Fishing docks

[5bass]

What is your bait of choice when fishing docks?Anything different you do around docks to get the bite?I know there are certain conditions that dictate choosing baits but just in general,what's your best dock bait?

[BucketmouthAngler13]

spinnerbait under the dock. (great for summer)

[Siebert Outdoors]

#1  senko

#2 jig

[OSU_Fisherman]

I'm going to go with the Senko

[CJ]

I like skipping jigs up under a dock.But I also like traps and spinners.Another neat little trick that will almost always draw a strike is with a deep diving Flat-A.This takes practice and works best on shallow docks.Take 2 Flat A's slightly bend the eyelet on the line tie(one to the right and one left),this is so you can fish both sides of the dock.This will cause the crank to run on its side and under the dock.Once it is under there it will go down,hit the bottom then up and hit the bottom of the dock.Just a little trick I was shown by a pro.It can drive them wild!

[jomatty]

my number one producer is a wacky senko.  number two is a spot remover or shaky head.  i like fishing jigs around docks but i have had more success with the first two. the best info ive gotten on fishing docks was from...oh yeah you (5bass), so that prob wont be of much help to you .  for others benefit one of the best tips you gave me was concentrating on where you were getting bit and if it is consistently on the bottom switching to a spot remover rather than a senko.  

docks are one of my favorite places to fish although this year at smith mountain wasnt especially kind to me at the docks.

good thread,

matt

[Matt Fly]

I like skipping tubes under tight docks.     Work edges from distance with cranks, spinners, and work jigs on the rest.

Matt.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I am with Matt Fly...there are not many docks on the lakes we have around here, but when I do find one, i like to used tubes.

[sirmo]

#1 Weightless trickworm

#2 Senco

Thinking about putting tubes in the lineup as well.

[JiggaMan512]

spinnerbait under the dock. (great for summer)

I believe this to be so true that it is about the only time ill use a spinnerbait. If the S-bait isnt working the docks very well, ill throw a finnesse jib w/ trailer in a dark natural color, usually a 1/2 oz

[BassnJoe]

#1 Spinnerbait

#2 Crankbait

What can I say?... I'm a power fisherman!  

[Siebert Outdoors]

FBL,  the docks you are fishing, do they have cables that go through the water.  Most of the docks I fish do.  Throwing a quick moving bait,  spinnerbait, crank would never work unless its on the outside of the dock.  

Most of my fish come from flippin farther under the dock at better ambush points.  

This is the reason I said jig/senko.  Not only because its 2 of the best lures but the fish just cant pass them up when you skip them onto the door mat.

[MadGator]

I like t-rigged or w-rigged weightless Yum Dingers for shallow docks and either 1/4oz weighted tube or fat IKA for deeper docks.

[fishingJ]

I usually jig a worm in that circumstance.

[BadKarma42]

Skip a Senko-style bait underneath it from the sides and in front.

[kbkindle]

kbkindle here    skip a tube or a jig  as far under dock as you can  a lot of docks that are juts 6-8" above water are real good most guys cant skip a lure that close to water'' ihave found out if the lake has a lot of traffic  fish will seem to come to the outer post on a dock  rather than be bounced againest the bank or rocks   here blk-blue jig  watermelon tube  tail dyed chart.   kb

[Craw]

The pig-n-jig is my first choice around docks. I like to pitch to all the sweet spots first and lift and drop across the bottom(standard jig fishing). I then will swim the jig through different depths around all the edges.

If I have some wind or if fry are visibly present around the docks then I always use a dbl. willow spinnerbait first. Gentle twitches of the rod tip while retrieving will "click" the blades together. One of my best days on Smith Mountain Lake this year was doing this around all the docks in Gills Creek where fry were present.

[bassnleo]

I use just about everything already mentioned. Tube are my favorite. I rig them with a internal weight that I hand pour and a Eagle Claw HP hook.

A  bait quickly becoming my second favorite is a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw, rigged on wide gap hook that has weight on the bend (for the life of me I can't think of the name of the hook), 1/16 oz. It falls really nice and slow and it can be kind of buzzed on the surface under the dock, I've had that style of retrieve trigger many bites if fish aren't biting it on the fall.

One other dock trick I've learned, if the bite is a little slow, try just letting the bait sit there for 15 or more seconds, then hop it up. Seems to aggravate the bass when something takes up residence in their home and once it moves they nail it.

[Bassassasin12]

surprised no one mentioned my dock rig, a fat ika!!! They nail that thing the second you skip it under the dock, the farther in the better like always.

[5bass]

If the fish are hitting topwaters,I like to half-step a Spook until it gets a foot or more under the dock.Then I'll let it sit for a bit,then work it back out.And I always try to walk the Spook so it bumps into every dock post.And each time it bumps the dock,I pause it for 5 seconds.

I also use a Zara Puppy sometimes for that but the Puppy is harder to half-step than its big brother.

[cart7t]

Here's a trick the guys use at Lake of the Ozarks when the bass are suspending under the floats in the middle of the docks and nearly impossible to get at.  Stay about 5 - 10 yards off one end of the dock and cast down that side towards shore.  Heavier spinnerbaits work great for this.  Now stick your rod in the water and have the spool release on.  begin moving the towards the other end of the dock allowing the line to free spool out, you don't want the lure to move just yet. When you get there, begin your retrieve.  You'll now be bringing that bait from one end ot the dock to the other up underneath.  You're not only retrieving your bait in a manner the fish aren't used to seeing but you're reaching fish that aren't reachable using any other bait presentation.  White jigs with a split tail trailer work good for this as well, you swim them back.

Note, this works as long as there is no outside edge dock anchoring system.  

[Valascus]

I attack docks like I attack eveything else. I try to consider the conditions and aggression levels of the fish then will use whatever lure I think makes the most sense. Most of the time I will end up going with something that can somehow get under the docks without spooking the crap outta the fish.

Cart, that is a good way to get bit. I think I would like using shallow diving cranks in that situation too. They would have to dive pretty fast in order to get under the dock though. DT-4s and 6s ,depending on how fast the water deepens next to the shoreline, would probably work great in that situation as well. And like fivebasslimit said...on the way out you could bump it into a dock post and just kill the crank for a sec. Sounds good to me!

[jomatty]

i like a fat ika for docks as well.  that was something new to me this year and i didnt think of it when i made my first post.  when the bite is really tough ill go to a series 150 yam. grub on an 1/8 jighead (whatever weight i can get away with anyhow).  one trick with this bait is to take the tail and rough it up a lot.  use your finger nails and fingers to rub it until it takes on a whiteish appearance.  this bait is a great baitfish immitator and my number one swimmng jig trailer.  i swim these around and under docks, as well as fish them like ajig on the bottom.  this seems to get bit when nothing else will.  it certainly isnt a big fish bait but it, like anything, will catch some decent bass as well.

one other question, is what is your most productive spot on docks.  i like to skip docks and it seems that a lot of people like to fish under the docks the best.  by far the most productive area for me is the outside posts though.  not saying i dont catch fish underneath or anywhere else, but i catch more off the two deepest posts on the outside of the end of the dock than anywhere else.

how about you guys,

matt

[dink]

What Cart7 described is something I read about a couple of years ago in an article by Woo Daves.  It  is a pretty neat trick that can work with a number of baits.  I have actually done this with a buzzbait and fished it out of sight but not out of earshot.  A superfluke is another good dock bait in cooler water when shad are lethargic or dying.