Working the Docks Part One:
Docks are a phenomenal spot on every lake to catch both numbers and big bass. Many tournaments can be found won or lost on this structure. Breaking down docks and finding out what makes one better over the other is what will help you cover more water, and catch more fish! This is going to be the first of a series of articles breaking down docks and what makes each dock different.
The first thing I am looking for is what side of the lake is generally deepest next to shore. I love deepwater, and having deep water near docks only makes it that much better. With deeper water comes cooler water temps and deep water is a security blanket to bass as much as weeds are to them. I like depths to be 6 to 10 feet of water if I can find it; that is where my biggest bass have came out I have had success shallower and have had success deeper too, but experiment and different times of the day the bass will be holding in different depths.
The next thing I am looking at is the dock itself, does it provide lots of shade underneath the dock, again the more shade the cooler the water, shade also provides an area for bass to sit and ambush. The more ambush places the dock contains can only mean more bass to hold under there. Posts, boatlifts, personal watercraft, paddle boats, canopies, all are available structure for bass to relate to, and they will hold fish. The more boat lifts, jet skis, dock sections and canopies the better that dock will be.
Weeds are not too much of a concern to me, however when I see the gray box sitting on the dock, I am looking down the post and into the water, with a set of polarized glasses; I look for a nice circle where weeds are totally devoid from the weed roller. Bass will sit right on the edges and ambush prey who dares to come into this circle. Next time try dragging your Texas rigged worm through there, it won’t make it!
This is what I look for in every dock, the three things critical for all fish to survive, oxygen, forage, and shelter. Docks provide the shelter, oxygen will be there with the nearby deep water and weeds, and the forage will be there using the dock as shelter, the shallow water and weeds all hold the forage the bass are looking for. When you find these three things you will find the fish!
Tackle, Rods and Reels
Now that we have the docks picked out that we want to fish. Let’s get into the tackle. Two rods here I am looking at, this being a medium action spinning rod for skipping, loaded with 10 pound iron silk. I also like having a shorter rod too, this makes skipping a lot easier. A Medium action pistol grip casting rod for pitching blade baits along the edges and under canopies loaded with 12 pound test fireline is another essential rod to have at the ready.
A go to skipping lure is a Zoom 6 inch U-tail worm in purples, blues, and blacks, on a 1/8 oz weed weasel. The weed weasel holds the worm tight to the jig head and there is minimal sliding, it skips real easy and effortlessly and is very subtle on the drop in. They can be purchased nearly everywhere and are fairly cheap, the only downside is the tails are so fine that they get ripped off often and need to be replaced often. The action these tails have though are incredible and well worth using a lot of them. Skip it way under and simply drag it and try to bump it off the posts, and other structure underneath the dock.
Another set up that has been real popular and worked really well for me on big days is a Yamomoto Senko rigged weightless with a sharp Owner 3/0 hook. This is a very easy plastic to skip underneath the docks; it has a lot of weight to it being loaded down with salt. The only draw back is that they are very expensive and they do not last much longer than a few fish.
Pitching a Strike king Quad King spinnerbait is a great choice to burn through the open parts of the dock, under the canopies and around the edges. A great lure to work the water around the dock quickly to see if there are any bass that are actively watching the open water before you start working the dock. Bring that lure right up tight to the edges and bump it off cover, a little trick I use is purposefully tuning a spinnerbait out of line so it tracks to a side, this will help bring the spinner bait in between posts and bounce off them, bass will not be able to refuse a spinnerbait that just hit a post, it is critical though that as you hit the post, let the spinnerbait fall down to the bottom imitating a stunned baitfish.
Skipping docks are like skipping stones, bring you lure up to a few inches of the rod tip, and pick a spot about two feet in front of the dock and give it a sharp snap of the wrist. This is something that will take time to get used to and to do it right, take your time, and you will get the hang of it quickly. Get way up underneath the dock as far as you can.
You now have the basic essentials of starting to dissect docks, there are many other techniques to use but these will help you put the most fish in the boat and most consistently, and consistency is key to being successfull.
