skipping jigs Skipping Jig Question

[ATA]

I really really love to learn skipping jigs, I have few questions. (I am almost confident on type of jig and trailer and reel).

Can I learn that from the bank or float tube? Or I must be in a boat to learn skipping?

What is the best rod length and action and power?

What is best line and line test for the techniuque ?

[T-Billy]

Tips from a master at skipping.

[LrgmouthShad]

8 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Tips from a master at skipping.

Who is that and why is he not Gerald Swindle

[ATA]

13 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Tips from a master at skipping.

 

 

5 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Who is that and why is he not Gerald Swindle

I watched about 100 clips since I didn't go to my weekend overnight fishing, Ive seen this clip as well as Geralds Swindle's videos, What I like to know is your idea( I do very much trust Bassresource members/Family  ).

[LrgmouthShad]

4 minutes ago, ATA said:

What I like to know is your idea( I do very much trust Bassresource members/Family  ).

Hey, my instinct is to trust the people on here too ?. I just haven’t skipped jigs a whole lot so don’t have as much to contribute. Just being real with you

[Bird]

Some baits skip much better than others.

 

I can't skip Jigs on concrete but a wacky rig Senko and Zoom flukes will skip a mile. Lol

 

 

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Who is that and why is he not Gerald Swindle

I'm sure he's VERY thankful that he's NOT Gerald Swindle!!! 

53 minutes ago, ATA said:

I watched about 100 clips since I didn't go to my weekend overnight fishing, Ive seen this clip as well as Geralds Swindle's videos, What I like to know is your idea( I do very much trust Bassresource members/Family  ).

You can absolutely skip from the bank, and I would think it would be very easy from a tube, being so low to the water. I vote 6'6" - 7' MH XF rod. You want a nice soft tip with good backbone. Best line is cover dependent IMO. Mono works well and is cheap to replace while learning. Braid works well, doesn't fluff up as easy, and backlashes are easy to pick out and don't damage the line. I skip way more brush and low hanging trees than docks, so I roll with 40# 832. When I stick one way back in a tangle, braid gives me a better chance of winching it out.

[RDB]

2 hours ago, ATA said:

I really really love to learn skipping jigs, I have few questions. (I am almost confident on type of jig and trailer and reel).

Can I learn that from the bank or float tube? Or I must be in a boat to learn skipping?

What is the best rod length and action and power?

What is best line and line test for the techniuque ?

You can skip with any rod…it’s about the motion.  The best way to practice is in your driveway.  You will be able to tell when a skip on concrete would translate to the water.  If you are concerned about backlashes, peel off the appropriate amount of line, put some tape on the spool and start practicing.

 

Edit:

Line - doesn’t matter; length - shorter is easier when learning but eventually won’t matter though it helps some with accuracy; land, boat, kayak, etc - won’t matter once you learn the technique.

[Deephaven]

Your driveway is the best place to learn.  On the water the bank is next.  Somewhat pointless to skip from the bank, but being still helps you focus on technique which is completely necessary.  Bulky, flat profile trailer is your friend.  Weightless with a spinning rod first followed by a bit of weight and the BC.

Oh, and use mono.  Big game is perfect.  You WILL blow up your reel so make it cheap to repair.

[FryDog62]

I skipped jigs for years until I realized that I could catch more fish and klank less docks, boats, pontoons, etc. and spook less fish... with weightless plastics or plastics where the weight is buried inside the plastic like Nekos. I never skip jigs anymore, nothing wrong with it, but I’m now a 100% plastics guy... 

[casts_by_fly]

3 hours ago, RDB said:

You can skip with any rod…it’s about the motion.  The best way to practice is in your driveway.  You will be able to tell when a skip on concrete would translate to the water.  If you are concerned about backlashes, peel off the appropriate amount of line, put some tape on the spool and start practicing.

maybe you can but I can’t. I’ve been trying to get all of mine to skip and for me, it has to be a more moderate actioned rod. 
 

5 hours ago, ATA said:

I really really love to learn skipping jigs, I have few questions. (I am almost confident on type of jig and trailer and reel).

Can I learn that from the bank or float tube? Or I must be in a boat to learn skipping?

What is the best rod length and action and power?

What is best line and line test for the techniuque ?

I’ve been trying since the end of last season to learn to skip. A couple of the lakes here are solid boat docks the entire perimeter. Others have overhanging trees 10’ from the bank. It’s something that I think will materially improve my catch rate. I might get 1 of 20 to actually skip, and definitely not where I want. I have watched Andy Montgomery and everyone else do it and could never put it together. Then 2 weeks ago I watched the bass fishing hq video.  A couple things clicked for me and have made the difference. 
 

1-  it is all wrist. G-man’s video alluded to it but actually tucking my elbow into my ribs makes a big difference.

 

2-  2’ of line out of the tip to start and a full 360 roll cast.  Partly it is rod loading, partly it is the angle of approach of the lure

 

3- a more moderate actioned rod helped me a ton. Of all things, I have a 3/8-3/4 crankbait rod (crucial im10, mh, mf spec) that my dad gave me since he didn’t use it anymore. I tried it for crankbaits but can’t get on with it for that. After playing a bit though, it’s an amazing 1/2 oz chatterbait rod. Since I want to skip chatterbaits, I thought let’s try it. It loads up great with a roll and just feels ‘right’ for me.

