Skipping Doc(s)!

By L. Talyor

Dock after dock after dock -- all day long it was the same thing. Some of the docks had one bass under them and others had two or three. It was proving to be the best way to get a quality bite, but the technique required just the right touch.

“It’s like skipping rocks, only you are using a fishing pole and a lure,” said Beaver Lake fishing guide Brad Wiegmann.

The skipping technique is all about having the right angle. When skipping light lures it’s best to use a spinning rig. Leave about 14 inches from lure to the end of the rod, open the bail and bring the rod back parallel or slight pointing toward the water. Then, simply use a sidearm cast to skip the lure to its destination. It’s skipping a heavier lure with a baitcasting rig that gives some anglers fits.

“Put the reel on free-spool and use adequate force to swing the lure parallel to the water,” Wiegmann said. “After the lure stops, take your pocket knife and cut out the tangled mess. Retie and repeat, until you have no more over-priced fluorocarbon line on your reel. Lay down this pole and grab the next, and repeat the process until all the line is removed. At this point, it’s customary to say ‘the he#% with it,’ grab a topwater rod and go throw a Zara Spook.”

Seriously, though, Wiegmann did eventually provide useful instructions on skipping with a baitcaster, once he stopped laughing at his hilarious joke. He suggests setting the brake on the reel to the level where the line comes off smoothly, and re-adjusting it each time you change lures.

“Once set, the only brake is your thumb, so use it wisely,” he said. “Side-arm similar to the way it’s done with a spinning rig, in one fluid motion. While the lure is skipping, the angler should be lightly feathering the line.”

Wiegmann noted that he uses a wacky rig in early spring around docks and walkways near where fish are staging to spawn. He switches to a white BOOYAH jig with a white grub once the shad spawn gets rolling. During summer, Wiegmann likes a Mighty Craw in watermelon red to mimic a panicked bream or bluegill.