There is a parallel universe in the fishing world. In our dimension, anglers ply the waters looking for enough largemouth bass to win major tournament money. On the other side, a group of anglers also participates in big money tournaments. However in this alternate universe, these fishers are looking for crappie not bass.
This may sound like a story line for the television series “Sliders,” but it is reality in the United States. Crappie tournaments are also becoming a major influence in many parts of the country. Like the bass tournament anglers, crappie pros develop new lures and methods for catching their quarry.
One of the top fishing techniques from the crappie tournament circuit also has merits in the bass sector. This crappie fishing technique is called “Shooting.”
Bass anglers currently have a similar technique, often called skipping. With this technique, an angler sweeps the rod sideways to “skip” a lure under a boat dock. This technique is very similar to a child skipping a flat stone across the water surface.
The skipping tactic catches fish because the bass hiding under boat docks are usually unmolested by the angling majority. But, the main problem with skipping is accuracy. Most of the time, the skipped lure misses the mark and bangs off the boat dock. If the lure skips true, it will only skitter under the dock for about 2-to 3-feet.
Crappie anglers found that skipping doesn’t work for them because their ultralight jigs are too light to skip. To overcome the problem, the crappie pros developed the “shooting” technique, which fires the lure under to dock with amazing accuracy. A good shooter can place a jig into a tiny opening between dock floats – a feat rarely matched by a skipper. The projectile lure also has enough force to fly 3, 6 and even 12 feet under the dock.
Lets borrow the crappie technique and go back to our dimension in space and time. This technique gives the tournament angler a new weapon for attacking boat docks, especially docks that have tight construction or are low to the water. The technique also gives you an advantage because you can shoot a lure into areas where no lure has gone before.
Shooting is not difficult to master. With a little practice, you can send a lure into the smallest crevice. To shoot a lure, first let out enough line so the lure hangs about 3 feet below the rod tip. Hold the lure and point the rod tip directly at your target. In other words, aim at the opening under the boat dock.
Pull on the lure until the rod bends in half. Be sure to keep the lure in line with the bent rod and the target. If you hold the lure too far to the right, it will sail inaccurately to the left and visa versa.
Now let the lure go.
The rod will instantly snap straight sending the lure out along your sight line, much like an arrow released from a bow. As the lure heads toward the target, the line will straighten out. Just as the lure reaches the end of the slack line, disengage the reel. The lure will continue on a straight flight path toward the target.
WHERE SHOOTING WORKS
Shooting is obviously a technique designed to put lures under boat docks. Fixed docks, like those on many southern impoundments, are often high above the water surface. Flipping and skipping are the two effective techniques for fishing such docks. Floating docks, however, only have a few inches of air space.
Additionally, the floats or barrels supporting the dock decking are set close together – maybe only a few inches apart. Because the openings are small, most anglers have trouble flipping or skipping lures under the floating docks. This is the ideal situation to try the shooting technique.
Pull out the shooting tackle when you come to overhanging branches. You can easy flip or pitch into the outer branches, but it is impossible to get the lure back under the tree.
In many overhanging tree situations, the bass are usually not at the branch tips. They prefer to hold very tight to the bank under the tree’s shady protection. You can skip a lure under the overhanging branches if the tree is not too leafy. But skipped lures often fall short of the bank. You will have a better chance of hitting the bank with the shooting technique.
Don’t overlook culvert pipes. Bass will often go deep inside the small pipes to hide from anglers, sunlight and predators. Aim at the pipe opening and shoot your lure into the pipe. This technique should propel the lure 10-to 25-feet into the pipe.
WHEN TO SHOOT
Shooting is a situation tactic. It is probably not the preferred fishing method on overcast days. But the technique excels on bright sunny days and on lakes with high fishing pressure.
The reasons are obvious. On the sunny days, largemouth bass often hide under the boat docks or overhanging branches to escape the light. Bass also won’t move far to hit a bait on those sunny, bluebird sky days. In order to catch a bass, you must shoot a lure in front of the fish’s nose.
A similar arguement can be made on lakes with high fishing pressure. The bass shy away from open places and obvious cover. They try to hide in those shadowy places that average anglers overlook – the same places you can shoot a lure into.
SHOOTING GEAR
Shooting requires some specialized equipment for optimum firepower, accuracy, and distance. A fast-to-medium action rod is critical. The rod must be pliable so you can bend the tip, but at the same time be strong enough to yank the bass from their hideaways. Most shooters use medium-to-medium heavy weight spinning rods. Medium weight casting rods also work well.
Shorter rods are better than longer rods. If the rod is too long, you will not be able to bend it enough to get the full power from the tip. A 5-to 6-foot rod will cover most shooting situations. When fishing in tight quarters, a shorter rod may be desired.
You can shoot a lure with either a spinning reel or a closed-faced spincast reel. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
Spinning reels release line quickly and without backlash. These two attributes make the spinning reel a good choice for shooting. The ideal reel should have a tapered spool and an oversized bail so line comes off the reel smoothly. On the downside, spinning reels require practice to gain shooting proficiency. Some anglers may also have trouble holding the line when the rod tip is bent over.
Spincasting reels make shooting easier. You simply hold the button down as you cock the rod. Then release the button as the lure fires forward. The main drawback to spincasting reels is finding one built to the bass angler’s quality standards. Most push-button reels are made with plastic bushings. They are built to be inexpensive as entry level tackle.
Shooting requires lighter than desired lines. It is very difficult to shoot a lure with lines greater than 14 pound test. Eight to 10-pound test is ideal. As a word of caution, check the line constantly for abrasions. Dock pilings and tree branches give light line a short life span.
Here’s a tip from Wal-Mart FLW pro angler Terry Baksay. “Spray the line with Reel Magic,” he says. “The spray lubricates the line so it whips off the reel when you are shooting lures.”
Not all lures shoot well. Think about rifle ballistics. Smaller bullets travel at higher speeds and have flatter trajectories. The same is true of shooting lures. Smaller lures fire better and travel further under the docks.
Use this concept when selecting shooting lures. Also, look for bullet-shaped lures. Tube jigs, shad grubs, and compact crayfish imitations, like the Zoom Li’ll Critter Craw and the Venom Super-Do, are some of the better soft-plastic shooting lures. Bullet shaped jigs are likewise very good shooting lures. The ideal shooting lure should weigh between 1/8-ounce and 3/8-ounce. You lose trajectory and distance if you pick heavier lures.
Shooting is a unique technique for a unique sport. Crappie pros developed it to find fish that other anglers missed. Additionally, the crappie experts realized that many lakeside residents put brush piles under their docks to attract crappie – and bass. Shooting a lure into one of these hidden brush piles often produces the lunker crappie needed to win a tournament. That same brush pile could hold a lunker largemouth bass in the next Red Man,EverStart, or Wal-Mart FLW Tour event.