Dock bait

[Forestlaker]

What do you like to use to skip under docks?
I have tried various plastics but have not really found one I like that skips well and sinks slowly once under the dock?
Do dock fish show any preference for one bait over another?

[Mark Christianson]

Tubes that are texas rigged, but no weight.
Gotta use a spinning rod.

[EBass]

Tubes rigged texas style. Jerk baits rigged the same way. Did you read the senko thread? Senkos are good but do tend to fall apart. Plastic lizards are ok.

[Guest]

When you guys fish tubes texas-style, do you ever use them weighted? I like weighted jigs (personal preference). I use the weights that you insert into the tube and thread the hook through. I have found tat they skip fine and they get me down at deeper docks. (hint: The weights that insert into the tubes are spendy...I use Water Gremlin walleye walker weights. They fit perfectly in the tube and you can get a lot for the money you'd spend on three of those custom weights)

[jeffyo45]

I have to admit I tried tube baits for the first time a week ago. I used an 1/8 ounce mushroom jig head threaded through the tube. I caught a ton of bass around the docks last week and then last night. I pretty much matched my partner fish for fish and he was using berkley power worms with mushroom jig heads. I would say we each caught over 12 bass each time out. I did not rig them texas style to make them weedless but I think it would be worth a try as I would probably get snagged on less docks. Tubes are my new favorite right now. I just got my scum frogs and thundertoads in the mail today. Can't wait to get out and try those.

[Guest]

The best dock rig you could possibly use is a 3/8 ounce bass jig with some sort of craw trailer skipped under a dock with a 6-7' MH rod with a decent bait casting reel (i.e. Team Daiwa 103HVA, Shimano Curado, etc) I will follow behind you guys throwing tubes and whatnot, fishing the same docks you just did, but catching all the bass you missed. A creature bait on the same rig works wonders too. See ya on da lake

[EBass]

Hole in Ice,

You can skip with a bait caster? Wow, that's hard to do. I suppose you have a better reel than I do, so that's gotta help.

I've seen Kevin VanDam or someone skip on a bait casting setup before. Of course they make it look easy.

Brozeback, I want to try out those insertable weights. My friend bought them and loves them. I rig my dock skipping tube texas style, then I have a crimp on bullet split shot. I haven't had any problems with break offs yet. Well, except for the slimers.

[Lunker]

Texas rigged work okay, but I like weightless lures that sink slower in the water, plus they skip well if they are casted correctly. Senkos are nice, as are just about any other plastic that has some weight to it.

[Guest]

Denny Brauer is the all time leading money winner in tournament fishing and all I've ever heard of him using fishing docks are jigs and tubes. Using a baitcaster of course, with a team diawa-x 103hva reel. Just can't beat that combination for a lot of dock fishing situations.

[delmuts]

ya skipping can be done with a bait caster, but it is tricky!!! i'll stay with a spinning rig! a jig and pig is great , so are tubes and floaters. stay versital and find out what works and what you enjoy using most. del

[Yaeger Guide]

FLer,

I use a weightless worm or senko for most of my dock skipping. If I don't need to skip, I will run with texas rigged worms and jigs. There are a couple of big bass in certains docks on Forest, but they seem to few and far between.

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God bless,
Judd Yaeger
Yaeger Guides (Twin Cities Guides) www.yaegerweb.com/guide

[ranger2bass]

With a spinning rod and 30# braided line use a mustard colored Strike King Flipping tube weightless on a 4/0 or 5 Gamagatsu hook.Skin the hook tip. Skip it in there as far as you can throw and let it just sit. It'll sink slowly. Wait for the line to go strait and set the hook and reel like crazy. Keep your rod tip down as to better guide and steer the fish out and have the net ready

[Guest]

Pitching a dock with a bait caster is like riding a bike ... You gotta get out and try it before you say its too hard and give up! Also, a nice reel is a must. Team Daiwa-X 103's kick some butt. You also want a heavier action, but light weight rod. Your 50$ Galyans rod just won't cut it because the weight of the rod prevents you from throwing the jig right. You really need a St Croix Premier at the bare minimum. If anyone wants to hit a lake with me, I will help ya out. I can promise you it will take less than 2 hours to get it down. (even my thick-headed friend navratill figured it out in about an hour)

[Guest]

sounds good

[This message has been edited by fishnAddict (edited 08-14-2003).]

