Dock setup

[ikeslayer]

i am wondering what everyone's favorite dock set up is. And mostly why.

1. What type of rod? (length action, power and why)

2. What type of reel? (b.c. or spinning and gear ratio etc and why)

3. What type of line? (floro,hybrid, mono, braid and brand and why)

4. What type of lure? (Why you choose what lure you do)

5. Any thing else pertenent!

Here is my setup

1. Custom built st.Croix 7'0 Mh fast tip Good whip on the tip to skip it under the dock but good back bone to get him the heck out of there before he can do any monkey business

2. Spinning 5.0:1 gander mountain guid series because it is cheap and dependable and really it is a pflueger trion for 20 bucks

3. 30lbs power pro. I know that when it is clear water this may hurt me a little but i haven't been to brutally abused yet. If i could skip with a bait caster i would probably use 20-30 lbs floro but i am not that savy with one yet

4. I love to skip a senko a tube or a banjo minnow. All three i will not hesitate to use. in my opinon when you have a banjo rigged right is skips better then the rest and quieter because of its flat sides. However this can be bad as well if it catches and edge it will dive in. I also am going to try skipping rapalas and jigs this year. Yes rapalas i am going to give them something i don't think they see very often under there.

That is my dock setup. i am curious as to what the rest of you use and mostly why. As much as you want to tell i will listen. Write a book it will give me something to do while i wait for May to come.

ike

[Meat-Run]

ikeslayer,

funny you mention Rapalas!!! I used to fish Wednesday tournaments back when I lived in the cities around 90-93 and I used to school some of the local "pro's" with a Fat Rap shallow running crank. They don't make them anymore but I used to skip them under docks with a chart/white color. Then I would bend the hooks in just a little bit or cut one of the hooks so they didn't get caught on the weeds. My weapon to cast those were on a very short 5.6 foot Heavy action spinning rod (no messing around here) with heavy mono just incase you have to break it off and make a run for it if a home owner come a running after you at the dock. I'm sure anybody who has dock fished Tonka has had this happen to them.

Good Luck,

Meat Run

[RK]

Hiya -

My set-up...

Rod: All Star t-38x 6'9" XF - MH. Very whippy tip and a lot of backbone...great rod for skipping.

Reel: Shimano Sahara

Line: 14# Fireline with a 3-4' 17# Fluoro leader.

I skip mainly stickbaits like Northland Dip-Sticks or tubes. One bait I only used briefly last year but that I expect I'll use a lot next year is the Berkley Beast - a flat creature-type thing that skipped very very well...

The lake my cabin is on has several dock owners who get up in arms about me fishing around their docks. A couple seem to think that there's a state law that prohibits me from getting within 100 feet of their dock. We have some pretty animated discussions from time to time. With one guy it's an annual event. At least once a summer he reads me the riot act. Funny though - he has no problem following me to all my walleye spots and anchoring right next to me...he's friendly as all get out then...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Central Bassman]

LOL RK yea i hear ya.... There has been many time where ppl will really let you know how they feel about you fishign around there docks. But there isnt a law and they dont own the WATER.

I also used the Beast this year and had really good results with in early in the year. I have heard alot of ppl say they are junk but give them a try they catch fish.... Ask Ike!!!!

[Deitz Dittrich]

1-I have quite a few dock rods.. but will go with my fave 2... Shimano Crucial Spinning 7' MH fast tip. Shimano Compre 6'8"

2-Shimano Stradic; Shimano Stradic

3-30 lb power pro, 12lb Gamma FC

4-Exude Comida, wacky rigged; Fattube, hidden weight insert. But I also like spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, crankbaits around docks as well.

5- there isn't a dock I dont like!

[Fever]

1. 6.5 G-loomis Med glx, pinnicle dead bolt spinning reel

2. 10 lb fireline

3. I throw, exude comidas wacky style, t-rigged worms in a variety of lengths, weights, and colors, tubes, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, shallow cranks, creature baits... Man the list seems to go on an on. All have been effective at one time or another.

4. The best docks for me have been ones closer to deeper water with dense vegitation in proximity. Preferably lillypads or reeds. I always love to hit docks that have a perminant look (log beams or heavier wood structures). My largest Bass ever (this past July) came from some reeds in about 2 fow next to a dock. 21.25 and just under 6 lbs. The Loomis and the 10 lb fireline didn't let me down.

[Central Bassman]

I see some ppl have talk about braid line like power pro and firline. Do you guys have any problme with the braid on a spinning rod?? And Why dp you pick braid over mono. Im a mono lover because i dont like now the fish can see the braid.

[Deitz Dittrich]

CB- around Docks and heavy cover like that I dont think fish are as line shy. The reason for braid.. easy.. you can cast a much higher lb test. I use 30lb braid and it casts very easy on the 7'MH and Stradic. I cant cast 30 lb mono. Lots of things for a fish to get stuck and messed up in under a dock.. I want the strength to get them out.

[sicheneder]

murky lakes or algae bloom lakes team daiwa rod and reel with 20 mono. don't forget about buzzbaiting in between the docks in these lakes in the morning.

clear water lakes 6mh or 6'6" m rod and spinning reel with 12 mono.under the main part of the dock and the flippin setup for the lifts. i have to stick with mono i can't stand having to switch my hook set with braid or flouro.

[cjac]

I have a 6' 3'' St Croix Legend Med XF, and love it, little shorter, but I'm getting pretty good at hitting my spots and the side cast and skip. Other one is a 6'6" Avid, both with Stradics. Both with a 30lb/8 diameter braid.

Great point was made earlier about working spinnerbaits and buzz baits around the docks, then I go with the traditional baitcast set up with the Curado.

I know a few of the skilled sticks flip and skip with their baitcasters, I dream of reaching that level of control. Practice and time on the water is what I need more of.

The cabin is on a lake not known as a bass lake by many, but there are some there. My best "audience" moment was when a guy got his wife to come out and watch me after I pulled my 3rd bass off their dock. I think that was my "15 minutes of fame"!

[st.crioxfishin]

I use a variety of setups around docks, but here are the two I use most often.

1. St.Croix Avid 6'6" spinning rod & a St.Croix Avid 7'0" casting rod

2.Diawa spinning reel & a pflueger trion reel

3. 20lb braid on the spinning rod and 40lb braid on the casting rod

4.With those two rods I usually always throw a senko on one and a jig with the other.

when it comes to throwing other things under and around docks, I like to use cranks, spinnerbaits, flukes, tubes, any t-rigged bait, and one thing that most people don't usually throw around docks... a frog

[cjac]

Shhhhhh........... Nobody throws a frog around docks!!

Really, I love a soft plastic frog around the docks, they really skip with ease! Scum Frogs are so light, they really get up underneath! Worst case, they hang on a support and get yo-yo-ed! Caught a few that way!

[RK]

Hiya

C-Bassman - no problem at all with braids on spinning gear. Use it all the time for jigging walleyes, jerkbaits for bass or walleyes, small cranks... The main argument for it is just what Deitz said - can use heavier line. I also like the no stretch for some things (but distinctly dislike it for others). I use 14# fireline a lot... If you're worried about visibility, just add a fluoro leader, which I usually do. A lot of my setups have either 12, 14 or 17# fluoro leaders depending on what I'm doing. I start with a 4-5 foot leader and replace it when it gets down to 2' or so. Tie it on with back to back uni-knots. Helps to double the superline over, either with a surgeon's loop or a spider hitch.

Best part about superline on spinning rods - when a fish takes a hard run, it plays you a song!

Cheers,

Rob Kimm