To Skip a lure or not to skip a lure?

[Morelures]

I was wondering what all of you that skip baits and have done it for some time now think about the technique?

Obliviously it's a great technique when trying to get under a dock or tree limbs etc. But how well does it work when there is no need to do it, like just skipping a lure to your target when there is nothing to skip under?

I have heard some say it excites the fish and I have heard others say its scares them. What are your thoughts, I love to skip but sometimes I think I may be doing it to much. And then I will do it when theres no need and catch a good one!

[Ima Bass Ninja]

I think skipping a lure for no reason would scare the fish away. It seems to me a smaller entry into the water would be much better in those situations.

[grimlin]

I do it when the fish are aggressively feeding on the shad above. I skip it right over the pool of shad,then let it slowly sink down.Hang on because the bite is usually hard hitting.It gets the shad in a frenzy when you skip on top of them...anything below them see it and start watching for an injured baitfish falling down.

[ww2farmer]

When fishing shallow clear water skipping a bait is much LESS............yes, LESS likely to spook fish, than a regular cast. Trust me. 

It's a great way to get the attention of bass that are just cruising around in shallow water with out spooking them, providing you stay far enough back to go undetected.

[J Francho]

^^^^^^

Good stuff in that post right there.

I fished SML during the Elite tournament there two springs ago, and watched Rojas skip frogs tight in on the shoreline where there was zero cover.  I thought to myself, no way he's getting bit, these fish have backed off the shoreline due to bright, cloudless conditions.  Well, they didn't back off his frog....man, he was getting fish to come up and crush it.  I asked him why he was skipping, and he said it was part of presentation, and less spooky.  He didn't win, but I believe he fished the final day of that one.

[CWB]

When fishing shallow clear water skipping a bait is much LESS............yes, LESS likely to spook fish, than a regular cast. Trust me.

It's a great way to get the attention of bass that are just cruising around in shallow water with out spooking them, providing you stay far enough back to go undetected.

X2-

Seen it myself many times. A couple nice ones cruising the shallows and I skip a senko so it lands past them. More often than not, they stop and usually fight each other to get to the bait first. If they don't stop, they wont bite anything.

[Shane J]

The other day on an episode of "The Bass Pros", KVD was skipping a swim jig up to a shallow weed line, and as soon as he started reeling it back, it got slammed. I'm going to be doing more of it this year, regardless of whether I'm going under something or not.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Always skip a fluke whenever possible cover or no cover.

[Sam]

I only skip under docks, piers and cover.

Otherwise I pitch and flip for a quiet entry into the water.

Never thought of skipping just for the fun of it.

May give it a try this summer. Thanks for the post. 

[ib_of_the_damned]

are you guys skipping with baitcasters or spinning reels? Also are you guys pitch skipping or sidearm skipping. I can skip with spinning gear, but when it comes to casting its backlash city most of the time...

Still having trouble with the pitch skip...

[J Francho]

All three.  Not all baits skip well with a sidearm, though.

[Morelures]

Ib: All of them work. I first learned to skip with a spinning reel and then a baitcaster. At first the baitcaster is a little intimidating but if you set your reel correctly you can get the hang of it pretty quick. When you disengage your reel make sure everything is set to make your lure stop when it hits the ground. This will help you with the backlash a little, and then you can loosen it up as you get the hang of it.

Skip the bait just like you would your spinning reel, dont hold back, let your thumb skim softly over your line, make sure you take your other hand off the rod if you cast like this, and I like to pull back with the hang im holding the rod with but this may be more of a mental thing. But I feel like it helps me give it a softer touch. (pratice just doing a plain cast with your thumb bairly on the line over and over again and then try to skip). Use a texas rigged pegged senko with a decent amount of weight, a spro frog also works good to practice and fish with.

I have been doing allot of fishing ahhh lets say casting this month the water is 38 so I have just been going out and practicing over and over again, you will surprise yourself how fast you can pick up on something if you just stop fishing for a little bit and work on casting etc.

I like all of the ideas above, like I said I skip to much. But I guess I will really never know for sure if its to much or not. I have caught some nice fish doing this. Even in deep water, I will skip to the wall of a bridge and let it fall, often they will hit it on the fall. But as stated above not all baits will skip good, but man I will try it, and man will I have a mess when trying to skip a bait that shouldn't..haha

You can also practice in your driveway just put a round med size weight on and you can really get the feel for your thumb by skipping the bait on smooth concrete.

[J Francho]

Heavy spool tension, and zero brakes is the key to side arm skipping.

[ib_of_the_damned]

Thanks for the answers, what about the pitch skipping though? I have done it a total of TWO times succesfully and ever since then, never again...

[Morelures]

For me this was a littler harder to learn as well. But really the same thing. Pitch just like you would but I like to flick my wrist a little harder to really get the bait moving. I also like to bring my hand up as the bait skips, you have to control it the whole time so your thumb has to skim across the line as it comes out. Trying using a 6'6 Mh or something shorter at first. Hope this helps!

[ib_of_the_damned]

yes it does, thanks! ill try it tomorrow. and on another note, i also fish a lake that has little to no cover(city park lake) so any little edge i can get will help. the lake i fish gets bombarded with every lure known to man, so im always looking for a different presentation.

[Bassn Blvd]

I think skipping a lure for no reason would scare the fish away. It seems to me a smaller entry into the water would be much better in those situations.

Do you mail out a letter to the fish explaining you have a reason to skip and not to get scared away.