Dock Skipping Weightless Senkos

[suzuki2903]

Practice practice practice.... spinning setup is definitely the easiest. I found a less whippy rod to be easier to skip senkos on.    Now bait caster setup I use a Lews black tp1 7ft senko rod and a daiwa sv tw reel with 30lb braid and have no issues skipping.  All from the bank too! 

[gim]

2 hours ago, MGF said:

I guess a lot of things are easier with a bass boat but for the millions of us who have to get by without, LOL...point the bow or the stern at the target and cast down the side of the boat.

 

It's not too hard casting across the bow. As the "driver" in the back I manage when casting over the gas and electric motors. It's not ideal but how many things in life are?

Bird brought up that standing while skipping was easier so I simply added on to that. I didn’t mean that anglers without a bass boat are inferior or unable to dock skip; I simply stated that another tool like a bass boat helps. Sometimes you have to use what you have and just make do.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

Bird brought up that standing while skipping was easier so I simply added on to that. I didn’t mean that anglers without a bass boat are inferior or unable to dock skip; I simply stated that another tool like a bass boat helps. Sometimes you have to use what you have and just make do.

One of the main reasons I put the outriggers on the canoe. I can stand to not only flip/pitch, but to skip-cast as well. Low gunwale height gives me near the same advantage as a bass boat in that respect.

 

If your Yak is standable-steady, you got those same advantages.

[NJBasstard]

I typically use whatever rod I have in hand at the time, but a favorite of mine for texas rigged senkos is an old Kistler Magnesium TS "All Purpose Special". It's a 6'9" casting rod rated 1/8 to 5/8. The action and short handle is perfect for me wether I'm sitting or standing on the kayak or bank.. It's paired to a Curado 50E with 7:1 gears which is currently spooled with 30lb braid to a 12lb flouro leader.

 

I use spinning for exposed hook plastics like a wacky rigged 4" senko. 

 

I'm comfortable using either but my ideal length is 6'9" to 7' for both. Any longer and I feel like I'm working harder and I'm not as accurate. 

[Fishes in trees]

For skipping baits under overhanging branches & under docks, spinning gear works better for me.  Much more often than not, but bait will be a senko.  Used to go weightless, but over the past few years I've found that for me a Falcon weedless "K"wacky hook, 1/16 oz attached to the senko with an o-ring,  skips better for me, drops a little faster, and I think that the faster drop gets me a few more fish each year, compared to the weightless drop.

 

Anyway the gear I've used to accomplish this has changed ever so often.   Currently, I'm using a 7' medium/ medium heavy, extra fast tip, close out Field & Stream rod that I got at Dicks for $15.  It was the last Dick's close out ever in my neighborhood because Dicks got out of the fishing tackle business.

 

Anyway, liked the rod, hated the handle, it was too long - so I cut 6' off the bottom of the rod, found a chair leg tip that would fit snug to the rod and then dipped the butt of the rod into plastic-dip, the same stuff that you use to coat the handles of your pliers.

 

Long story short - it works great now.  (Oh, yeah - for reel & line I use a 1000  size Shimano spinning reel & 20 lb braid) 

[MGF]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Bird brought up that standing while skipping was easier so I simply added on to that. I didn’t mean that anglers without a bass boat are inferior or unable to dock skip; I simply stated that another tool like a bass boat helps. Sometimes you have to use what you have and just make do.

I understand and agree.

[MGF]

I think the most important aspect of skipping is the casting technique itself. I've spent an awful lot of time on it but I don't think I'd know how to describe well enough to do anybody any good.

 

There's a ton of videos. I think I've seen all of them but I don't think any of them really make it easy to see what's going on. If you pay close attention you'll also see that a lot of the folks making videos really aren't all that good at skipping.

 

I know there's more than one way to do it but I hear and read a lot of descriptions that I don't agree with.

 

I guess I bring this up because while quality equipment and certain boats can certainly make things  easier practice and finding a technique that really works for you will get you 90% of the way there.

[gim]

8 minutes ago, MGF said:

I guess I bring this up because while quality equipment and certain boats can certainly make things  easier practice and finding a technique that really works for you will get you 90% of the way there.

This is how I feel too. I’m 90% of the way there with my current setup. To get 100% of they way there, I’d ideally upgrade to a dedicated BC combo specifically designed for dock skipping.

[OCdockskipper]

On 3/6/2021 at 9:29 AM, throttleplate said:

... when you are skipping docks and the residents are outside and can see you and you them do you bypass their dock or ?

 

More often than not, I will still skip under their dock.  However, I make sure to acknowledge them, say something nice about their property (a Zona tip) and make sure it is a cast that I am 100% sure will go where I am aiming.  Non fisherman and newbie fishermen alike are astounded when they see you make a slick cast that skips under their dock.

 

If it is a tricky cast with a decent percentage of failure on the first try, I will bypass with them there.  If they are working on their boat or dock, I will also typically bypass (although still acknowledge them with a smile, buff down & sunglasses off so they can see your happy face).

 

Most people want to see you catch a fish, it is kind of exciting for them (especially if they don't fish).  They love to see a fish caught near or under then dock & then released to go right back there so they can catch it in the future.  Yesterday, I had a couple with a young son (who was interested in learning how to fish) literally cheer me on when I hooked up and landed a bass 20 yards from their dock.  I went over & showed the boy the bass and gave him some tips on catching some of the big catfish in the lake.  It is the right thing to do and the side result is those same people will actually encourage you to fish around their property to find out what is currently living there.

[Dirtyeggroll]

I find it very satisfying and relatively easy to skip a weightless Texas rigged senko on about any gear.

[TOXIC]

When skipping docks there’s a couple of things I take into consideration.  First is water condition.  If it is calm or rough.  All my skipping is done on spinning and a sidearm cast.  With calm water, I will make the Senko contact the water much closer to the boat and I will throw it harder.  By far the deepest I can skip.  If the water was rough and I did that the Senko would launch off a wave and probably end up on the dock or hitting the front board.  So in rougher water I cast so that the Senko makes contact with the water closer to the dock.  The second factor is the size of the opening under the dock I am trying to skip.  If it is 2 inches or less, I want the long skip I mentioned above and hopefully the wave action is minimal.  If it’s rough I will just pitch to the posts and where the motor makes a trench in the bottom.  I will also skip under the boat lift.  

[Quarry Man]

use a screw lock hook and the bait won't slide off the hook as much, making it easier to skip. also, flukes work great along with tubes and flat trailers on a flipping jig

[TOXIC]

6 minutes ago, Quarry Man said:

use a screw lock hook and the bait won't slide off the hook as much, making it easier to skip. also, flukes work great along with tubes and flat trailers on a flipping jig

If you don’t want to add weight, gamakatsu makes an ewg hook specifically for skipping called a Skipjack.  It has an extra bend at the tie end to hold the bait.  

[Quarry Man]

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gamakatsu_Superline_Spring_Lock_Hook/descpage-GSSLH.html

 

6'+ m/mh spinning rod with a 3000 size reel, 20 lb braid and 10-12 lb abrazx leader 

[928JLH]

Casting gear for my weightless Senko skipping.  7'3" medium fast action rod (6'5 height). Reel Daiwa SS SV 103 with 10lb flourocarbon. With Daiwa's SV spool reels skipping weightless senkos is super easy. No spinning gear needed. 

[masterbaiter9117]

7'1 mh spinning rod

20lb braid

wackyrigged yum dinger

 

gets em out quick so they dont go for a pylon