Skipping Distance

[bigbassin']

How far from a target can y'all skip a lure?  One spot I fish has a lot of brush, laydowns, and overhanging trees on the opposite side of where I have access.  The shoreline ranges from 10 yards to about 75 yards away depending on where I'm at on the pond.  Right now, I can consistently get a jig, fluke, or senko under the trees from up to around 25 yards out.  Is this about the farthest skipping is realistic due to the angle of the cast, or can some of y'all skip from 40 yards out?  If I could skip a full cast distance that would open up a lot of cover that I know no one else is casting to.

[Sam]

I like to get close.

 

Usually I nail the dock, pier, piling, boat house doors, boats, motors, stumps or watch my attempt get hung up on the walkway to the boat house, on the wood under the  boat house, tree limbs or over hanging weeds before and during my attempts and then I nail it! Perfect cast; super skip; everything went as planned. Am I happy or what?  

 

I am usually within 10-yards of my targets. Sometimes I will go back to 15-yards but with accuracy more important than distance the closer you can get to the area you want to skip the better you will be. But not too close to spook the bass.

 

Just remember to end up with your rod tip pointed at the location where you want the bait to go and don't put a lot of force behind the wrist cast. A nice, easy fluid cast with rod tip pointing at the target is what you are seeking.

 

As you practice your skipping you can nail those bass hiding under the docks, piers and boat houses plus under tree limbs and overhanging weeds without hitting the trees, boat houses, piers, docks, etc.

 

 

[ptomacbass]

Most people can't even cast 40 yards 

[bigbassin']

13 minutes ago, ptomacbass said:

Most people can't even cast 40 yards 

After thinking about it, the only time I think I even come close to this number is when I'm throwing a spook or rattletrap with an overhead cast and the wind at my back.  So I probably won't be skipping from 40 yards anytime soon.

[N Florida Mike]

Skipping is my best skill but I dont do it from that far. 50 feet is probably my max. , but I prefer 20-30 feet. Better control at that distance. Even though its much closer than the average cast the subtle presentation does not spook the fish.

One of my favorite patterns is fixing to start. With the warmer days, fish begin moving under docks after 11 a.m or so, and skipping is the ticket then for a good catch. I LOVE SKIPPING !!

[FishDewd]

I can skip, but only 2-4 times and not very accurately. I'd say from maybe 5-10 yards away tops. I don't really fish brush a lot either, if I did maybe I would work on perfecting it a little more.

[OCdockskipper]

8 hours ago, ptomacbass said:

Most people can't even cast 40 yards 

That is what came to mind when asked about skipping that far.  Like the weight of fish, I believe it is human nature to overestimate the length of a cast.

 

With a 5" Senko, I can skip it about 60 feet (20 yards) or so, with it skipping 10-12 times.  However, that is a very hard cast done perfectly.  I typically am closer than that for most casts, usually 25 feet or so away from the dock, with the cast going 5 feet or so under the dock, skipping 6-8 times.  I find that is a distance which requires a very fluid motion allowing for accuracy of trying to fit it in small holes, such as between a boat & a canoe tied up on the same dock for example.

 

Of course, that is after years of practice.  I sometimes forget that when I try to teach others and they spend an hour or so burying the lure into the water 4 feet away from the boat....

[Catt]

My boys said they would take my man card of they caught me skipping!

 

There isn't a lot of situations around here that requires skipping.

 

Toledo Bend has boat docks but the majority are floating docks with no room under them to skip.

 

Most over hanging limbs can be fished by roll casting or backhanded cast.

 

How far can I skip?

 

Maybe 5 yards before my knees give out ?

[N Florida Mike]

The motion of Skipping a bait is very similar to skipping rocks. It works best if you start low and parallel to the water. It is somewhat below a sidearm cast. You want the bait to have just enough lift to skim across into the target area.The motion is also much like a sidearm to submarine baseball pitcher's motion, except without a little of the upward motion.

Bottom line is , it takes some practice.

