Advice for learning to skip baits

[the reel ess]

Baits I can skip with a baitcaster:

A jig and craw, preferably a "bug" style like Rage Bug. You need a little weight to keep that spool moving. I find 3/8 oz with a Rage Bug to be about the best combination. I do still regularly get overruns. This is usually when the bass will bite. LOL

 

A T-rigged weightless Senko type bait. I will say that, to me, the Senko is better fished on spinning if you intend to skip it under docks. It takes a little weight to keep the BC spool moving. Just make it a stout spinning outfit. What I mean to say is don't use your lighter spinning finesse combo for skipping under docks and into heavy cover. I use a stout 7' MH with 20# braid and a 15" mono leader if the water is somewhat clear.

 

 

[Deephaven]

10 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

I skip with a baitcaster.  I started with a jig, a half ounce with a flat bottom.  I found a flat beaver style trailer helps.  I set the cast control knob loose and the brakes on full to start.  Twenty pound floro was my line of choice but mono while learning flows off the spool a little easier.  

Yes and use cheap mono for learning so you don't feel bad respooling when you mess up.  Perfect use for Big Game

 

[Brett's_daddy]

 

[JustJames]

Learn it on water to get a good result, don’t worry about target or skip under thing, just skip on open water to get a feel and lure movement. Use 10-12lb mono strip off about 10 yds and tape the spool to prevent bad backlash. If you have heavy 3/8oz floating plastics like Zman, use that, otherwise 3/8 jig with flat body trailer or Fatika is a good lure to learn.

Once you mastered the movement, now you can start skip under thing on land or water. 

[Indiana Bass Angler]

12 hours ago, Kyle S said:

Not an expert skipper by any means, however I did want to chime in...

On a recent thread someone mentioned casting out about a casts worth of line and then putting some tape on the spool to minimize potential backlashes while learning to skip baits.

Something to consider.

Also, One of the things that i've noticed during my successful skips is that less effort is typically better, and finishing with the rod tip sweeping up at the end of the skip cast is almost critical for my success.

Good luck!

Thank you!

8 hours ago, gimruis said:

This was the biggest bass I caught skipping last season.  Felt like an anchor when I hooked it.  You can actually see the dock I caught it under in the background too.  Chartreuse senko with black flake was my go-to color last season in that stained water.

Thats awesome! Thats the kind of stuff im trying to get underneath but at the moment I can only get close and most of the time close isn't where the fish are lol. 

5 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

Learn it on water to get a good result, don’t worry about target or skip under thing, just skip on open water to get a feel and lure movement. Use 10-12lb mono strip off about 10 yds and tape the spool to prevent bad backlash. If you have heavy 3/8oz floating plastics like Zman, use that, otherwise 3/8 jig with flat body trailer or Fatika is a good lure to learn.

Once you mastered the movement, now you can start skip under thing on land or water. 

Thanks for the tips!

8 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Baits I can skip with a baitcaster:

A jig and craw, preferably a "bug" style like Rage Bug. You need a little weight to keep that spool moving. I find 3/8 oz with a Rage Bug to be about the best combination. I do still regularly get overruns. This is usually when the bass will bite. LOL

 

A T-rigged weightless Senko type bait. I will say that, to me, the Senko is better fished on spinning if you intend to skip it under docks. It takes a little weight to keep the BC spool moving. Just make it a stout spinning outfit. What I mean to say is don't use your lighter spinning finesse combo for skipping under docks and into heavy cover. I use a stout 7' MH with 20# braid and a 15" mono leader if the water is somewhat clear.

 

 

Great info! Thank you!

[schplurg]

I haven't seen this mentioned enough times so I will repeat it:

 

Raise rod tip up high! With the baitcaster, that action of raising the tip up high as your bait skips will keep the spool from overrunning as the bait slows down on the water. That with some thumb action - even a baitcasting novice like me can do it.

 

Problem is sometimes I space out and forget to do one or both of these  Practice with a spinning setup.

[MGF]

 First be discerning. If you the watch the youtubers close you'll see that most of them aren't really very good at it...though they manage to get a few good casts on camera.

 

I notice that I see very few other anglers on the water actually doing much skipping. That may not stop them from trying to teach you how to do it on the internet. LOL

 

I won't claim to be any good at it but I do an awful lot of it...on the water, in the gravel drive, the lawn and even across the snow. I use a real jig for a practice weight on BC and a soft stick bait or the like on spinning. 

 

There's more than one way to do it and it's good to be able to use various methods. I stand with my feet below the surface of the water in my flat bottom boat, I sit in the canoe and I may be standing chest deep when I wade. If I couldn't cast effectively backhand (especially skipping) I wouldn't get much fishing done.

 

We usually choose between spinning and bait caster based on the bait and conditions so it really helps to be able to use both. On my last trip out I was catching bass under docks and I was switching off between a swim jig and bladed jig on BC and weightless plastics on spinning...sort of a one-two kind of thing.

 

In the shallow-ish water where we're usually skipping mono can work just fine  but I also skip braid on a BC. My casting method does NOT determine my line choice. 

[RDB]

Lot’s of great advice.  To highlight a few that I think are most important when starting out:

1.  Practice in the driveway.  The smoother the better as the key is perfecting the motion.

2.  Make sure your follow through finishes with your tip high.

3.  Reels that have the ability to fine tune are easiest.  I keep my spool tension loose and only adjust the brakes.  If you keep spool tension too tight, start up inertia makes the bait want to swing up on release v. remain flat.

Skipping a lure is not like skipping a rock.  Though you are doing it from the side, when you roll your wrist under and finish high, it’s like making an underhanded toss from a sidearm position.

[Indiana Bass Angler]

12 hours ago, MGF said:

 First be discerning. If you the watch the youtubers close you'll see that most of them aren't really very good at it...though they manage to get a few good casts on camera.

 

I notice that I see very few other anglers on the water actually doing much skipping. That may not stop them from trying to teach you how to do it on the internet. LOL

 

I won't claim to be any good at it but I do an awful lot of it...on the water, in the gravel drive, the lawn and even across the snow. I use a real jig for a practice weight on BC and a soft stick bait or the like on spinning. 

 

There's more than one way to do it and it's good to be able to use various methods. I stand with my feet below the surface of the water in my flat bottom boat, I sit in the canoe and I may be standing chest deep when I wade. If I couldn't cast effectively backhand (especially skipping) I wouldn't get much fishing done.

 

We usually choose between spinning and bait caster based on the bait and conditions so it really helps to be able to use both. On my last trip out I was catching bass under docks and I was switching off between a swim jig and bladed jig on BC and weightless plastics on spinning...sort of a one-two kind of thing.

 

In the shallow-ish water where we're usually skipping mono can work just fine  but I also skip braid on a BC. My casting method does NOT determine my line choice. 

Awesome thank you for all the info!

7 hours ago, RDB said:

Lot’s of great advice.  To highlight a few that I think are most important when starting out:

1.  Practice in the driveway.  The smoother the better as the key is perfecting the motion.

2.  Make sure your follow through finishes with your tip high.

3.  Reels that have the ability to fine tune are easiest.  I keep my spool tension loose and only adjust the brakes.  If you keep spool tension too tight, start up inertia makes the bait want to swing up on release v. remain flat.

Skipping a lure is not like skipping a rock.  Though you are doing it from the side, when you roll your wrist under and finish high, it’s like making an underhanded toss from a sidearm position.

Thank you!