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Skippin' 2024


fishing user avatarsilvercliff_46 reply : 

I like to skip under docks, low lying trees and the like, but always use a spinning reel to do it.

I heard someone say (on tv) they do it with a baitcaster!!  If so how do you set up a baitcaster to do it.

I know if I try to do it, I'll do it one time, and then spend the rest of the day digging a world record over-run out of my reel. :-[


fishing user avatarring fry reply : 

Well, Tiger can hit a 235 yard, high cut 4 iron too.  ;D   Seriously though, I can skip a 5/16th to a 3/4 oz. jig n pig with fairly (emphasize FAIRLY) good success but it takes tons of practice and tons of down time digging out professional over runs.  I've had some success with brush hogs, senkos and flukes with baitcasters.  Just have to get the drag set right and practice, practice, practice.  Also, I use p-line braid on the jigs and p-line flouro on the plastics.

Good luck!


fishing user avatarroadwarrior reply : 
  Quote
I like to skip under docks, low lying trees and the like, but always use a spinning reel to do it.

I heard someone say (on tv) they do it with a baitcaster!! If so how do you set up a baitcaster to do it.

I know if I try to do it, I'll do it one time, and then spend the rest of the day digging a world record over-run out of my reel. :-[

Well, I know guys that are quite good at skipping with a baitcaster.

I watched flechero when we fished together last year at Lake Fork.

For him, it seemed second nature. For me it would be challenging.

I fish all soft plastics with spinning tackle and with this equipment

am "reasonably" adept at the technique. There is no reason for me

to change and no particular reason for you, either!

8-)


fishing user avatargrimlin reply : 

Don't look at me,i can't do it.  ;D

I think i'll stick to my spinning setup for skipping.


fishing user avatarba7ss3in reply : 

I use a Quantum Energy with 65lb braid skipping Spro Frogs with no problems


fishing user avatarJoel W reply : 
  Quote

Well, I know guys that are quite good at skipping with a baitcaster.

I watched flechero when we fished together last year at Lake Fork.

For him, it seemed second nature. For me it would be challenging.

I fish all soft plastics with spinning tackle and with this equipment

am "reasonably" adept at the technique. There is no reason for me

to change and no particular reason for you, either! 8-)

Exactly. Why frustrate yourself trying to learn how to skip with baitcaster, when you're so comfortable skipping with a spinning reel.


fishing user avatargarry77 reply : 

I've accidentally skipped lures with a baitcaster.With a spinning reel I don't know if i would consider myself reasonably adept yet,but it is a lot easier than the baitcaster for me.The problem with skipping is you can only practice it on the water.And when I'm onthe water I can only focus on fishing,lol.


fishing user avatarSPEEDBEAD. reply : 

I tried with a baitcaster one time (on purpose) and was so discouraged I never tried again.  It did allow me to laugh at myself for quite a while that day though.....

I am sure w/ time on the water, you could do it.  Like RW said though, why?  LOL


fishing user avatarJoel W reply : 
  Quote

...And when I'm onthe water I can only focus on fishing,lol.

Not true. Go to any lake that you have opens shore line and practice skipping, pitching, flipping or whatever. While you're not skipping under brush, there are usually overhanging branches you can target.


fishing user avatarJohn J. reply : 
  Quote
  Quote
I like to skip under docks, low lying trees and the like, but always use a spinning reel to do it.

I heard someone say (on tv) they do it with a baitcaster!! If so how do you set up a baitcaster to do it.

I know if I try to do it, I'll do it one time, and then spend the rest of the day digging a world record over-run out of my reel. :-[

I fish all soft plastics with spinning tackle and with this equipment

am "reasonably" adept at the technique. There is no reason for me

to change and no particular reason for you, either!

8-)

Amen to that RW!


fishing user avatarSam reply : 

Skipping with a baitcaster.  Humm.  Interesting thought.

As you know, the best rig for skipping your lure is with a 6 1/2 foot medium action spinning rod with 10 to 12 pound mono.

Buy making that low sidearm cast, like a whipcrack, your bait skips across the water two or three times close to the water's surface and then enters the water very gently.

Now doing this with a spinning rig is difficult, at best, and as said above, takes a lot of practice and patience.

I would summarize that doing this with a baitcasting rig would take even more time and an enormous amount of patience.  Plus the fact that you would have to set up your baitcaster by putting Scotch Tape over the line on the spool to help stop the backlashes.

So I must agree with the guys when they say to perfect your spinning skipping presentation.  

Maybe by being able to do it both right and left handed.  Or perfect it so that you always get three skips before it gently sinks into the water.

But with that said, give it a try and see what happens and let us know.

