Hey Conner

[Kokomo Bob]

Next spring I expect to see a picture of you and Archie in the winners circle with 10 fish at 15lbs. She said she hopes to have that camera figured out by then.
Catch-u-lat'r
Bob

[Conner]

I might learn how to use my camera by that time, if it is when me and Archie are in the winner's circle with ten crappie total of 15 lbs, I don't know about next spring!! Killer is giving lessons I hear, on dock shooting, not on camera. Conner

[Kokomo Bob]

These new cameras are a pain in the butt aren't they? These young kids can figure all this computerized stuff out in seconds. I guess I was born 40 years to soon. How much is Killer charging?

[CrappiePappy]

here's a "free" lesson from one of my previous posts :

"shooting" a dock is a method whereby one uses the rod/reel/line more as a "slingshot", than as a catapult. When casting - one catapults the lure through the air, by rapidly moving the rod thru the air and letting go of the line at the optimum moment ... when "shooting" - one does not move the rod, but moves the bait and releases it.
Take your spinning outfit in hand and allow the line, with the jig tied on the end, to hang about 1/2 to 1/3 of the way down (from the tip towards the reel) .... open the bail and hold the line with your finger (as when normally using it to cast) ... grab the jighead (by the head) with the hook pointed away from your hand/fingers (with your "other" hand) ... pull the jig back towards the reel until the rod is bent and under a bit of strain ... aim the rod at the intended target (generally an opening between the dock and water's surface) ... the rod should be pointed slightly downward towards the water's surface at a slight degree, and aimed at a point on the water's surface that is just past the first part of the dock closest to you ... release the jighead, and as the jighead slings forward and straightens out the line (on it's way towards your target spot) --- release the line from your finger (on the hand that's holding the rod/reel). The jig should "shoot" forward and hit the water's surface at a glancing blow, and ricochet (skip) off the surface and continue on its journey up under the dock. Lift the rod up to the 10 o:clock position and close the bail ... then start your slow retrieve. Watch the line for any telltale signs of a "hit", and set the hook with a quick upwards snap of the wrist and forearm.
It's all in the timing of the release of the line by the rod holding hand, angle of the rod, and the shape of the "plastics" you have impaled on your jig hook that make for a succesful "shot". Practice trying to "shoot" a jig into a 5gal bucket (lying on its side) from about 10-15ft away. You should be able to put the jig inside the bucket, in 9 of 10 tries, after you've got your "release timing" figured out. .........luck2ya ...............cp

[Kokomo Bob]

Thanks CP. Now how about shedding some light on those secret docks, you and Paul have, down at Watts Bar.

ps, I'm going to email you a picture.

[CrappiePappy]

Bob, I sure WISH they were a "secret" ...LOL!! They've been pretty much hit or miss, the last couple of years. (why do you think we've been coming in 7th or 8th place for the last few tournaments ? ...LOL!)

Best advice I can give you - on locating docks to shoot - is to take one whole day of pre-fishing .... don't fish, just cruise the docks. Idle close to the front of them and check the depth ... then mark your map !! Some people run a good piece from Eden to find their "secret" docks or brush piles ... some go as far as the Piney River/Muddy Creek area, while others travel almost to Kingston :D !! But, there's plenty enough docks to try - right in the mid-lake area. White Creek, Rector Branch (creek that Arrowhead is in), Blue Springs, & Pearl Harbor are all in close proximity of Eden ... and they all have "some reason" for the fish to be there, during either of the tournaments. And, even though a lot of the docks and brushpiles in those areas are "community holes" (common knowledge) ... a boat can only occupy one dock/brushpile at a time . Some people will pass up a dock that someone has already been shooting ... and that can be a costly mistake. I've seen it first hand .... Paul and I are pretty thorough when shooting a dock, but we've had people come behind us and pull a few more off a dock we just left !! Sometimes it's the difference in color or size of bait, that makes the difference (so don't depend on one color or size between the both of you ... mix it up for a few good shots, before leaving any dock that you caught fish off of ) .......luck2ya ........cp

[treepotato]

Bob, I sure WISH they were a "secret" ...LOL!! They've been pretty much hit or miss, the last couple of years. (why do you think we've been coming in 7th or 8th place for the last few tournaments ? ...LOL!)

