walking the dog

[wheezo]

what type of movement is walking the dog?  is it considered a zig zag, left right left right?

[Raul]

It 's more than a zig zag or than simple right to left; it 's the dart, splash and glide from one side to the other motion of the lure, some baits perform a better action than others, it 's difficult to make a good walk the dog with the original bait it was designed to do it ( the zara spook ), it took a lot of effort and practice to make the bait walk the dog properly, fortunately there are baits that make it so easy that I wish they were available back then over two decades ago when I began bass fishing.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Hey Raul Did then even have fishing rods way back when you started fishing

[YankeesWin]

Hey Raul Did then even have fishing rods way back when you started fishing

Once again Muddy's crackin' me up ;D

Raul is right. It does move side to side as if it is darting around. Almost like no one really knows which way it may go next.

I have found it easier to do when wading. I think being closer to the water helps the action. That's why the guys in the boats will be dropping the rod tip when the do it. Keep "just enough" slack in the line to Jerk the little bait from side to side. I will warn you that it takes a lot of practice and not all baits, lines etc. work the same. Just keep trying you'll get the "feel" sooner than you may think. It's a finesse thing.

[roadwarrior]

Or buy a Sammy, which is a lure that makes "walking the dog" real easy. Don't get me wrong, Zara Spooks are one of my favorite lures and I can walk the dog without even thinking about it, but it is not necessarily an easy lure to master for a new fisherman from day one.

[Raul]

Hey Raul Did then even have fishing rods way back when you started fishing

You can 't carry a fishing rod around when you have to dodge T-rexes and velocirapotors in order to get to the lake. Back then this is what we caught:

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Hey Raul  ;D ;D ;D

I use Lews Pencil walkers and Cabelas Walkin baits but I gotta say nothing works as good for me as a spittin Image I know its not a true WTD bait but I get that glide with it and it can be deadly

[tipptruck1]

I use the spooks. I had no problem walking them after I saw Bill Dance walking them. But If my friend That has never seen one can walk one in five minnutes. Iam sure you can walk one.

[Bassassasin12]

Walking the dog is my favorite way to fish topwaters, and most of the topwaters in my box are WTD baits. I love the action and the bass can't resist it. It is mostly in the wrist motion. Keep your rod tip down and give a couple twitches and with a good lure that runs true out of the box you should get some nice blowups. My favorite walk the dog baits are the Lucky Craft Live Sammy and the Rapala Skitter Walk in bluegill pattern.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

For me it's more of a dash right, pause & turn, then dash left, repeat. I vary between short dashes and long dashes. If I had to use wrist action I couldn't do it long enough to bother. I hold the rod wherever it balances best with rod butt against inside of forearm, swinging sideways a little using forearm motion with locked wrist. I do it just keeping some slack in the line, almost straightening the line, slacking it again, sweeping again. The dashes don't have to be equal side to side. If wanting a Spook to veer under a log or edge of a dock where otherwise no bait could go, bend the line eye a little to make it "lean" into the target. When the Spook bite is on I run two rods for when fishing docks, each tuned to veer right or left.

Jim

[George Welcome]

The "spook" has been around since "39". To read the instructions and to then understand and walk the bait can take an awful long time. Most will not understand what slack line jerking means. To have it demonstrated and explained on a one-to-one basis will have you walking the bait in minutes.

[spotaholic]

I found that using braid also helps with walk the dog type baits. Less stretch on long casts. I usally loosen the drag a little so I don't rip hooks out and I use a G Loomis Crankbait rod that acts like a shock and helps in the catching of fish when using a treble hook.IMO

[jomatty]

WTD baits are so much fun imo.  something about the cadence of the lure and the sound of the line snapping and the timing involved in making it walk properly and setting the hook.  i realized that i unknowingly count in my head while im doing it lol.  i was counting into the 50's on every cast every time i walked the baits.  i try to visualize walking the bait in place more often than not. the slow speed seems to drive them crazy although sometimes they do want it fast.

[senile1]

The "spook" has been around since "39". To read the instructions and to then understand and walk the bait can take an awful long time. Most will not understand what slack line jerking means. To have it demonstrated and explained on a one-to-one basis will have you walking the bait in minutes.

Very True, George.  After seeing it done, I've seen new spook fisherman walking the dog proficiently within 15 minutes.  But if they read about it and then try it, no way.  

[wheezo]

I have never seen walking the dog... nor have I read directions.  

I tried several things with the spook as I've heard "walking the dog"

I didn't know what that meant... when I walk my dog, I just walk with it  or sometimes it walks me.  Although when I tried different retrieves, jerks, reeling speed... I found it cool with some slack line and a quick jerk I could make it go left and right.  It seemed weird to be fishing like that, but it was an interesting concept.  Although I have never fished it long enough to catch any fish with it because I didn't know what I was doing.

Thanks guys for the feedback.  =)  I think I know what it is now but it would be great if someone had a clip to watch. =)