Looking for tips on skipping. I've always wanted to, but was afraid of the backlash. What's the best way to set it up?

Turn those cintrifigul breaks on and pop right on top of the water in front of where you want to skip it under. And also, I'd want a pretty bulky soft plastic trailer to facilitate the skipping.

Go with heavy line like 20lb fluoro (less backlash) and a bait with a high surface area and some weight to it (senkos work well for me). And dont fear the backlash, because it WILL happen some of the time, and it can be helpful, sometimes you will pick up more fish letting the bait fall while stripping line off your reel. Dont get too close to the dock so you can have a good low angle, and aim for the bait to hit just in front of the dock. And use a shorter and more limber rod than you would for flippin and pitchin, like a 6-6 mh.

If that doesnt work for you, consider taking a sissy stick just for that presentation if you dont mind being called a few names lol

i skip flukes under docks quite a bit and i have a reel set up for it. i use a 6'6 MH spinning rod and 10lb braided power pro with a leader if needed. and like theyre saying, aim for the edge of what you're trying to skip under. and with a spincast i put some heat on it since im not worried about backlash...you can skip that fluke way to the back of just about any dock

I use a bait with a lot of surface area with minimal drag ie: something like a LFT flipper. I let out about a foot of line and in one smooth motion I spin the bait backwards and let it go when it gets parallel to what I'm skipping under. I'm right handed so basically I spin the bait clockwise so I'm pitching it underhand.

I'm similar to texas1 above. I skip using 12 lb. copolymer on a wide spool spinning reel with a 6'6" medium rod. Usually can get several feet of skip with a low, level, fast cast. Works really well on small hollow frogs, sweet-beaver type baits, senkos, flukes, etc.

This is something I really need to work on! Good post.

6'6" MH Fairy wand with 12lb seguar, 1/8oz offset jig head for a 3" Tube bait, it skips better than a flat rock

All I can say is practice practice practice...Practice at a local pond or river or if your lucky a pool. They usually have less chop. Stand on a milk crate or something like wise to mimic the front of the boat and log on hours upon hours. You'll gradually start to get the hang of it and have more confidence on the lake.

Well from an old Tn river boy that has skipped evry undercut bank and every boat dock in 100 miles Ii will tell you this. It all depends on what you are skipping. I often skip alot of jigs from 3/8 to 1/2 oz. When skipping jigs of course i use a casting rod. When skipping jigs and heavier soft plastics it is more of your technique than it is the rod.

When I skip I use a windmill type cast. Meaning i let out about enough line to where the bait I am skipping is just about 6 inches above my reel. I then take my rod which I personally like a 7ft parabolic bend mh action and windmill the bait. In order to do that you have to make a huge roll cast which brings the bait in a clock wise position from below you out front of you then over your head and then when you release the bait it should be about 3 to 4 inches off the water just in front of you and if did properly it should skip all the way to your desired target.

The whole key to skipping is keeping your bait as low as possible to the water upon release and maintain the most speed as you possiblly can to make your bait skip as far as it can.

If you are trying to skip to an object that is 15 to 20 ft up under somthing you can't see you should make contact with the water closer to the overhanging edge of the cover. I know this may seem like alot to take in but if you read this over and over and keep visualizing this happening it will become easier to do.

I also want to say if you are skipping soft plastics with a spinning rod I shouldnt have to give any advice be RAY CHARLES can do this. LOL Just Sayin!

Thanks
I hope this helps


Josh M

Practice and patience

I skip finesse jigs with a small beaver or wooly bug. I use the round house approach. I reel the bait up to about 12-14 inches swing the bait in a circle and let it rip and skip. Practice it and anyone can pick it up. I have learned to do it backhanded or regular. I'll shoot some video next time out and post it for a visual aid.

Practice and some balls will get the job done. i like 15-20lb floro and usually skip senko style baits or 3/8oz jigs

Practice enough you can skip almost anything with any rod. I love to fish docks with a shaky head and a jig. I can skip both just fine and the jig is on my flippin stick. Just takes practice