Best advice I can give you - on locating docks to shoot - is to take one whole day of pre-fishing .... don't fish, just cruise the docks. Idle close to the front of them and check the depth ... then mark your map !! Some people run a good piece from Eden to find their "secret" docks or brush piles ... some go as far as the Piney River/Muddy Creek area, while others travel almost to Kingston :D !! But, there's plenty enough docks to try - right in the mid-lake area. White Creek, Rector Branch (creek that Arrowhead is in), Blue Springs, & Pearl Harbor are all in close proximity of Eden ... and they all have "some reason" for the fish to be there, during either of the tournaments. And, even though a lot of the docks and brushpiles in those areas are "community holes" (common knowledge) ... a boat can only occupy one dock/brushpile at a time . Some people will pass up a dock that someone has already been shooting ... and that can be a costly mistake. I've seen it first hand .... Paul and I are pretty thorough when shooting a dock, but we've had people come behind us and pull a few more off a dock we just left !! Sometimes it's the difference in color or size of bait, that makes the difference (so don't depend on one color or size between the both of you ... mix it up for a few good shots, before leaving any dock that you caught fish off of ) .......luck2ya ........cp

Hi CP,
what are some things that you could point me to in shooting docks? The other day when I caught that musky I tried shooting docks for the first time and I can see theres more to it than what I thought. I was using a 6.5 FT med action rod spooled with 4lb vanish with a 1/16 oz round jig head dressed with a tube. The rod seemed to have good backbone to it and after a few casts it would zing the jig pretty far up under the docks. I noticed that when it hit the water it would skip like a flat rock a few feet up under the dock. Is this the action Im looking for? I also noticed that some docks were very shallow with a lot of weed growth and didn't look too inviting. Some docks however didn't have any weed growth and even with the water being very clear I still couldn't see bottom . I even tried under some floating diving platforms that some of the lake cottages had put out in front of them for swimming. They were in 15-20 ft of water. Have you had any luck with structure like this? On most natural lakes It seems like the docks don't have anything like a deep channel or anything like that running close to them. They all just seem to have a gradual taper out to deeper water. So I guess my question is without deep water close by the dock , what else am I looking for? Thanks for any help you might be able to offer, It looks like a great tool to have in your bag of tricks when chasing these tasty critters........treepotato

[CrappiePappy]

I know what you mean ... the only docks I've ever shot under were on Watts Bar. Mainly because they are mostly stationary docks with posts driven into the lake bottom and a frame built to them. In my home lakes, the water fluctuates way too much for that - so they're all floating on styrofoam or plastic drums and such. But --- Crappie still get underneath them ! You can't "shoot" them very easily ... but you can cast and flip the edges and corners, boat slips and walkways. They still offer shade, structure (in the form of cables and crossmembers), and therefore make good ambush spots, to lie in wait for roaming bands of baitfish.

Shallow water docks are more for the Spring ... especially if they have weed growth or brush under them (unless your Crappie have a habit of coming very shallow in the Fall). The deeper docks are better in Fall (and very early Spring) ... usually good with nothing but deep water and the posts and crossmembers, but can be "real good" if there's a bit of brush around the front or under the main dock. Best docks are the ones that belong to "anglers" ... more so than just "boaters/swimmers". Boaters & swimmers tend to keep the place clean and weed/brush free ... but, if it's got deep water and shade, it could still hold fish. It's just that, more often, an "anglers" dock will have something under it to attract and hold fish. It may also have brush piles out away from it, a good casting distance away (or farther, if necessary to get the brush pile in deep enough water). Look, also for signs that the dock owner fishes from the dock (pole holders, seats, minnow buckets, fish baskets, etc.)

