Dock shooting feed back

[Stoker540]

What's the best time of year for Dock shooting in the southern states?
What baits are you using on your most productive days?

Thanks for any feed back. I'm starting to practice shooting under my garage door. Do you have any special practice techniques?

Thanks John

[Fish on Line]

Use a chair while Practicing - Lean forward when shooting and dont worry if it dont go far -- The Jig will bounce on the surface to carry it . use lightweight jigs and line

[CrappiePappy]

From what I understand .... shooting docks can be a year around deal in many places. A lot depends on the season, and stationary docks can be much better than floating docks, & the vertical & horizontal structures under stationary docks offer ambush points. Many docks have cover placed under, around, or hanging off of it ... enhancing the chances of fish being present.

My most productive baits have been several different brands & sizes of "stinger shad" style plastics &/or solid body tubes on a 1/16oz weedless jighead.

My only tips on "technique" is to aim with the line between the rod tip & the bait in your hand ... not the rod itself. Release the line only after the bait has passed the end of your rod. And while a limber action rod "can" shoot your jig under a dock, a fast action tipped rod will generally give more speed/power to your jig, which makes the bait skip across the water & usually equates to longer distances to your shot.

[Jamesdean]

I play with the shooting method in the yard, as sometimes when bank fishing limbs and overhangs prevent a normal cast. I have found I can shoot a jig farther with a shorter pole. Just for giggles I have done this with both open and closed faced reals. Grass don't allow for no skipping at all, and about 42ft is as far as I've gotten with a 32nd oz head, no hook on it...

[Ketchn]

I don't shoot docks , but according to a friend of mine the best guys he ever saw do it used really stiff rods and pretty heavy jigs and could shoot them a blooming mile skipping em across the water .
I typically just sit down on the deck of the boat and cast side arm with a real stiff rod from a bit of a distance . works pretty well if you are good at casting and most of the time I can skip mine about as good as everyone else without having to bend my rod or touch my jig .
fat body jigs skip best from what I can tell and heavier jigs are easier to sling . but I like the lightest I can cast so I get that real slow fall and extra slow return speed .
my 2 cents

[Jamesdean]

Well



it's hard to shoot docks from shore, or while on them, for shure...I'm still working on my boat getting it together so still bank fishing, so my shooting sometimes is in the trees to the water and as I said, you can't always cast...and I normally fish with either 1/32 oz or 1/24th oz jigs for that slow fall...

[GreenLine]

I work a guy that does it all year.
He respects people that have signs out about not fishing and asks permission when he sees the owner in their yard ( even tho legally he doesn’t need it )
He’s made friends with many and they call him when the bite picks up



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[Gbcorley]

It's a year round thing, they just change docks depending on the time of yea. In the summer and winter mouths they hang about deeper docks with a channel swing close by. In the spring they will get on shallower docks in spawning areas, and in the fall in back of bays and creeks chasing the shad that move in. I've caught them off floating and standing docks. Personally I think it has more to do with the size and shade the dock casts along with the bottom contours. Having brush or standing docks does tend to make them better.

[DockShootinJack]

I have caught them under the docks any time they are not spawning. I use Baby Shad or Slab Docktr mainly because they are readily available. Anytime the fish seem sluggish or pressured I use a 1/32 ounce jig head. I want to slow the fall of the jig to keep it in front of them longer to entice a reaction. If the fish are more active I will use a 1/16 ounce jig head to help cover more water. As far as practice under a folding chair works good. A bucket turned on its side sometimes accuracy pays off when you can shoot close to piling they are holding on back under the dock. Spider webs across the opening of a dock are a good sign for me when the fish are pressured. Not much activity on those docks to keep the fish spooked.

[skeetbum]

I’ve shot most everything, docks, both floating and fixed, and brush and overhanging trees and downed trees. It’s isn't just about docks but more of a line drive presentation. For practice I suggest a coffee container. A little distance helps at times so vary the distance when practicing. I prefer a 1/32 and a flat sided body like a Bobby Garland Baby Shad as an example. As for what rod is best, it’s the one in your hand when the opportunity presents itself. Pick a rod that your comfortable and confident with and use nothing but it for a while. This will shorten the learning curve and build your confidence. Don’t like too soft or too stiff for close quarters. Once you become an old hand at it you’ll shoot 6” square holes in the side of a floating dock with whatever is in your hand. It’s a good feeling when you hit a 4” square hole in a floating dock and the line jumps before you can close the bail.