika settle to bottom then right as I see the bass get almost above ika thats when I give the ika a little pop or shake to try and get reaction strike.