 

4- certain lures skip better. The first thing I tried on the crucial was a 1.5 oz soft swim bait. After adjusting everything, the first cast was a great skip. The extra weight means the bait just keeps going in the direction you set. No appendages mean nothing to catch water and stop it. 
 

5- we have an in ground swimming pool so one afternoon I watched the video and went straight out. If you have a local lake or pond where you can stand on a dock or little jetty then you have a lot of freedom with the rod and swinging a bait around to learn skipping. I think I would struggle learning from a tube.

 

6- the bait really does matter. The big soft swim bait skipped like a champ 9/10. A chatterbait with a rage menace was close.  I couldn’t skip a jig and menace for my life. More weight is a good thing.

 

thanks

rick

[Fastbee]

One very important thing to remember is to practice with the same body position as you'll fish. Standing on a bucket skipping in your driveway (simulating fishing out of a boat) will not help you much if you are fishing from the bank or in a float tube. The rod angles will be different. The acquired muscle memory will be different. That's the main reason I always preach to learn on the water instead of poring over videos.  

[bulldog1935]

 

watch this gent's reverse spiral cast - you can practice this in your back yard or driveway. 

 

Adding a ps here, my best skipping combo is definitely a moderate action rod - S-glass blend, optimized for 1//2 oz, and will cast down to 1/8 oz   The reel brakes were set up on initial build and never need changing. 

[FishTank]

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

 

watch this gent's reverse spiral cast - you can practice this in your back yard or driveway. 

 

This is how I often do it or I side arm it low to the water. For some baits it work great but others not so much. 

 

For jigs, I like flat bottom heads like Sieberts G2 Mata or Dregde. Next would be the trailer and for that I like beaver style baits. My favorite this year has been Berkley's Max Scent Creature Hawg. Gear, this year it has been a NRX+ 904c and a Metanium MGL XG.  Line, I use 15lb Tatsu. Technique,  low and side arm has been my best.

 

The thing that helps me the most is to set my reel up for skipping and not for max casting, which means more braking and tightening the spool tension knob a little more.

[RDB]

17 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

maybe you can but I can’t. I’ve been trying to get all of mine to skip and for me, it has to be a more moderate actioned rod. 

It just depends on the weight you are skipping.  You can skip a weightless 4” Senko with a ML rod but it is pretty difficult with a HF.

[PhishLI]

18 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

I’ve been trying since the end of last season to learn to skip.

Beyond the finer details of gear, one of the most important things stressed by Swindle is keeping your eye on the target, and even more important, IMO, which was talked about in the Evers/Montgomery vid, is getting your entry point as close to the target as possible. Lure drop from the tip is situational as far as I'm concerned, and while there may be an ideal rod type, that won't matter much once skipping becomes second nature. By then you'll have downloaded what matters and make adjustments for the rod type automatically when you feel it loaded by the bait you're using.

[Fastbee]

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Beyond the finer details of gear, one of the most important things stressed by Swindle is keeping your eye on the target, and even more important, IMO, which was talked about in the Evers/Montgomery vid, is getting your entry point as close to the target as possible. Lure drop from the tip is situational as far as I'm concerned, and while there may be an ideal rod type, that won't matter much once skipping becomes second nature. By then you'll have downloaded what matters and make adjustments for the rod type automatically when you feel it loaded by the bait you're using.

100% agree with the above.  Getting that "feel" is critical and practice is the only way to get it. 

[Boomstick]

On 5/22/2022 at 5:16 PM, ATA said:

Can I learn that from the bank or float tube?

Yes you can! I would suggest using a shorter rod from the bank, float tube or kayak than a bass boat but that said I have learned to skip decently on my 7'5" jig rod sitting on my kayak so it can be done, it's just harder (I learned on a 6'10" rod though).

 

You also want to be throwing lures that cast ideally on your rod. For example you might be able to cast a weightless senko on your typical med. heavy fast rod but if you can skip that reliably and accurately I will build a statue of you in my backyard.

 

Finally, I can skip most arky head jigs but Strike King makes a jig designed for skipping with a slightly wider and flatter head which would be a good choice.

[PaulVE64]

I throw a 6 ft MLF from the bank and feel like i can hit anything.

I've used a StC Premier & Triumph and even a 6-6 LF on the river.

[Hammer 4]

Yes, you can skip from shore and from a float tube, which in my case was much easier. From either platform I used a 7' MH/F rod. In a tube it's a cakewalk being so close to the water. I've skipped swimjigs with a trailer, regular jigs, with and w/o a trailer, plus spinnerbaits. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy imho.

[Catt]

On 5/22/2022 at 5:15 PM, ATA said:

What I like to know is your idea( I do very much trust Bassresource members/Family  ).

 

Watch Andy Montgomery, Gerald Swindle, or Dean Rojas!

 

Dean is the only person I know who can make the lure curve when skipping.

 

 

[Tatulatard]

I skip a lot out of a boat and kayak.  There is a bit of an adjustment between the two. I can't roll cast like I can on the boat and get the rod to really sling baits on a skip when in the kayak but I am lower to the water and this opens up more targets sometimes.