[Wayne Ek]

My 2 cents worth... Falcon 5'2'' heavy spinning rod. Quantum Catalyst reel, size 30, as I want the larger spool. Power Pro 30. Eagle Claw HP hook, for the clip in size 5/0 ( believe me, it's not to large) and if it's shallow docks I use bull shot sinkers if the docks are deeper, I switch to a 1/16th worm weight that I peg with a bobber stop. And I toss Lake Fork ring fry's about 90% of the time.

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Wayne
Agape Fishing Guides
www.agapefishingguides.com

[CPRBASS]

Agape,
I agree with you, I "love" the lake fork ring fry. Works great under docks and on carolina rigs too!

For I docks, I find it works better and is better to rig tubes with a weight insert of some sort. I like to use a jig or texas rigged lizard or creature bait first and then follow it up with a tube, skipping it to all of the places I could get to as well.

I really don't think it matters if you skip with a spinning or baitcasting reel, both can be effective. I skip with both, it just depends on the lure (size & weight) mostly.

Another great follow up lure for the second guy in the boat is a good old plastic worm.

[Smallie]

Dock knocking,
if I had one bait to throw it would be a jig and pig with pork else you will be ripping plastics off all day long.

I prefer 3/8 oz or 1/2oz even 1/4 oz depends on the wing. I always use a bait caster because you have way more control to horse these fish out. I also throw a bait caster because it's more precise pin pointing to small targets.

I would say my second favorite would be a senko or ring fry but they are hard to fish if there is any wind they bounce to much when they hit a wave.

I would say one guy throw a jig and one throw plastic weight less cause you can let that bat sit there forever just twitching it and catch fish that didn't take the jig.

I don't recomed a spinning rod I know alot of guys that fish spinning rods and lose alot of fish because you just don't have the power nor 50 or 65 lb line spooled on a spinning reel.

I use a 7ft Heavy G. loomis but any will do I would just reccomed something that has alot of power.

[SluggoMaster]

All I can say is "Senko baby!" I have given a LOT of sore mouths to bass this week. I just got a 20 incher yesterday, and six, three pound fish under the docks on the Senko in the west metro. I will say that it took no less than 8 or 9 pitches into the same spot before they take it. More of an aggravation/reaction bite, but still fun!

Keep at it, it only gets better!

[Guest]

Nobody has mentioned my go to dock bait, and I'm not gonna mention it either.

[Guest]

I pitch and skip a number of different plastics up under docks. Craw tubes, tubes, senkos, trick worms, etc. If you need to get way up under the dock, the shorter, less action baits skip a little better as they don't have as much surface area...

I use a baitcaster 95% of the time, but for docks you can't beat a spinning rod. I can skip with a baitcaster and will use this when they are out more towards the edges, but I can skip it much further up under with a spinning rod. The relatively low resistance on the open face, vs. a baitcaster where you need to control your spool or suffer a backlash makes the spinning combo a better option in my opinion...

If the fish are coming out to the edges, I'll just pitch up to the edge and just under the edge of the dock... If they are way up in the dock, I'll pull out the spinning gear. Just a matter of personal preference.

[Double]

I've had the best luck skipping craw tubes and Senkos under the docks. Senkos under docks (the calmer water the better) on bright sunny days has produced the best for me. Not skilled enough to skip the baitcasters yet, still gotta stick with the spinner for this application.

Basspastor, thanks for the informative post.

Regards,
Double

[Forestlaker]

A rough summary of baits recommended for fishing docks.
Tubes 6
Senkos 5
Jigs 4
Others 5
Thanks for all the input. I am headed out this weekend I will have to get off the weedlines and go bang a few pontoons.