8/11/2019 How to Skip Cast Under Structure

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How to Skip Cast Under Structure 

We literally receive hundreds of emails every week - and sometimes in a singleday. A few of them tell us things they think would improve the site. To us theyare the single most important messages we can get it is input from readers!and our own desire for a great "shing resource that made the site assuccessful as it is. Another group! or category of emails have to do with how

impressed people are with the sheer volume of content! the #uality of thewriting! or how much fun one of our many events turned out to $e. %ut most ofall the messages ask a #uestion. The same #uestion! in fact.

Skip Casting is e&ective near almost any inshore structure -- docks! piers! rock structure! marinas! and mangrove islands all have areas that are holding "sh --underneath structure like you see here. This is the channel leading from Tampa%ay past the Coast 'uard station (lots of )ari*uana +eaf ,ecals on the $oatsthere! each representing a ma*or drug $ust to the Har$orage at %ay$oro Highand ,ry and the Saint eters$urg! /lorida city marina.

The #uestion is 0How do 1...0. 2ou can "ll in the $lank. How to catch king"sh!how to catch snook! or how to "nd and catch the elusive 3ounder (*ust kiddingfolks! 3ounder are not that elusive. This article is going to answer one ofthose #uestions we hear a lot! especially at this time of the year! and that is

how do 1 get a $ait underneath a dock! or close enough to those tangles ofmangroves to catch a "sh4

 

ositioning your $oat to e&ectively cast underneatha dock...

/ish are attracted to structure. 1t is something we talk a$out constantly that ifyou want to catch "sh! you have to place an attractive lure or $ait in a natural

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manner e5actly where the "sh are most likely to $e. That does not mean theywill always cooperate! or in fact even $e located that day where you mighte5pect them to $e. 1n fact where they were supposed to $e. %ut if you stick tothe $asic rule of "nding and "shing structure - any kind of structure - yourodds of getting a strike from a cooperative "sh improve dramatically. And inthe cooler weather that is coming! that structure will increasingly $eresidential docks and the $ackwater mangroves.

To $est understand the concept of skip casting! think a$out the 3ow of wateraround and under docks and mangroves. 6egardless of the e5act location!water is 3owing around structure.

With the e5ception of small $ack $ays - even ones only a few acres $ig - water

3ows past docks and mangrove structures. As it moves! it cuts a trough. /ishsit in those troughs. The trick to catching them is getting the $ait or lure nearor on that trough.

Where you position your $oat relative to the wind (the arrows moving towardsthe dock structure is related to the 3ow and direction of the tide. Toe&ectively use Skip Casting! you have to $e in the right place. A general rule-of-thum$ is to get the $oat as close as you think is perfect! and then moveanother 789 closer. 6emem$er that these are the $ack yards of people9shouses! and you should keep #uiet and respectful. We9ve done e5actly the

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opposite! which is why we warn you to $e careful. :ne Sunday morning 1cursed up a storm when a 78l$ snook tore me a new e5it ramp on his way towrapping around four of the eight pilings underneath the dock. 1t wasn9t untila half-hour later 1 reali;ed that the family that owned the house was eating$reakfast on their porch! not forty feet (and well within cursing distanceaway. ,o not leave gar$age and do not curse! even if you lose the record.

Take that 3ow a step further! and that 3ow e&ects where the "sh sit. icture

this (and then look at the picture! argua$ly worth <!888 words. 2ou are facinga dock and the tide is moving into the $ay. 1t is 3owing from your right to yourleft. 1f it is! the "sh are sitting $ehind the left sides of the dock9s pilings.They9re sitting $ehind the pier! so that $ait is moved directly in front of theirmouths. redators are la;y - always remem$er that they will sit wherever it islikely that minimum movement is re#uired for them to reach $ait. Some "shchase $ait in open water. =ot snook. Although you will see them school on the3ats! and in the springtime huge $alls of them form in all the passes into thegulf! $ut most of their lives they sit still waiting for dinner to come to them.

Skip CastingThink a$out how you cast under normal (cast as far as possi$le conditions. 1fyou9re casting a spoon across a large grass 3at as you drift on a hunt! orthrowing a *ig at a school of >ack Crevalle chasing $ait to the diving $irds!casting far is important. To get distance! you hold the rod! you carefully 3ip it$ehind you and then -- in a non-stop 3ow -- throw it. The $end of the rod andthe push of your arm and shoulder strength ma5imi;es distance. To gaindistance and do it right! you cast over your shoulder.

To e&ectively cast a lure or $ait underneath the dock! you have to change your

style a little $it. Try this the ne5t time you9re in a residential canal. 'et close!and try a sidearm cast that skips the $ait across the top of the water. Think ofwhat you have to do to skip a stone across the water the concept is identical.1f you practice for a$out ten years! you will get to the point you can put a $aitten feet underneath the roof that the dock forms for the hungry "shunderneath. Try it. 2ou will like it. And it won9t take ten years. We9re *ustkidding. ?ight should do you *ust "ne.

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Skip Casting is e5actly the same as throwing a rock so it skips across thesurface of the water. 2ou want to side-arm the cast and skip@$ounce the $ait orlure on the surface. 1t9s opposite of the over-should cast we normally make togain distance! $ut distance isn9t important in this case -- you should have you$oat literally right ne5t to the dock if you can get that close. After $rie3yspooking the "sh! they come right $ack. We9ve tided our $oat to the dock ne5tdoor if the tide9s strong enough so we cannot e&ectively anchore the $oat.

The Tide and the Cast...Tide is -- as always -- important when you9re learning to skip cast. The 3ow ofthe water is going to determine which side of the piling or structure the "share located at. 6emem$er that and you will $etter know where the "sh are -and $e "shing there yourself.

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The "sh are on the $ottom of this overhead view when the tide9s coming in(the arrow is pointing down. The "sh are la;y $y nature -- they will sit wherethe $ait is most likely to $e pushed directly into their mouths. And the pilingdoes! in fact! hide them somewhat from the incoming $ait. When the tide isgoing out (the arrow is pointed up the "sh pause for a moment as the tide isslack! and then immediately move to the other side of the same piling.

All *oking aside! a little practice will get you feeling the e5act angle and

strength you need to apply to successfully skip a live! dead! or arti"cial $aitunderneath a dock near you. And it9s getting cool 'et your $utt out there.,ock "shing -- when done right -- is the most challenging and potentially themost productive winter "shery availa$le to us. And that9s saying a lot!considering. So learn how to skip cast to get a $ait underneath the dock! andyou will "sh closer to where the "sh actually are.