Spinning Set up for skipping

[bamabass87]

I recently purchased a a 6'6" medium heavy spinning rod i want to use for skipping weightless flukes and senkos under docks and cover. What type and wieght line would you guys recommend and also what would be a good reel to use for this with a price limit of around $50 or $60 seeing as im a poor college student?

[Chris at Tech]

I'll certainly defer to any of the skipping experts on here...

But I'd think this is where you'd want braid with a floro or mono leader.  6/20 braid with perhaps a 15lb leader depending on how thick the docks and cover are.

[Wayne P.]

I do just that using 30# braid with or without a 20# fluorocarbon leader. Any spinning reel with work.  

[strick9]

I too use 20 or 30lb braid on my spinning reel to skip with. I no longer use any leader because after experimenting with and without for a couple years I saw no advantage using the leader.

As far as the reel goes, any of the major brand reels in the price range you can afford will work well.

[Use ONLY Stren]

I would use 20# Sonic braid for skipping, and I would recommend the Pflueger Trion, or the Pflueger President.

[cidgrad96]

I would go braid as well.

For a feeding period reaction bite on a moving bait (skipping is moving) can the bass see the line - sure, does it know what it is and have a power of reasoning - no.

If it is hungry will braid stop a stop a feeding strike - probably not.

How many times does a bass hit a skipped bait on the fall? Often. They don't have time to analyze the line.

[bamabass87]

Thanx for the feedback guys. i think I'm gonna go with 20 lb braid and see how i like it.

[ww2farmer]

Skipping docks is a big part of my fishing, and after years of trial and error I found what works best for me, your results/opinion may differ.

For me skipping is done best with a spinning reel, sure you can use a casting reel, but I have never liked it, seem like every few succsessful skips with a casting rod there is also a disaster that requires too much time spent picking out. The bigger the spool on the spinng reel the better, lets the line fly off so much smoother, I like Pflueger xx35 size reels, there spools are just right IMHO with out the reel beeing to huge. I also like a short rod, 6' is my favorite. Finding the right rod is the key, you want some thing powerfull enough to get a good sized fish out of there, dock post, and other junk are not fun places to get a fish wrapped up in. But you also want a rod with enough tip to act like a sling shot, a super stiff tip really cuts down on how far yuo can skip, and I find staying back off the dock a little bit is better for both accuracy annd not tipping the fish thatyour there. The rod I chose was a St Croix Avid 6' Med. Power, fast action, had just what I wanted as far as power (Croix's are a bit more power full in there ratings than most) and has the tip action I wanted too.

For line I use 8lb trilene 100% fluro in clear water, holds up to beeing rubbed and scuffed on dock posts very well, I have been able to hook and move a lot of 4 and 5 lb fish out from and away from docks with this line no problem. When the water is murky of weed choked around the docks I go with 20 lb braid, skips like a dream, but check it often as dock posts and braid don't last long, but check it often and retie after EVERY good fish and you'll be fine. I choose braid in this situation because often when the water is murky, you can find much bigger fish under docks, and I wan them away from there right now.