accuracy shooting docks

I shoot docks with 6ft bnm sharpshooter and a 7ft ozark and it works well. Have stated shooting floating docks and pontoon boats, my question is will and shorter rod give me better accuracy. The aim at a boat house and a pontoon is very different. You can just point it at a boat house or dock that has large shooting areas and do good but a pontoon and floating dock is very different. I know there are folks that can hit a 6inch hole from 25ft but not the norm. Any suggestions? don't say practice.....

I skip my bait in those situations and I cast , I don't dock shoot . i employ a parallel to the water surface type cast with a very firm flick of a stiff 6 footer .....full spool required as well

I do the best with a 5.6 rod, shoot through a 4 inch hole , keep the line between the hook and rod tip parallel to the water, works for me.

I think you have better accuracy with the shorter rods. The longer rods are better for distance, especially with the lighter jig heads. IMO

With a shorter rod, get closer to the target "hole" if possible. Using a rod with a stiff backbone & fast action tip will get you distance... even on a shorter rod.

Do I think a shorter rod will give you more accuracy ?? Uh, no ... not particularly. Accuracy comes from getting the line angle correct, from rod tip to jig, and releasing the jig and spool line at the correct time. Meaning : line from jig to rod tip should be angled down towards rod tip just a few degrees ... and after jig is released & travels past the rod tip, you release the spool line. Accuracy is mostly "timing" the release correctly & aiming with the line so that the jig skips on the water just in front of the "hole" you're aiming at. Getting as low to the water as possible can also make a difference.

Good limp line helps, as does having a wide or long spool reel ... both for distance and accuracy, regardless of rod length.

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

With a shorter rod, get closer to the target "hole" if possible. Using a rod with a stiff backbone & fast action tip will get you distance... even on a shorter rod.

Do I think a shorter rod will give you more accuracy ?? Uh, no ... not particularly. Accuracy comes from getting the line angle correct, from rod tip to jig, and releasing the jig and spool line at the correct time. Meaning : line from jig to rod tip should be angled down towards rod tip just a few degrees ... and after jig is released & travels past the rod tip, you release the spool line. Accuracy is mostly "timing" the release correctly & aiming with the line so that the jig skips on the water just in front of the "hole" you're aiming at. Getting as low to the water as possible can also make a difference.

Good limp line helps, as does having a wide or long spool reel ... both for distance and accuracy, regardless of rod length.

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Very well said. Only thing I came add is "practice". You can practice at home with a garage door slightly opened or set a 5 gallon bucket on its side.

Short rod's will help a little for some people but the thing you don't want to hear is the key. Sorry but the more you do it the better you will get. There's really no shortcuts.

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Shooting docks and shooting pontoon boats are two different things. The back side of a pontoon boat has a lot of stuff hanging down on at least one side. Missing your mark can be quite a loud sound and get the attention of boat owners and don't blame them. I understand practice and do but just thinking about what others use. You do get close to a pontoon to shoot and that was my thought on the shorter rod. Thanks

It depends on how tight the quarters are. Close and tight I'll take a short rod, but not under 5'6". Normally I use my everything rod, a 6'6" fast tip Lightning rod, now out of production. And I can hit a 6"square hole regularly, but not on the first dock. I have to warm up a little first. And I'm sorry to have to say it, but practice with no one else around is where you'll work out the kinks in your form. I've done it so much I don't think much of it anymore, just load and fire. Even with a tiny cork on the line, though that is way different and humbles you some. And it isn't always docks. Shooting and skipping under trees and brush is common on a trip to the river. After all, it is all about control of the presentation.

I'm no pro at it but am getting a lil better have only been 12-15 times but I love it.i have a b&m sharp shooter 4.5' and a 5' b&m that I seam to always go back too .I also have the Wally speed shooter in a 5.5'and a 7' and I really like them they are really sensitive. but am a lil more accurate with my shorter rods up close .i really like shooting tighter spaces like the floating docks and the pontoons. Much more of a challenge to me.

Jighead's: Shooting/skipping dock's,pontoon's/laydown's brush ect. the rod length is one of the equation's.The right size jighead and type of jig head really means a lot.Shooting a Dock we like for 1/64-1/24 oz round jighead's. Minnow heads ect area lot harder to shoot/skip. Skipping under a pontoon or dock/laydown we like a crappie tube with an inside the tube jighead 1/16-1/8 oz.The plastic makes for an easier skip
Line:"really makes a difference"We like from 4-6 lb test mono.We like Mr crappie camo 4-6 lb test.Have gone to the berkely nano-fill 8-10 lb test"like 8 lb the best clear mist color" no line twist and it floats like fly line to slow the fall of the jig.unreal how far you can skip a jig.
Not a Pro but what works for us.If ya ever get a chance and get to attend the Grizzly jig show and Mr Crappie himself gives a demo on skipping/shooting dock's!! Good fishing.