For now, I will start to practice my skipping technique, which I have never perfected and am still amazed at just where the bait will go when I use the technique on the water.


fishing user avatarsilvercliff_46 reply : 

YAH! I think I'll stick with the spinning reel, by the time I would get it figured out I'd have wings. I hope I get the wings, not the horns. :-[

I have to add skippin' is one of my favorite things.  If you can put your bait where other guys are afraid to throw...,well look out. ;)


fishing user avatarWBFishing reply : 

I skip with both.  I am not great with either, but I figure I can get it done when I need to.  The way I skip with a baitcaster is to adjust the brake tighter than I would normally have it.  I pay close attention and when the lure it about to hit water, I do a quick thumb tap tp slow down almost stopping the spool.  If your trajectory it right, the momentum of the lure when it touches down should strip more line off the reel while the lure is skipping.  It works easiest with Zoom Horny Toads for me, cause I like to get them under docks and over hangs.  I have done it  with spinnerbaits and jigs.  

Like it was said earlier, just practice it. All of us can stand to add more tricks to the arsenal.  I am getting good at picking those "nests" out anyways.  A little work makes it worth it.  That's why we call it fishing and not catching.


fishing user avatarsilvercliff_46 reply : 

I am just curious as to how it is done.  Maybe I will give it a shot.  I always like learning new things.  Nothing ventured nothing gained.


fishing user avatar5bass reply : 

I skip with both. On the baitcast skip, it helps to start with something that will skip easily...fluke, toad etc. Skipping jigs under docks is a big part of my game and it took a lot of practice to skip a jig consistently and effectively. I found that a bigger trailer helped the bait stay on top and a nice medium action casting rod with some 'whip' to it and thick mono will help the learning process.

Once you get the overall motion down, you can switch to a heavier rod to get the eye-crossing hooksets that are sometimes needed with a jig. The jig is what made me learn to skip with a baitcast reel. I just couldnt depend on a rock solid hookset with the spinning stuff and if I did get a good hookset, it was hard to control bigger fish when they started swimming circles around the dock posts. With the casting gear, moving and fighting fish became a non-issue.

It's by no means impossible and an extra tool in your belt is always good to have. I encourage you to at least make another solid effort to learn it. And always remember.......its all about the thumb.


fishing user avatarTin reply : 
  Quote

It's by no means impossible and an extra tool in your belt is always good to have. I encourage you to at least make another solid effort to learn it. And always remember.......its all about the thumb.

I always have my brake and spool tension set a little higher too. One of the big things is realizing when the bait will skip or just die when it hits the water, once you figure out the angles it will be real easy.


fishing user avatarJoel W reply : 

For those of you that get Verses tv. On Bass Pros today, KVD did the 4 min segment on jigs and at one point was skipping a jig with baitcaster under a very low dock. Needless to say it was quite impressive. I would be thrilled to be able to skip a Senko under there with a spinning reel. One thing he did mention is that he prefers a 6 or 6 1/2 ft rod for all his skppping.


fishing user avatarflippin reply : 

i can skip with a bacaster i use a siide arm cast but use spinning tackle mostly for skipping


fishing user avatar5bass reply : 
  Quote
I would be thrilled to be able to skip a Senko under there with a spinning reel.  

Try skipping a senko wacky rigged.....it'll scoot right up under whatever you want it to.


fishing user avatarbugman reply : 
  Quote
  Quote
I like to skip under docks, low lying trees and the like, but always use a spinning reel to do it.

I heard someone say (on tv) they do it with a baitcaster!! If so how do you set up a baitcaster to do it.

I know if I try to do it, I'll do it one time, and then spend the rest of the day digging a world record over-run out of my reel. :-[

Well, I know guys that are quite good at skipping with a baitcaster.

I watched flechero when we fished together last year at Lake Fork.

For him, it seemed second nature. For me it would be challenging.

I fish all soft plastics with spinning tackle and with this equipment

am "reasonably" adept at the technique. There is no reason for me

to change and no particular reason for you, either!

I agree with RW. I have to admit that I was one that thought that spinning oufits were a 2nd class outfit but now I find myself using them more often. I like a 5.5' spinning rod for skipping. Use the right tool for the right job.

8-)


fishing user avatarSenkoBasser reply : 
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  Quote
I would be thrilled to be able to skip a Senko under there with a spinning reel.

Try skipping a senko wacky rigged.....it'll scoot right up under whatever you want it to.

Absolutely. Maybe its just in my head but I find its easier and more accurate to skip using an all fiberglass rod. Its all in the wrists.


fishing user avatarRichardE reply : 

I tried "skipping under a dock once, hit my head. Won't do that anymore  ;D


fishing user avatarJoel W reply : 
  Quote
  Quote
I would be thrilled to be able to skip a Senko under there with a spinning reel.

