Suggestions For A Skippin' Rod?

[FryDog62]

Looking for recommendations on a spinning rod to skip plastics under docks, overhanging brush, etc... Probably in the mid price range but might be flexible. What are the specific features/specs to you that make a rod for this application superior?

[kschultz76]

St Croix Avid X 6'8" M/XF. I use this same taper in the Legend Xtreme (prior model with cork) for all my skipping duty using spinning gear. The light very fast tip loads up easy and predictably with a sharp snap of the wrist, and has great backbone for moving fish away from cover, for a lighter weight rod...it's not a monster flipping stick so you can't just haul them out.

[poisonokie]

I use a 6'6" MH/XF Daiwa Procyon. It's shorter, so it's more accurate and you don't whack the tip from a low casting angle. It has a lot of sensitivity to feel strikes on the drop and a lot of backbone to get fish away from structure. It's the only XF rod I have because fish control is paramount, but it's best to have a short rod. I use 20lb braid with a 15# leader and a nearly buttoned down drag on a 3000 size Daiwa Lexa reel.

[FryDog62]

Loomis and St. Croix have 5'-10" medium rods, thoughts on something that short?

[FryDog62]

I use a 6'6" MH/XF Daiwa Procyon. It's shorter, so it's more accurate and you don't whack the tip from a low casting angle. It has a lot of sensitivity to feel strikes on the drop and a lot of backbone to get fish away from structure. It's the only XF rod I have because fish control is paramount, but it's best to have a short rod. I use 20lb braid with a 15# leader and a nearly buttoned down drag on a 3000 size Daiwa Lexa reel.

Procyon looks interesting. What about the 6'-0" either Medium XF or 6'-0" Medium-Heavy Fast? Is that too short, or would it be a little easier to skip some baits at that length?

[poisonokie]

Procyon looks interesting. What about the 6'-0" either Medium XF or 6'-0" Medium-Heavy Fast? Is that too short, or would it be a little easier to skip some baits at that length?

 

I don't honestly know. You'd think it would be even better. I'd just have to try them side by side. I don't have a rod shorter than 6'6".

[FryDog62]

I don't honestly know. You'd think it would be even better. I'd just have to try them side by side. I don't have a rod shorter than 6'6".

Unfortunately there aren't any stores in my area that carry Procyon... I might order both a 6-0 and a 6-6 and return one. Can you tell me what the "Minima" grip is like (comfortable or fingers on the threads?) and the do the black guides screech a lot when using braided line? Or are they pretty smooth...

Thx, -Fry

[Logan S]

Loomis and St. Croix have 5'-10" medium rods, thoughts on something that short?

Too short IMO.  They work well for sure, but I think they give up too much on the other end.  I've actually used the 5'10" LTB and a few other 6' rods and don't like them.  I don't like giving up the extra length once a fish actually bites...Just felt like I wasn't in control with the shorty rods when setting the hook and then fighting fish.  You need to be able to move that fish once you set the hook to get them away from whatever nasty stuff they were hiding in/under...Having the short rod makes that just a little harder.  

 

To me, skipping is mostly about accuracy and not the actual skipping of a bait.  It doesn't take too long to get the casting mechanics down to actually make a bait skip across the surface...Placing the bait in the exact spot in order to skip under/between/around the obstruction and on to the fish is the hard part.  So, if you are as accurate with a longer rod (or can practice enough to become that accurate ), I think the longer rod wins overall.  One other advantage I find with the longer rods is that I can make those longer casts/skips a little easier....So I can back off the dock and skip from further away if I need to.  

 

For spinning I use a 6'8" or 6'10" M/XF and for casting I use a 7' MH/F, they perform equally as well for me as the shorty rods but don't sacrifice anything.  Just my opinion of course, however I'll qualify it by saying this particular technique is one of my strengths and I spend a lot of time doing it .

[Jeff H]

Loomis and St. Croix have 5'-10" medium rods, thoughts on something that short?

Short works great if you are really close.  I've seen plenty of guys get really tight when they are skipping dirty water docks and they use short rods like that.  I've even seen some using customs that are shorter than 5'10".  I use a 6'3 or 6'6" most of the time.  I have a 6' MH Crucial I use if I really squeeze in there.

[FryDog62]

Thanks Jeff and Stratos...good info. I currently use a Fenwick 6'-9" MXF and it works pretty well. I'm thinking of a second rod specific to skipping and was thinking something shorter would complement it well. Could be 6'-0" will have its limits, I don't know of any 6'-3"s so maybe a 6'-6"

The search continues but I enjoy the process and other peoples input... Thx

[poisonokie]

Unfortunately there aren't any stores in my area that carry Procyon... I might order both a 6-0 and a 6-6 and return one. Can you tell me what the "Minima" grip is like (comfortable or fingers on the threads?) and the do the black guides screech a lot when using braided line? Or are they pretty smooth...

Thx, -Fry

 

Yeah, the grip takes some getting used to, but it does put your hand in contact with a lot of blank, so I like them. The guides are kinda loud with new braid, because I think they're just alum oxide. You can get one on Amazon for 60-70 bucks shipped.

 

I'm sure there are better rods out there for this application, that procyon is just what I use and have good results with, and the price is right. I'm not about to spend more than $100 for something just to skip baits with.

[poisonokie]

if you don't mind spending a little more, amazon has a Daiwa Lexa 6'7" m/xf spinning rod for 99.95 and it's prime. They have more comfortable Fuji grips and higher quality guides with zirconia inserts. They're still kinda loud with braid, but I think that sound is pretty cool, anyway. I have a Lexa 7'2" ML/F and it's a really nice rod. Very sensitive and comfortable, great action for single hooks on light line. Plenty of backbone. I landed an 11.5# blue cat while fishing weightless 4" worms on 8# line using that rod and it performed flawlessly. I was kind of at the mercy of the fish because it was pulling off so much line, but I was still able to steer it around enough to keep it out of a brush pile.

[hatrix]

With spinning the action doesn't matter no where near as much as casting to skip with me. But anything with a fast action and a soft tip relative to lure weight so it loads easy.

[FryDog62]

Right now my default rod for skipping is a Loomis Mag Lite 6 foot XF. It's an unbelievable Rod but I'm looking at selling it to get something a bit beefier for skipping. It's a little light to skip anything of weight, so many times my lure ends up veering to the right because the tip doesn't catch up to my cast fast enough. Plus to stratos point above once you do hook a fish of any size in cover or under a dock it's a lot to ask a smaller rod to manhandle it out of there.

So all these suggestions are good, will be selling my Loomis and don't want to break the bank but want buy something for this application as I skip more and more and don't want to keep going into a gun battle with a knife

[ned_riggins]

I use a st croix mojo "wacky" style spinning rod when im skipping light baits. Its worked well enough going on 6 or 7 years now.

[iabass8]

St croix legend tournament and avid make a 6'3 mxf if you want to stay shorter.