I talked with Wade at Grizzly jig today, he said if I talk with 10 people I will get short poles and long poles and all in between. He has been with very good shooters and they used 5ft to 7ft. rods. He talked about Wally and how good he is, but not many can do what he does. I have shot docks for about 4 years and do fair but moving to the tighter locations I am looking for a edge. I do use 4lb mr crappie line and lately using mr crappie shad pole they skip really good. Have not thought about minnow head compared to a round head jig, need to check that out. Looking at a bnm 5.5ft sharpshooter. good stuff thanks

Unless BnM has stiffened up their Sharpshooter rod, it's got a parabolic bend and is a bit 'wimpy' for my taste. I handled one when they first came out, and it seemed way more UL than the UL I was already using. When I got asked to fieldtest the ESP line of rods, and got their 5'6" UL fast action tip ... I never looked back. Well, until I broke it, that is (my fault) :banghead ... but, by then I had already been asked to fieldtest two more models, one of them being a 6'6" PowerLite. Now that rod is my primary jig casting rod, AND my dock shooting rod of choice.

And yes to using ball head jigs & solid body plastics !!

enjoy these conversations as I learn so much. looking forward to starting to shoot docks!

OK has anyone tried the new wally speed shooter, it comes in 5-6 and 7ft.

Yes I have 2 of the 7' and one 5.5' Much more back bone that the sharp shooter.also a lot lighter feeling seam to be more sensitive too. Give me a holler if you want to meet up some where and hit some docks on some Saturday I be glad to let you try em out.

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

With a shorter rod, get closer to the target "hole" if possible. Using a rod with a stiff backbone & fast action tip will get you distance... even on a shorter rod.

Do I think a shorter rod will give you more accuracy ?? Uh, no ... not particularly. Accuracy comes from getting the line angle correct, from rod tip to jig, and releasing the jig and spool line at the correct time. Meaning : line from jig to rod tip should be angled down towards rod tip just a few degrees ... and after jig is released & travels past the rod tip, you release the spool line. Accuracy is mostly "timing" the release correctly & aiming with the line so that the jig skips on the water just in front of the "hole" you're aiming at. Getting as low to the water as possible can also make a difference.

Good limp line helps, as does having a wide or long spool reel ... both for distance and accuracy, regardless of rod length.

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Dang Brother...I couldn't have said it better myself. Find a rig you can shoot well, and then it's practice and experience.
Take Care
SH

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Originally Posted by Spaceman

Very well said. Only thing I came add is "practice". You can practice at home with a garage door slightly opened or set a 5 gallon bucket on its side.

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Spaceman, thank you for that reply. We don't have any docks on the Big 4 in Mississippi, but shooting under tree limbs could be an advantage. However, I do go to Pickwick on occasion and Bear and Yellow Creek is loaded with 'em. I plan to start practicing with a 5 gallon bucket. Thanks for the tip!

If you practice, remember that some of the gaps are as big as the end of a 4X4. Start with a bucket, and move to a coffee can. What has also been said about different rods is spot on. In the process you may just stumble into a real winner that suits your style and makes it easy. Once this learning curve is behind you there is a ton of fun waiting.

Yeah, skeet I'd already thought about the coffee can, but I got to graduate from the bucket first! Got 3 rods I'm gonna experiment with.

Also remember that it's not necessary to actually shoot the jig INTO the bucket or coffee can ... on the fly. What you really want to do is have the jig hit about 6" in FRONT of them and "skip" into them. (just like you're going to want to do on the water at a real dock)

When I practiced, I used a picnic table as the "dock" and tried to shoot the jig under the seat board and skip it well out the other side (& under the seat board of the opposite side). I did it standing up (& leaning over) just about the same height I'd be over the water when shooting while sitting in my boat seat. When I got pretty good at that, as far as placement & accuracy .... it became much easier to shoot under pontoon boats or between dock float gaps.

On average your more accurate with a short rod but you get more distance with a long rod. Mr. Crappie has said this himself. My advice is to learn how to shoot with one rod and keep at it till you get good. Constantly switching rods makes your accuracy suffer. I shoot with a 6.5 BnM Sharpshooter. I will not say it is the best choice but it is the rod I used to learn shooting and I don't want to re-learn with another rod. Find a rod your comfortable with and learn how to shoot with it. Do it enough and it will become second nature. Like someone else stated, it takes me a few docks to get my accuracy up to par but once I get rolling I can shoot with the best of them.

And a few years down the road you will be shooting with whatever you have in your hands.

not trying to hijack but we have docks in our Marina, they are the type with black floats and concrete top. can you shoot this type of dock with success. have never tried it. they will not let you tie up or get on the docks, but you can troll around them without anyone yelling at you.

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Originally Posted by Potatoe

not trying to hijack but we have docks in our Marina, they are the type with black floats and concrete top. can you shoot this type of dock with success. have never tried it. they will not let you tie up or get on the docks, but you can troll around them without anyone yelling at you.

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Yep ... not much different than shooting under a pontoon boat or between a moored boat and dock walkway, as far as accuracy concerns go. The biggest difference is the fact that there's likely not as much chance of brushpiles or stake beds under them, as there could be under a private dock (stationary or floating). But, there is a pretty high likelihood that there's Crappie hiding in the shadows under there.

Good info thanks, going to look into this.

I wish I had some docks to shoot. Not happen in Eastern,KY. Not allowed with in so many feet of a marina.
LittleJohn

I can shoot a lil bit but on many docks with pontoons and swim platforms we dip our jigs with 10 and 12 foot poles and do very well. easier to do that to get them out too. On my home lake there are just a handful of docks. good discussion guys, always learning on just about every thread!