A plastic approach to docks?

[RandyFish]

Fishing Scenario and stragety question:

Scenanrio: I have ID'd several docks that look primo: nearby drop offs leading to shallow weed beds (both beneath and to one side of dock), perhaps a change from weeds to rock/Sand.

I like to use plastics (texas rig worm, plain hook fluke-type, and tubes), so here is the question:

Any rule of thumb for which bait to start with or which presentation?

The problem here becomes one of too many choices, I guess.

In each catergory -- worm, fluke, and tube -- you can monkey with both color and presentation: A tube can be dragged slowly or hopped, and a worm can be fish 25 ways from Sunday.

Where is the best starting point, boys?

The slow, bottom bounce technique for worms and tubes? Or a faster intial presentation to trigger bites? Do you try factor in weather, wind, water clarity?

Or is it just personal fishing mo-jo, going with throw what you know?

Texas-rigged June bug Zoom, then a red shad, for me.

Aw heck just come out a catch 'em for me!

[Lunker]

I never really targeted docks until this year, but have had pretty good success so far. I like something that sinks slowly, like a senko, or small weighted or unweighted worm or tube jig. I always manage to get away with a couple bass on spinnerbaits too, just let them sink next to the dock, the one bladed are best for helicoptering. I'm not to experienced with docks, but thats my 2 cents.

[delmuts]

randy all of those lures are good. i would say to use the one you have the most confidence in for a start. the weather can affect where the bass may be located in relation to the docks. could be on the outside edge or way back under . as always many lures will work, but some times you have to try diffrent things to find out which is the best. my .02. del

[Aquaman01]

The docks I've worked in the past were on sunny or slightly overcast days, before the dog days set in. I have never gotten the hang of skipping under them. My best luck was either banging my Texolina worm (see below)against a piling and letting it drop before twitching it back, or taking a weedless froggy-lookin' thing and landing it on the dock itself, then slowly draggin' it to the edge, and then letting it fall in and 'struggling' it along. The hits in most cases on both were shortly after it hit the water.

Texolina - worm or whatever hooked weedless - a glass bead immediately above the snell - a steel bullet weight about 1/4" above the glass bead - a bobber-stop bead - a rubber bobber stop.

Like a Texas, it stays together during a cast, and like a Carolina, it can be set up to rattle while it's jigged. I don't jig this rig with the rod-tip - I tug on the line. I'm no Mr. Bassman, but it's fun and I've had some success with it.

Treat parked pontoon boats just like a dock, but don't cast AT them, and when I've tagged the pontoons themselves - I never get a hit.

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Aquaman
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Peace and Fishes

[EBass]

I like to skip tubes under docks. The farther under the better I think. Tubes skip real well. So do the minnow types, but worms are hard to skip (to me).

I rig my tube weedless and have a tiny bullet split shot on for the little added weight.

My .02

[RandyFish]

Aquaman...

So your tex-a-lina rig is being crawled along the bottom, and the bass are feeding off the bottom then.

Also, if I understand correctly, the rig sequence, from bottom to top is this: hook, a stop bead (I like to use a small piece of rubber band tied onto the line, glass bead or two, then a steel or brass cone weight.

You mentioned a 1/4-inch. Do you go one or two inches? That would seem to make sense on a small sluggo or air-fry.