If you read that "free lesson" ... and practice ... you'll get the hang of it ! I've sidearm casted and skipped a jig a good ways under a dock ... but the "slingshot" method can get you even further, plus it can get you into the tiny openings, more often ... once you get the hang of it. Getting the jig to "skip like a flat rock" is the key ... that's why the Panfish Assassin and similar plastics work so well, they skip better than a plain tube. You might even want to downsize the jig weight ... to a 1/24 or 1/32oz ! This lighter jig setup will skip better and fall slower ... another key to success ! I just hope you can see that "Vanish" line. Most of the "hits" are just faint "tics" in the line, or the line goes slack all of a sudden (and you know it isn't on the bottom). If you don't get a quick hookset when that happens - the fish will blow the jig out, and you'll rarely even know you've had a hit.

I've found them to "almost always" be in the shaded area of the water under the dock ... whether they're deep or shallow in the water column. If sunrise lights up the underside of a dock ... come back to it at midday or afternoon, whenever the water underneath is more shaded.

It isn't always necessary to have a channel or drop close by a dock, for it to be a holding place. It just has to have "reasons" for the fish to congregate under it - shade, baitfish, deepest water around, brush, or "something" that provides them with a hiding place, ambush point, or food.

Another little "secret" (just between you and me, of course ) ...... don't pass up a few shots up under a docked "pontoon" boat !! .... luck2ya ....cp

[treepotato]

I know what you mean ... the only docks I've ever shot under were on Watts Bar. Mainly because they are mostly stationary docks with posts driven into the lake bottom and a frame built to them. In my home lakes, the water fluctuates way too much for that - so they're all floating on styrofoam or plastic drums and such. But --- Crappie still get underneath them ! You can't "shoot" them very easily ... but you can cast and flip the edges and corners, boat slips and walkways. They still offer shade, structure (in the form of cables and crossmembers), and therefore make good ambush spots, to lie in wait for roaming bands of baitfish.

Shallow water docks are more for the Spring ... especially if they have weed growth or brush under them (unless your Crappie have a habit of coming very shallow in the Fall). The deeper docks are better in Fall (and very early Spring) ... usually good with nothing but deep water and the posts and crossmembers, but can be "real good" if there's a bit of brush around the front or under the main dock. Best docks are the ones that belong to "anglers" ... more so than just "boaters/swimmers". Boaters & swimmers tend to keep the place clean and weed/brush free ... but, if it's got deep water and shade, it could still hold fish. It's just that, more often, an "anglers" dock will have something under it to attract and hold fish. It may also have brush piles out away from it, a good casting distance away (or farther, if necessary to get the brush pile in deep enough water). Look, also for signs that the dock owner fishes from the dock (pole holders, seats, minnow buckets, fish baskets, etc.)

If you read that "free lesson" ... and practice ... you'll get the hang of it ! I've sidearm casted and skipped a jig a good ways under a dock ... but the "slingshot" method can get you even further, plus it can get you into the tiny openings, more often ... once you get the hang of it. Getting the jig to "skip like a flat rock" is the key ... that's why the Panfish Assassin and similar plastics work so well, they skip better than a plain tube. You might even want to downsize the jig weight ... to a 1/24 or 1/32oz ! This lighter jig setup will skip better and fall slower ... another key to success ! I just hope you can see that "Vanish" line. Most of the "hits" are just faint "tics" in the line, or the line goes slack all of a sudden (and you know it isn't on the bottom). If you don't get a quick hookset when that happens - the fish will blow the jig out, and you'll rarely even know you've had a hit.

I've found them to "almost always" be in the shaded area of the water under the dock ... whether they're deep or shallow in the water column. If sunrise lights up the underside of a dock ... come back to it at midday or afternoon, whenever the water underneath is more shaded.

It isn't always necessary to have a channel or drop close by a dock, for it to be a holding place. It just has to have "reasons" for the fish to congregate under it - shade, baitfish, deepest water around, brush, or "something" that provides them with a hiding place, ambush point, or food.

Another little "secret" (just between you and me, of course ) ...... don't pass up a few shots up under a docked "pontoon" boat !! .... luck2ya ....cp

Hey CP,
Thanks for taking the time to respond with all this great info. I have a lot better ideas of what Im doing now! I can tell you've been doing this awhile and your help is much appreciated. I just would'nt want to be a crappie if you were anywhere around. LOL. Hey thanks again and good luck to ya!............treepotato