Thread: Dock Shooting

Well I hit Piedmont yesterday to check out my new Garmin 320C. Did alot of searching to see how much better the new garmin worked then decided to try my luck at shooting some docks. No slab fest but I did catch my first crappies from shooting roadrunners. It was great putting some of the stuff I have been reading and what a great day on the water.
Tim

Most of the articles Iread use permanent docks as examples, but the lake we fish for crappie only has floating docks. What were you fishing?

We're concentrating on stream fishing (wading or canoe) right now, but it's always good to think about technique when we get back out on the lake. I picked up a crappie yesterday with one of my hair jigs- first crappie I've seen in a while - Roberta

Hey Roberta
I was using 1/8 oz. roadrunners, it was a good time. I learned it from my midwest crappie dvd.
Tim

Originally Posted by Roberta

Most of the articles Iread use permanent docks as examples, but the lake we fish for crappie only has floating docks. - Roberta

"stationary" docks are the better docks to "shoot" ..... but, only because they are easier (in most cases) to get the jig back into those dark hiding places. Don't overlook floating docks for a minute ... they provide the same shade and attract baitfish, just as well as the stationary ones. Any gap in the floatation, open slips, parked pontoons, and even the occupied slips are good spots to put a jig. And if you can't shoot it ... swing the jig into those places, or even drop a slip float/minnow in there. And don't forget to check "around" the docks (private docks, that is) ... especially those that look like they belong to anglers, and most especially those that look like they are fished from !! They may have brush piles within a cast's distance of the dock. ....... cp

Originally Posted by bttmline

Well I hit Piedmont yesterday to check out my new Garmin 320C. Did alot of searching to see how much better the new garmin worked then decided to try my luck at shooting some docks. No slab fest but I did catch my first crappies from shooting roadrunners. It was great putting some of the stuff I have been reading and what a great day on the water.
Tim

What made you decide to use RR's ... rather than jigs ?? I've shot RR's, and even the Charlie Brewer Whirly Bee ... but, prefer to use Panfish Assassins and weedless jigheads. I get them into and out of a lot of places that a RR or WB would never return from
Ain't shooting docks a blast !! :D And if you ever find Crappie under a dock, and the front posts are in the shade ... after you get thru "shooting" under the dock -- try "Vertical Casting" around those front posts

That Midwest DVD ... that wouldn't have been the one with Russ Bailey and Don York, shooting pontoons and docks on Watts Bar, would it ?? Or did Russ take his "new found experience", and try it on another lake ?? ........ cp

Okay. It gives us another option until the docks are taken in early October. There are no private docks and the water is only four feet deep around the marina, but we can just downsize and see.

We used to jig from the docks, but because of vandalism, the state put locked gates on all the rental docks.

Roberta

Originally Posted by Roberta

Okay. It gives us another option until the docks are taken in early October. There are no private docks and the water is only four feet deep around the marina, but we can just downsize and see.

We used to jig from the docks, but because of vandalism, the state put locked gates on all the rental docks.

Roberta

Sorry, Roberta ..... but, I doubt if 4ft is enough depth. I could be wrong, though. Maybe during the Spring spawn, or pre-spawn feeding periods ? Let us know what you find out ........ cp

CP,
It was Russ's dvd. And the reason I used RR's is because I had one on and just thought "what the heck I'm going to try shooting some docks and pontoons" Well with my first shot I pulled in a crappie and YES it was fun. I'm not good at it but I will continue trying this method.
All our docks are pulled in the winter here too. Some were only in about 4-5 ft but the farthest ones were in about 9-10.
Tim

Originally Posted by crappiepappy

Sorry, Roberta ..... but, I doubt if 4ft is enough depth. I could be wrong, though. Maybe during the Spring spawn, or pre-spawn feeding periods ? Let us know what you find out ........ cp

That's definately not too shallow. If there's shade, they'll use em. Last month i was catching crappie off brushpiles that shallow. Water temps in the early morning was 75. They were there anyway. Jig and crappie nibble under a small bobber.

Originally Posted by chaunc

That's definately not too shallow. If there's shade, they'll use em. Last month i was catching crappie off brushpiles that shallow. Water temps in the early morning was 75. They were there anyway. Jig and crappie nibble under a small bobber.

Maybe the water temps don't get so high, North of here (Central Ky). Most lakes around here have water temps in the high 80's .... or, they were until we got some thundershowers. And, there's probably a few of them that hang around the docks, regularly, anyway. For Roberta's sake, I hope so ... I just didn't want to be misleading in my info.

Glad to see you're getting out and catching 'em !! ...... luck2ya ... cp