Dock Talk 2008!!!!

[rockman]

Dock fishing is one of my most productive techniques.I have to include fishing the moored boats next to docks,boat lifts,and most definitely the pontoons.Some of my heaviest catches have come from moored pontoons.Docks off of the weed flats, and skipping plastics & jig combos under/in the hard to reach spots.Aaahhh,summer can't get here quick enough!

[TurnUpTheFishing]

All this deep water talk made me realise I should probably work on fishing the thick slop. Whether it be milfoil mats, pads, reeds, etc. Except for a few occasions I havnt done much more than pull a frog through the stuff.

[Deitz Dittrich]

This is a very interesting thread to me...

I was/am a dock rat from years ago.. I have fought to get away from the docks...Docks always hold fish, and good fish at times. But have fought tooth and nail to keep myself away from them when and if I can.

love to fish docks... love to fish deep, love to flip!... but just plain love to fish! I would love to stay away from docks again this year unless I feel they are the best option!

[bassNspear]

i do remember after Big Marine last year, i did horrible, but you didnt believe me that i fished it deep all day.

[Central Bassman]

I’m will Dietz on this one, fishing docks is what got me into bass fishing. I love fishing docks but over the last few years I have started to move more and more away from the banks. I think the reason why I haven’t fish dock as much as I used to is because In my eye to become and successful tournament or bass angler you need to be able to fish all depths. If you watch or read about pros winning big tournament you don’t hear a lot of them winning tournaments off docks. (even though two FLW championship wins have came off docks Ehrler in ’06 and Clausen in ’04) Docks hold fish but you need to be able to fish deep. I love sitting on a weed line in the middle of the lake catch bass after bass. Ones I learned and start catching fish in deep water I fell in love with it.

And for the record Deitz we fish deep all day on Waconia!!!

[bassNspear]

and big marine

[Slyster]

I have very rarely fished docks.. I feel like I'm intruding although I have every right to be there. I need to get over that so I can get more accurate with my casting. (A few casts OVER a dock and I feel the whole shoreline is watching.. and an angry land owner getting ready to yell at me. )

[Ray Esboldt]

I still fish docks when appropriate (usually desperation tactics ). I am not saying docks are a bad thing, but I do believe there are limited windows, time-of-day wise and seasonal wise, when it will outproduce breakline fish.

I do agree, if you want to improve as a fisherman, you should learn how to fish everything from the shorline to the middle of the lake. When you have progressed through that process (you never actually finish it), you will begin to develop some fishing instinct. It's a learned trait, but is essential to becoming consistent.

[Cody Lubeley]

Because I'm lacking a boat my only choice is to fish from docks and this past summer Me and one of my buddies landed two muskies one 15LB and the other a 10LB

What I usually fish with is just a sucker and slip bobber and sometimes cast cranks and floaters

Shore fishing can get old after a while though

[bassNspear]

wow, thats awesome Lubey. I beat that was a rush for you as well!!

and Ray, we all know your a master in the deep water!!

[Ray Esboldt]

A master I am NOT. Just a fan of deep water.

[bassNspear]

dont lie. we all know what happened last year on Waconia and Big Marine!!!

Im sure dietz can tell that story

[Central Bassman]

 Originally Posted By: Bass N Spear

Im sure dietz can tell that story

Thats funny!!! This might start a war!!!

[bassNspear]

ya, maybe i should have not said something huh bro!!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Aint much of a story...My deep fish got lock jaw on me.. I went shallow and got a decent bag... just not decent enough to beat up on Ray!... I'll take 2nd place to Ray... its not all bad.!

And I didn't mind stinking it up on Conia... didn't pre fish...didn't deserve to fish well.

[bassNspear]

its all about having fun, and i believe that we did that on both events. I fished horrible at Marine, but the best part of it was that we had a great time out there, and got to fish a new lake

[bassNspear]

so. whats everyones fav bait around docks, depending on situation im sure!

[Coach Dog]

White Zoom Super Fluke weightless or a Stik-O weightless.

[ikeslayer]

Anything that i can skip is my favorite lure around a dock. Just feels so good when she slides way back in there. Confidence rises high. ike

[CarlWBL]

Wacky rigged senko, weightless

[ptkane]

I like skipping a 4" tube or a Strike King Bitsy Jig.

[Chris519]

I switched from skipping tubes to outcast stick baits. They seem to be easier for me to hook the fish. Also, I switched to 30# power pro over mono last year and it made a big difference.

I like to skip docks but I am always careful to respect dock owners. If people are around the dock I will just go to the next one. It is a lot of fun to horse them out!

[bassNspear]

let me ask you all this, is there anything better then skipping it so far back under a lift or dock, and you get a monster back there.

I think the problem that alot of people dont understand, is that when there fishing docks, there just fishing the ends or corners, where there not trying to get way back and deep into the dock or lift. I have caught so many fish way deep into a dock, becuase people dont fish them deep, just out in the front.

[Maximum12]

I'll testify to that bass n spear!

I started skipping on a brutally hot day last summer, as nothing else was working, & pulled three big bass out from deep underneath docks. It was the first time I'd ever put any effort into it, & I'm sold.

Of course, I also made my share of wild casts during the course of that first afternoon of skipping, but no property or human beings were injured, thankfully.

I, too, prefer wacky-rigged senkos around docks.

[Daze Off]

Generally I prefer wacky-rigged senko style baits in both 5" and 4" but flukes and tubes are a close second. Under the right conditions I also love to skip Zoom or Yum frogs under docks/trees. Like skipping a buzzbait way back under there.

Ordered a new dock rod so can't wait for open water to give it a whirl - 5'6" MH fast action so there is enough tip to get it there and enough backbone to get 'em out.

I also agree that most people do not fish the complete dock. One of my favorite places that nearly no one fishes are the walkways from the bank near shore. Always amazes me how many/big fish live in such shallow water. I don't always check these areas because I generally find you can develop a pattern where fish are located under docks on a given day and it saves time to just fishthose parts of the docks when it is like that.