skippin rod

[gunning]

What kind of set-up do you guys like to use for skippin docks. Just got a 5'9" M XF Avid for my b-day, figured it would be almost ideal for skippin docks in the summer. In the mean time It should be a pretty darn good river jigging rod, I guess I will find out tomorrow down on pool 4. It’s nice to get back on the water.

[Bassinbob84]

I use a 7' ml walleye series loomis spinning rod for my lighter baits, a 7'6" h carrot stick with a zillion, and a 7'6" h gl3 with a zillion for my heavier baits. It's tough to learn how to skip with a baitcaster but once you do it's the cats meoow

[Larson15]

I agree, skipping with baitcasting gear is the cats meow. I skip with with either a gloomis 743/843 or 844 baitcasting rod depending on what I am throwing. If I do skip with spinning gear its usually a gloomis 6'6 IMX 743 m/h

[Craigums]

I use a 6'' MH Spinning rod. I feel the shorter rod gives you more control and it's just easier to use a spinning rod while skipping under docks.

[Cecil]

gunning, I use a similar rod but the 6-3 version. Spooled with power-pro, its great!

[bemidjibasser]

I skip with both spinning and casting gear. Usually 7' in mh or h for casting, and m or mh for spinning. On casting gear, I skip jigs, dingers, and the like, and on spinning gear basically the same baits, only lighter.

[Deitz Dittrich]

A lot of it depends on the boat your fishing out of.. and your own height.. Many prefer a shorter rod, I however like a longer one. I usually use a 7'MH Crucial spinning rod. .but also do the baitcaster thing as well.. 7'MH again.

[Irish]

I use a 6-6MH spinning rod for all my skipping. I personally think a short rod is easier to use than a longer one. Skipping Senkos on this is a cinch. I really don't see any reason to use a casting rod but I guess some people like them.

[Larson15]

Once you get good with a baitcaster you wont wanna pick up that spinning rod for skipping. You can execute a full bag of different types of casting skipping techniques (roll cast skip, pitch skip, underhand skip, etc)

[Bigguyone]

anyone willing to share a "how to" on skipping with a baitcaster...can you write a short article for those of us that would love to learn how to do this? Main issue I would think for everyone is not backlashing yet getting the distance they need.

[Deitz Dittrich]

The main issue with a baitcaster is finding the right lure I think.. Jig is good, topwater frogs are good. Find a good distance and tape off your spool so that if you do backlash, its not deep. I usually run my baitcaster with less anti backlash than normal and then run a constant thumb on the spool.

[Larson15]

Everything Deitz said and few more tips: Jig, frogs, tubes, senkos, and ring fries are probably the easiest to skip. Skipping 3/8-1/2 oz is probably the best weight to learn at. Anything lighter usually makes it harder and when you get the hang of getting good at these weights you can move down to 1/4. Using heavier line usually helps, I recommend using 20lb because the heavier diameter helps throw the bait under whatever your target is. Constant thumb control is the key and the type of baitcaster you use plays a part as well. I cannot skip with a magnetic brake reel to save my life specifically the revo. I believe that any centrifugal braking baitcaster works much better specifically Shimano citica, curado, chronarch. I usually keep 2-3 brakes on depending on the reel and bait I'm using and have very little ant-backlash resistance on. When making a skipping cast it is important to keep the line moving OUT of the reel with the right thumb control. When the bait is skipping I continually keep raising the rod to make sure that the line is clearing the reel and through the rod. One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to skip is that they "baby" the cast. It will never work if you baby it!

This is definitely something you can learn without being on the water. I skip a tube with a 1/4oz tungsten weight across my dining room carpet and under a chair almost daily. If you don't have high ceilings try using your garage floor or driveway. Along with the tape trick that Deitz mentioned spool up the cheapest 20lb mono you got as well because backlashes will happen at first and mono is easier to handle.

[gunning]

When I skip with a bait caster It's usually is only about 2-3ft max. It just kind of happens when I make a real flat fast pitch to a target. It has to have some good speed on it to skip. I can get a bait to skip on a roll cast but usually bad things tend to happen. Like missing high and banging the heck out of someone’s dock or pontoon, or its too steep and the bait crashes into the water and wam-o backlash. I use the baitcaster on pitching the edges of docks and 1-2 feet under them. If I want to do a crazy skip I just pick up a spinning rod. I like the spinning rods for getting way back under boats and down the length docks.