Since Were stuck indoors we might as well get a good informative thread going.Just curious what everyone else uses for dock shooting?
Rod length,line lb test and color,jigs size and style of jig ect.

I use a 5ft rod,jig size- I prefer 1/16-1/32 for a slow fall with 6lb test mr.crappie high vis line.for jigs I like something bright in color for low light conditions under the docks with a curly tail for more swimming action.
Feel free to add to this.

I use a 5'6" ultra light 8lb high vise and hand ties... 1/8 oz mostly and spinners. I can use a thicker body if needed to control fall. Winter time I'll go to 1/32. Color...depends on a lota stuff, water clarity, over cast, darker jigs or bright sunny days, brighter jigs... Time of year also counts. Try ta fish the darkest water under the you can, is the best advice I can give....

I use Pro Angler's 4 1/2' Dock Shooter with a Shakespeare MicroSpin reel, 6# Suffix Siege Tangerine line and tie it to a 1/16oz ball head with a #6 sickle hook and usually a Mini Slab Bandit attached. I may upgrade to Pro Angler's 6 1/2' rod because I played around with a longer rod last year and seemed to get more distance with it. I am very comfortable with the short rig but the longer rod was very easy to use as well.

I'll let yall know that you need to pay attention to the reel seat on your rod before you purchase. The one in the first pic is a split grip. It really hurts your hand while shooting. Your palm constantly rubs against the threads and the edge of the cork. It will rub your hand raw.

Do NOT buy one like this for dock shooting.



Get one like this

Also, if I really need to get to the very back end of a dock that has very little space to shoot underneath , I use a 1/8 oz jig head. Let a little more line out than normal on the draw back and it will skip farther and lower. This is for pretty extreme circumstances when you have to sacrifice fall rate for distance/accuracy. Otherwise I use a 1/16oz.

If all you have is a split grip you can still use it comfortably with a Rod Wrap. Most stores sell them but I got mine at Academy. About $6 when I got mine quite a while ago.

I haven't shot many docks but i use a 6'6" ML rod. Generally 10 lb line. 1\16 jig head usually a roadrunner or ball head. May experiment with weightless.

Thanks for all the replys
I look for the darkest part of the dock "the heart" of the dock .especially on sunny days.
Here is the rod I use

It's a 5ft Shakespeare rod I bought a few years ago,with a cabelas reel.

Pepop, I'm gonna have to get one I guess because I really like the rod!

Best advice I have ever learned was from Guy Skinner.
Use a parabolic fishing rod (top one in the image below) vs a non-parabolic one (bottom one in the image below).

Fab in the example is it missing the second and third eye with the line ?

I use 5 foot rod with 6 pound test clear line and number 4 hook with 1/48 head. I like a slow fall to work the jig on docks trees are weed lines. I use the same on plastics.

Grenadaslabs,
The images do not have eyes at all.
The arrows are showing that the parabolic rod bends in an arc all the way through.
A non-parabolic rod has a stiff backbone and only the top most portion of the rod bends in an arc.
By the rod bending all the way through the arc you build up more potential energy and can shoot the jig further.

If anyone has a different train of thought here please let me know.
I am all about learning something new.
Thanks,
Fab

Will pass along something I have learned over the years, in choice of colors and what will work. The big thing is water color but next it has to do with the UV index or how bright the sun is. When the wind is like last few days the waves on the water makes the light like disco lights under the water. You can have days that the sun is not that bad but with wind and the crappie will tight on cover to hide from it. Most days same colors will work but may need a differ shade of your color.

I use the 5'6" Wally dockshooter and love it. I pair it with an Okuma lightweight reel spooled with 8# BoneHead mono. I only use Thump Buddies or Slab Bandits for shooting. Sometimes a Panfish Assassin. You need a jig that will skip far, especially now where most of the lakes are full. 1/16 jig heads with no collar work great. My favorite jig colors are White Hot Thump Buddies and CC Slab Slayer Slab Bandits.