Tips on Skipping under docks

[Redtail]

Can anyone help with the tecnique of how to skip a tube or jig etc under a dock.  Thanks

[burneddude1]

I've just started to learn that one myself. The first thing I learned was you can't do it with a baitcaster. You have to use a spinning combo. The second thing was to remember that you have to use heavy enough gear to get the fish out from under the dock yet light enough to have some finesse in your casts. I'm still fine tuning that one. Third, and probably most important, TIME ON THE WATER. Hope that helps.

[scooter]

spinning rod, 14lb test, stren original, prtice, practice, practice.

do not under estimate boat control and wind.

If you do the perfect skip, but the boat drifts by time the fish picks up the bait you can get handcuffed and have a problem on your hand

Anyone can skip ,but to skip as far as you want and where you want takes practice

[merc_optimax]

I would have to disagree.  Skipping with a baitcaster is very much possible, just hard to learn than with a spinning outfit.  My person favorite presentation is to skip-pitch.  It is basically a combination of skipping the bait with a pitch cast instead of a side-arm cast.

But to answer your question, start out with the lure about 12" from the tip of your rod.  Open the bail (spinning reel), and load the rod by starting your side arm cast, put as much power into the forward cast based on the distance from your position to your target.  Remember that you want your bait to hit X distance (also determined by the power of the cast) in front of where you want the bait to end up.

[Nick_Barr]

I agree with Merc.

[bassboy]

Don't forget that skipping a tube is pretty easy if you can get the rod sort of parallel with the water surface and the rod tip close to the water. Sideways flick of the wrist and it should go pretty far.

[Lunkers0]

I think the best way to describe skipping under structure is to think about casting the same way you would skip a rock.  Sidearm or underhanded throw/cast.  It's all in the wrist.  You don't need to cast it very hard to get it skipping very far.  I do agree that the spincast is easier to learn on, but it is possible with a baitcast.  Good luck!

[John Cullum]

I use a 5'9 med/hvy spinning rod for skipping in stained to dirty water. I use a Symetre 2000 with Trilene XL 10 #test. Distance isn't an important as accuracy in stained water. Most dock fish in stained water are less likely to spook than those fish in clear. By using a shorter rod you are less likely to hit a over head shore station or bang your rod tip on something when you setting the hook or fighting the fish. In clear water I use a 6'6 med. You need distance in clear water so you don't spook the fish. Your further away from dock, shore station and other objects so setting the hook won't be a problem.

I will spend as long as it takes to make sure I get the angle I want. Most guys are in to big off a hurry to skip the close to the water docks so those are the ones I really key on. When the don't get it on the first try they tend to move on to the next dock. If a dock is close to the water try to skip the bait as far back as you can. In the spring the docks with metal sea walls or rocks on shore will be better than most others. The sea walls and rocks heat up fatser than the rest of the shoreline. I prefer wood docks over metal ones and posted docks over flaoting ones. If your going into a cove the first and last docks in the coves are usually the best. Docks on points are the same way the first and last are usuallt best. The docks with a deep drop off are good also. In the summer shallow docks in the backs of coves or shallow docks that aren't getting any wind are the best. I know this goes against most bass habits with deeper being better in the summer but I have boated more quality fish form shallow docks that are protect from the wind in the summer than any other dock there is.

I started off skipping a tube with an HP hook and weight system. But the best bait to learn to skip with is probadly aweightless Senko. Just texas rig it and it'll skip a mile and it'll catch fish too. If you practice enough you can skip jigs, lizards, brush hog and most other baits even those with arms or legs. The centipedes,tubes,Slugg O', Senko type baits skip the best thou, because they create less drag. I also was an scent to my bait for added distance I think a bit of slim creates less drag and scent on your plastics is a good idea anyway. I like Mega Strike for this, it's a great scent and will give your bait slick feel.

The way I skip is I almost roll my casting hand clockwise as my arm goes foward. Kind of the same motion you would mix something by hand with a fork. It's kind of a rolling motion with the start of the cast with the back off your hand facing up and then as your arm goes foward with the rod tip low to the water you turn your wrist so your palm is facing up at the end of the skip.

Most of the lakes were I live are over crowded and stained so skipping docks is a must.

[scooter]

Skipping big jigs and weighted tubes can be done with baitcasters.  Works great for overhangs on the shoreline.

If you want to skip weightless baits senkos and 1/16 oz tubes a Spinn outfit is tough to beat.

I love skipping pontoon boats with a tube on a spinning rod you can skip the length of the boat and work the full 20 feet.  tough to do with a baitcaster. more of a mechanics/ geometry/ physics issue than skill.

Tubes are great starter/ learning lures then advance from there. (heavier and bulkier)

The short rods give you a definite advantage in tight quaters.  But if you can control the boat a seven footer gives you the leverage and mechanical advantage to turn the bigger fish and get then out into open water before they rap you around something

[clooney]

I absolutely agree with Merc!  Skipping with a baitcaster works if you know how.  I saw it first hand this weekend as a non-boater. I mean this guy could skip his jig under the dock 20 ft no problem. Boy did I learn a lesson! He caught his limit and came in the top 20 in the tourney. I was really impressed. Just wished I was experienced enough to keep up with him.  :-[  The only plus was that I got to see it first hand for future reference.

[tritonman]

Try casting your rod like you are throwing a frisbee. either sinning or baitcasting using a 6'6" to a 7' rod, I find it gives me more controll this way.

[John Cullum]

scooter had a great point about pontoons. The Barbee Chain of Lakes here in Indiana is very weedy. In the summer the shoreline is almost choked out with weeds. I have won two of the last three touneys I've fished out there on a pontoon boat pattern. The weeds will not grow under a pontoon because there isn't any light penitration. Most of the boats on a lake will sit there all week so the weeds will grow all around the pontoon. This makes a little pocket of bare bottom under most of the pontoons. Bass will stack up under the pontoon in the little pockets and are usually easy pick-ins. I use a Bitsy Tube in water melon or green pumkin or a Senko in watermelon or black weightless with a 4/0 Owner hook. I've also caught them on floating worm in bubble gum or white and Zoom centipedes in watermelon weightless. Give this pattern a try during the dog days of summer it will produce some nice fish.

[scooter]

Ok John I should not have given away our secret tactic.

I have won a few like that also.

I have a lake here where i can go to the same couple of boats every tourny and pull keepers.

The reel trick is to what toons to pass and what ones to target.

I will keep that a secret for now