Thread: rods for shooting docks

I watched Wally on T V today shooting docks and he used a 7 ft. He said you wil be more accurate because of the extra guides and can shoot it farther. he was using 16th oz jigs with I think 6 lb line.

yes he was........good show also!!

It really depends on how tight is the spot your trying to shoot your jig. On the show the water was real low and he had 5ft of headroom to shoot his jigs. The lake he was fishing was Cedar Creek and it is extremely low right now. If the lake rises to normal pool you may have 2 foot of headroom. I have shot docks in which you have about 9 inches to work with. Just something to thing about.

watched the same show. he suggested 7ft UL with 6lb test. he was catching some fatties.

... Like I've said before, if you get the timing down of the release of line & bait, and you aim correctly, you can use some pretty long rods to shoot docks. I've used 8' FnF rods to shoot docks, but I don't prefer using them. I'm more likely to use a 5'6" or 6'6" rod.

Now, I don't compare myself to Wally ... by any stretch of the imagination ... but if faced with a dock as "open" as the ones he was shooting, I dare say that I could have shot a 1/16oz jig with 6lb test line on a 5'6" ESP rod, to just about any place under those docks that I wanted.

But, the most important "info" given on that show ... was his reference to "shade" being a "structure" (though I think it's more correctly defined as a "cover" or "condition"). It is one of the most important "factors", for sure !! His reference to "practicing" BEFORE you go to the lake is spot on ... and he did explain the shooting method, though he failed to mention one important point about holding the jig. He did say hold it by the head, rather than by the hook ... but forgot to mention that you should always hold the jig by the head with the hook point facing AWAY from your hand !!

All in all it was a good show, and I enjoyed watching it. And I'll probably set the DVR to catch the series, if its primary quarry is going to be Crappie.

... cp

Originally Posted by Grainraiser

It really depends on how tight is the spot your trying to shoot your jig. On the show the water was real low and he had 5ft of headroom to shoot his jigs. The lake he was fishing was Cedar Creek and it is extremely low right now. If the lake rises to normal pool you may have 2 foot of headroom. I have shot docks in which you have about 9 inches to work with. Just something to thing about.

9" to 2' - man I wish that was the norm here. Mine is all tidal water, so constantly moving. When the tide is up I can be looking at 3-6" clearance some times. This is why I use a shorter, more accurate for me, 5'6" rod.

Many of our docks are low to water,i have one that i caught a 3 lb on and many fish and it is only 1 to 1and1/2 inchoff water weather water is up or down ,a home made floating dock,now i don't get it under there every time but if water is calm can shoot it far under it about 3/4 the time using a 5 and 1/2 rod,can not skip it but have to go under it before it hits water or it will bounce into dook and not go far,bait have to leave rod at the water,if windy i cannot do it.also have a dook when water is up than it leaves no distant between water and dock ,so i wait for a boat to pass and as it sucks water from under it i shoot under it,then water comes back up but that dock is worth the wait.

Originally Posted by MDCrappie

9" to 2' - man I wish that was the norm here. Mine is all tidal water, so constantly moving. When the tide is up I can be looking at 3-6" clearance some times. This is why I use a shorter, more accurate for me, 5'6" rod.

GeneC I know that dock you are talking about!! I think that's where I met you back in 2012!!! Old Rope dock is what we call it!! 6.0 UL shimano clarus with a 2500 sahara reel is what I use and love it!!