Went out Sunday morning determined to catch a crappie shooting docks. I hear that's the best way to catch them on Eagle Mountain. I went through about 10 docks and then bam finally got a nice one. Boy was I whipped after working that trolling motor all day getting different angles to shoot and dealing with the wind but it was a lot of fun. I think I need to move to a hi-vis line to help detect a bite.

Dock shooter pros - Is the saying true? If you catch one there's more under there? How many times would you shoot a dock before moving on?

Congrats. Put a Xi5 and it is a lot easier to do instead of messing with the TM. It does tire my back but I do love to fish that way.

Thanks! Yeah that's definitely my xmas present to myself this year! Does it hold you pretty good? I read it keeps you in a 10 foot circle basically. I got my work out in yesterday that's for sure.

I think you'll find that most people will recommend hi-viz line because watching your line jump a little teeeny bit is the only way to know you been bit 9o% of the time. I like vicious hi viz panfish line but everyone has their own favorite. Yes it is fun. About the most fun way to catch crappie I've ever learned. It does get way on easier the more you do it.

I'm no expert. I moved out here from Missouri and Lake of the Ozarks was my home lake. Dock shooting was where you found the slabs. If you have never been to Ozarks, there is a dock every ten feet so you have plenty to choose from. I have generally found that every time I would shoot the docks, if I caught one, there were many more to follow. It would work best putting the jig as far back under the dock as I could but not let it hit bottom because there is usually brush planted by the dock owner. Once I would catch one I would spot lock near the dock and then vertical jig on the corners and edge of the dock and crush them. Shooting was a good way to find a bed but be ready to lose some jigs on snags. If you have a side imaging sonar you should be golden, just go till you see brush under the dock.

Jon - Thanks for the recommendation. Will be putting together a few dock shooting rod and reels to keep in the boat with hi-vis line.

CaptianBarkley - its funny but when I looked for dock shooting videos on youtube just about everyone of them was up there on the lake of Ozarks. MY home lake is Eagle Mountain and there is very little structure left in it due to its age ect so shooting docks is supposedly the way to go minus creating my own brush piles or driving to the Lew/Benbrook. Thanks for the advise on the corners. I can slay the catfish out there but trying to learn the crappie as well.

I use the xi5 and it is amazing. Holds within 5 ft and auto adjusts for wind speed and current. Also LOVE the remote. I can look at my Helix 10 SI on console and cast to white/hybrid roaming schools while changing direction. Anchor lock on schools that are slow moving.

I went out to lake weatherford this weekend to try dock shooting, i agree it's a pain to keep the boat in the right position. Didn't have any luck. Will try eagle mountain this weekend as i live 10 minutes away. Lol.

I prefer fishing brush piles over dock slips, but I do have a couple of slips that usually payoff during certain times of the year!



Side Note: Nice fish!

welcome to the forum!

I started this summer and got it down really good. Have good accuracy and range. Have to use high vis unless very calm. Definitely kills my back for a couple days. Now I just gotta learn to find them when water temps change. Yes i only shoot maybe 3 "quality" attempts and move on if nothing. Looking for the mother load.

Most all the docks I have seen out west here are floating docks, made with huge Styrofoam blocks, or black plastic huge blocks, which may have Styrofoam in them, not sure. Anyway I have not seen a way to shoot those docks.

There's normally a little gap in between the blocks maybe 3 inches or so wide to shoot in. At least on the floating ones I've seen.

Yep, Hi-vis line and a 1/16 oz jig and you are set up for dock shooting. 4-6 pound is just fine. I shoot 4 pound just so that I can get the jig farther back with less effort.

Normally, if you catch one, there will be more there. I'll shoot a dock 4-5 times at 4-5 different angles. No bite = move to the next one

I recommend jig heads with brush guards. You can trim the guard just above the hook point. It may save you getting hung up as much, and I have not noticed it affecting the hook up ratio except on small fish.