Try skipping a senko wacky rigged.....it'll scoot right up under whatever you want it to.

Actually, 90% of the soft plastics I do skip are 4 & 5 inch Senkso, but I Tx rig them. I only wacky rig in shallow water where the falling action is critical.

As for getting the Senko way back under that dock, I mostly fish the NYC reservoirs, and there aren't any docks. All my skipping is just to get the lure under a over hang a few feet.


fishing user avatarsilvercliff_46 reply : 

I noticed that most of you guys prefer using a shorter rod 6-6 1/2 foot for skipping.  I find using my 7 foot Fish Eagle II M/H works best for me.  Maybe it is the arthritis.  My shoulders, elbows and wrists wear out after a half day fishing.  I find, I am able to use an easier snap with the tip to do the job.

I have switched to longer rods over-all. the wife uses longer rods now days too.  She has been my fishing partner for 47 years now.  

I have been trying to teach her to skip, but it sounds like a depth charge dropped from an old destroyer.  Maybe that's a good thing, because she beats me enough, and she only fishes from the back of the boat.  ;D


fishing user avatarSenkoBasser reply : 

Yeah, the longer rod seems to help too. Try a 7 foot fiberglass with Senko. It takes practice. Good to kill the winter down time. I practice in my yard using the edge of the forest as targets. Obviously you want to go hookless.


fishing user avatar5bass reply : 
  Quote
  Quote
  Quote
I would be thrilled to be able to skip a Senko under there with a spinning reel.

Try skipping a senko wacky rigged.....it'll scoot right up under whatever you want it to.

Actually, 90% of the soft plastics I do skip are 4 & 5 inch Senkso, but I Tx rig them. I only wacky rig in shallow water where the falling action is critical.

As for getting the Senko way back under that dock, I mostly fish the NYC reservoirs, and there aren't any docks. All my skipping is just to get the lure under a over hang a few feet.

Dock, overhanging tree, pontoon boat, its all the same....you're skipping the bait under something. A wacky rigged senko skips 100 times better than a texas rigged senko.


fishing user avatarJoel W reply : 


fishing user avatar5bass reply : 

That would be my guess too. I'm just the opposite of you, I won't texas rig a trick stick unless I'm fishing in some thick stuff or on a carolina rig. I catch way more fish wacky rigged.


fishing user avatardvdrd423 reply : 

i've been practicing skipping with a bailcaster,tryed a jig first i had some success,a plastic frog is a lot easyer.when you backlash tighten it up some more.they won't be as bad.


fishing user avatarMatt Fly reply : 

If you try to skip a TExas Rigged bait, ensure the weight is pegged.   The bait needs to be one bulky bait.  

Appendages coming from the bait will detour smoothing skipping.    Easy baits to practice with that will help you get the mechanics down with are tubes rigged with lead head inside.

Another neat trick is to skip 4-5 in Storm Swims under the docks.   They skip nicely as well on Baitcaster.


fishing user avatarWillzx225 reply : 

Skipping baits on baitcast gear is just something that you have to do and practice.  I grew up on the same body of water as FiveBass and it has a TON of docks.  I learned at an early age that if you can not skip a jig way back under the docks you won't catch as many fish.  I have been skipping baits on baitcast gear for over 10 years now and it is like second nature to me.  Matter of fact, I can't skip baits as well on spinning gear as I can Baitcast gear just because I have used the casting gear to get baits under docks more than spinning rods.  I guess what I am trying to say is that the more you do it, the more it will become second nature.

I will offer some advice on how best to learn though.  Take a bait like a senko or a Fluke and learn.  Put it on 15lb line with a heavy hook.  I feel that you need some weight to it in order to keep the spool spinning once the bait hits the water the first time.  You also will need to learn how to "feather" the reel so when it hits you don't get the backlash but in the same sense you don't stop the bait.  And on the contrary to what somebody said earlier: You can learn this technique away from the water if you need to.  All you need is a driveway or some other area with level concrete (simulates flat water) and a chair or something that you can use to simulate a dock or overhang.  Take an old jig and stand on a step or something to elevate you like you were on the deck of the boat and start skipping.


fishing user avatarMatt Fly reply : 

Forgot to move this one also!!    

Question, don't ya'll tag them as moved anymore?


fishing user avatar5bass reply : 
  Quote

Question, don't ya'll tag them as moved anymore?

Only if the member that creates the thread has less than 10 total posts. Otherwise, post is moved to proper forum, then the "moved" tag is deleted.




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