My home lake has quite a few areas that require it, and Ive done it so much now that I often do it even when I dont have to. The entry into the water is much quieter and more natural than the loud "plunk " of a normal cast.

[Dirtyeggroll]

15 hours ago, Sam said:

Usually I nail the dock, pier, piling, boat house doors, boats, motors, stumps or watch my attempt get hung up on the walkway to the boat house, on the wood under the  boat house, tree limbs or over hanging weeds before and during my attempts

I frequently hit a piling or a pontoon on my first attempt into a new dock. I’ve come to calling it “ringing the dinner bell”, because it seems like a lot of the time, the next cast gets way up in there and I catch a fish.

 

I can’t imagine skipping much more than 10-15 yards let alone 40! That’s sniper distance!

[new2BC4bass]

16 hours ago, ptomacbass said:

Most people can't even cast 40 yards 

So...........are you saying some of these reported 100 yard plus casts may be a bit optimistic? 

 

Like OC said, a lot of people over estimate distance (and fish size).  Especially on water.  I mean....not many of us can pace it off. 

 

OP, seems to me you are already doing very good.  Skipping is something I have yet to learn.  You have set the bar pretty high. 

[JustJames]

4 hours ago, Catt said:

My boys said they would take my man card of they caught me skipping!

 

There isn't a lot of situations around here that requires skipping.

 

Toledo Bend has boat docks but the majority are floating docks with no room under them to skip.

 

Most over hanging limbs can be fished by roll casting or backhanded cast.

 

How far can I skip?

 

Maybe 5 yards before my knees give out ?

Same situation, dock in my lake mostly floating dock with LIFT so no room for me at all to skip. Some time i skip under pontoon instead but with in 15 feet. Since I learn skipping so I use that to my advantage instead of casting hudd 68 into shoreline I would skip instead to get a quieter entrance, that can be done but only 10-15 yds 

[SDoolittle]

I can skip a tube on a spinning rod pretty well, but my attempts at skipping with a baitcaster usually result in a loud splash and a wicked backlash.

[N Florida Mike]

45 minutes ago, S. Doolittle said:

I can skip a tube on a spinning rod pretty well, but my attempts at skipping with a baitcaster usually result in a loud splash and a wicked backlash.

Me too. My skips are all done with spinning.

[FryDog62]

7 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

Me too. My skips are all done with spinning.

I’m not a shill for Daiwa, but I could never... ever... skip anything with a baitcaster until the SV spool.  

[bigbassin']

I think the weight on a jig or the profile of a senko make skipping with baitacasting gear doable with some practice.  If you feel real adventurous spooks skip surprisingly well and a lot of saltwater guys throw them around here.  Tube or a fluke on spinning gear is certainly easier than the previously mentioned lures on baitcasting gear. 

 

I've seen one of the pro guys, don't remember which one, skip buzzbaits way back under a dock like that lure is meant for it...that video didn't get me anything except a few backlashes...

[ptomacbass]

11 minutes ago, bigbassin' said:

I think the weight on a jig or the profile of a senko make skipping with baitacasting gear doable with some practice.  If you feel real adventurous spooks skip surprisingly well and a lot of saltwater guys throw them around here.  Tube or a fluke on spinning gear is certainly easier than the previously mentioned lures on baitcasting gear. 

 

I've seen one of the pro guys, don't remember which one, skip buzzbaits way back under a dock like that lure is meant for it...that video didn't get me anything except a few backlashes...

Probably had a horny toad on it. Night and day vs a plain skirt. Skips as easy as a senko on a spinning rod.

[Pro Logcatcher]

I learned to skip last year and can do it well on a baitcaster. On the contrary, I can't skip with a spinning rod even though it's supposed to be easier  ?

[bigbassin']

7 minutes ago, ptomacbass said:

Probably had a horny toad on it. Night and day vs a plain skirt. Skips as easy as a senko on a spinning rod.

After googling it, you are correct.

[soflabasser]

Far enough to catch bass under tree limbs, docks, man made structures, etc