Dock Skipping

[Brett's_daddy]

Okay, so I was going to try dock skipping for the first time with my new Curado DC but when I spooled it yesterday I put 65lb. braid on it and mounted it on my Dobyns Fury 735c frog/jig rod...can I still skip docks with this setup? Should I add a 20lb. mono leader?

[Fishin' Fool]

1st time skipping and you want to try it with braid. I think your asking to be changing your spool. Personally I think you're better off skipping with mono. Better chance of picking out your backlash when it happens.

[Brett's_daddy]

7 minutes ago, Fishin' Fool said:

1st time skipping and you want to try it with braid. I think your asking to be changing your spool. Personally I think you're better off skipping with mono. Better chance of picking out your backlash when it happens.

How about fluoro?

[Fishin' Fool]

1 minute ago, Brett's_daddy said:

How about fluoro?

Fluoro would be fine, in fact it would sink better just more expensive if you have to respool.

[Brett's_daddy]

21 minutes ago, Fishin' Fool said:

Fluoro would be fine, in fact it would sink better just more expensive if you have to respool.

I see where most people recommend starting out skipping with spinning setups and work their way up to casting setups...good advice?

[Fishin' Fool]

23 minutes ago, Brett's_daddy said:

I see where most people recommend starting out skipping with spinning setups and work their way up to casting setups...good advice?

It may be easier to start with a spinning rod.

[newriverfisherman1953]

32 minutes ago, Brett's_daddy said:

I see where most people recommend starting out skipping with spinning setups and work their way up to casting setups...good advice?

Yes!

[Tizi]

Start with spinning rod/reel, you will be happy you did.

[Khoa Vu]

you can cast out a full cast length of line, tape some electrical tape on the spool, reel it in, then practice skipping with a baitcaster. worst case is you have to pick out a full cast length of backlash rather than the whole spool. 

[BassKicker42]

On 7/1/2019 at 3:09 PM, Khoa Vu said:

you can cast out a full cast length of line, tape some electrical tape on the spool, reel it in, then practice skipping with a baitcaster. worst case is you have to pick out a full cast length of backlash rather than the whole spool. 

Aren’t you gonna give Brent Ehler some props for teaching you this ??

[BassThumb]

A stiffer copolymer works great for dock skipping. Easy to keep the backlashes down. A lot of folks recommend heavy flouro in the 20-25# range for sidearm skipping or pitch-skipping. I just use a copolymer that handles similarly, like Yo Zuri Hybrid 15# or P-Line CXX 17#. It's a lot cheaper than fluorocarbon for those times where I may birdsnest a reel (happens) or really scuff the heck out of the line getting a fish out from deep under a dock. 

 

Trilene Big Game 20# worked okay but it felt like it was stretching like a rubber band on hooksets and had poor sensitivity.

 

Skipping with straight braid works fine until you pin a jig 30' under a dock and have to break it off.

[Big Rick]

"Starting" with a spinning outfit will never teach you how to skip a baticaster. The nuances of the casts are nowhere near the same. So, don't think just because you get comfortable skipping with a spinning combo that you'll also rock with a bait caster. Two totally different approaches. Skipping with a bait caster is much better IMO. I can use both, but  using the bait caster is much quicker and more accurate. Which is kind of the point, right?  Again, not discounting spinning gear. I have multiple spinning combos. But I am much more accurate and quicker with a properly set up bait caster. 

 

I'll admit that the biggest help is the SV spool on my Tatula. It's almost cheating it's so good at holding the spool at the right speed. 

[Hower08]

@Big Rick is correct. Skipping with a casting rod and spinning rod completely opposite ends of the spectrum. I typically pitch and flip with a 7'3 M/H F rod and if you find one that loads correctly skipping is no big thing to do. Just go practice. Spool with Co poly it's cheap to replace if needed while learning 

[zell_pop1]

Skipping docks with a short spinning rod is much easier IMO.

The only other use I have for spinning is very light Rapala type lures, or opening the spool to drop shot .

[Matt_3479]

I’m trying to get better at skipping and working on my technique with a spinning set up and it’s super easy. But the casting I’m picking out birds nests left right and center 

[Choporoz]

There's good skipping videos out there.  Two that I found most helpful are Andy Montgomery and Gerald Swindle.  Some differences, but both are instructional.  

 

Biggest single mental thing for me was to envision skipping a stone -- it wasn't until that clicked for me that I managed to get the bait moving sort of underhand/sidearmed/upflipping to do the skipping thing

[Mikeltee]

That broomstick of yours isn't gonna make a good skipping rod. I have the fury 734 and its a broomstick so I assume yours is more so. Why put a 250$ reel on a $80 rod? You got that backwards bro. You want a 250$ rod with a $80 reel 

[J Francho]

That would be a good setup for pitch skipping a jig under docks.  Almost exactly what I use, plus you have DC.