Junebug
Active member
I've read some guys reports and they talk about shooting for crappie .What is shooting ? Thanks guys
Later Junebug
Later Junebug
What is Shooting ?
- Thread starter Junebug
- Start date
Help Support Chattanooga Fishing Forum:
djbogle
Well-known member
We used to use a tehnique that we called "flipping" until the bass pros took the phrase over. We'd basically do a side-arm cast under a boathouse and catch crappie that way. Thaty might be called "shooting" nowadays, at least until the bass pros take that over too.
its where you hold the crappie jig in one hand and the fishing rod in the other. You pull back to put a bend in the rod, aim and let go of the jig. Its a very accurate way to get a jig way back under a dock while crappie fishing. I am sure that dickie will be along shortly to provide a much better description but that is the basics.
TennesseeTalker
Well-known member
It's the funnest way to fish I've ever found. It takes skill and practice. And I liken it to a sling shot type operation.
Talk to DK .. he's the expert!
TT
Talk to DK .. he's the expert!
TT
fishinpreacher
Well-known member
Its where you find some fish on your depth finder, load your 12 guage shotgun in the proximity and unload. The fish, well, lets just say they are ready to surrender. emoPoke I'm of course just kidding. What they said, that's how you do it. It's pretty easy.
Gator
Well-known member
Junebug, you may know that the DRUMKING and POLODOG are excellent at this. Their explanation is one you want to be sure and read closely. Basically it's a method to get the crappie lure as far back under docks as you can as others have said by holding the rod in one hand and the lure with the other as a "slingshot". You want to use light highly visible line, 4# or 6# with light lures as the sloooooooooow decent of the lure triggers many bites and the light lure/line allows a horizonal retrieve that should be done very slowly. It takes practice and is work but it's very effective. Good luck.
G
Guest
Guest
Another thing that you may want to know about this..................when you take the jig between your thumb and index finger, have the hook facing toward you, as compared to facing the palm of your hand. It might take a time or two of getting the hook buried in your finger to remember it. LOL
I have had tremedous success doing this on Lake Weiss, and more times than not, I use 4 lbs. test. Just remember to carry a net!
I have had tremedous success doing this on Lake Weiss, and more times than not, I use 4 lbs. test. Just remember to carry a net!
G
Guest
Guest
Dang hiccups.
polo-dog
Well-known member
Gator is right about this one for sure. It is a great technique that I learned just last year from drumking but I have caught litterally thousands of crappies since then using it. I will try to take a digital video of the way I do it and post it somewhere here so you can see it. We use spinning tackle but I would expect that one could use spincasting tackle too but it would be impossible with baitcasting because of backlashes. It is the best technique that I know of to present teeny, weeny baits( I always use 1/32oz jigs) at a significant distance, with overhead obstruction. In other words, under boat docks mostly but also under overhanging limbs too. Once you get good at it you can present baits far under overlhanging obstructions (sometimes up to 30 or 40 feet) and even through very small openings with open water past them and catch fish that no one else can present effectively to. Just ask Fishing Machine about some of the spots that I showed him and I caught a crappie on almost every cast but it was almost impossible to get a bait to the fish from any other angle and still be able to get the fish out of the "hole". Shooting under wooden crosspieces when the water is down and under floating boat hoists at this time of the year is key to catching bunches. In the summer when the water is up or at Nickajack or Guntersville where the water is up on the docks, all you need is 4-6 inches of space under the dock to skip a bait way back underneath where litterally no other technique will work. It's most fun when you can hit a hole that is 4 by 6 inches in dimentions and skip a bait 15-20 feet past the hole and catch fish after fish. Another important thing to know to get the bait to go just where you want it is to be sure that when you pull the bait back to load the rod that you bend the rod straight down, not to one side or the other. The reason for this is that your timing doesn't have to be perfect letting go with your "trigger finger" when the rod is bent in the vertical plane. If you pull back to the side, if you let go too early or too late the bait could be far off to one side or the other. The other thing is that if you want multiple long skips, get the bait down near the water when you let go. Just like skipping a rock on the water you have to get low to make it skip the most. DK and FM both get down on their knees at times and it may be more comfortable that way if you have bad knees but I can't work the trolling motor well on my knees.
I have a light action rod that is 6 1/2 feet that I just got at BPS on sale for $29.99 that is just perfect. DK likes to use a shorter rod and if you are right up next to a dock that is probably better and I use a 5-5 1/5 foot rod for that but the longer rod lets me shoot a bait farther. I also like to use 6lb test but the high vis line is a must because most strikes you see and don't feel. If you can't see the line very well you won't see the take and you will miss most of the fish. I also like to use a bigger spooled reel than DK. I have been using a Quantum PTI 30 or 40 and the line just shoots off of that reel like nothing. I use heavier test as backing and use an Albright knot or a Uni knot to Uni knot connection between the two different sizes of line. I usually use enough of the 6lb test, 50 or 60 yards to be sure to totally cover the knot because if the knot is on the spool where it can catch the line it will really decrease the distance that you can shoot. With the BPS rods being on sale I am really tempted to get another just so that I would have two long rods in the boat, one for me and one for a partner. Most of the people that I take shooting come with what they have and it usually just doesn't work as well as this combination. I usually get my reels on Ebay because I can usually get them for half of what they are retail. Now, I don't want to see anyone that I know bidding against me, okay?
I'll try to get that video done sometime in the next couple of days if I can. Does anyone know how to package a video so that it would link onto a page here at the forum? I don't even know how to get it on you tube.
It's the funnest technique for crappie fishing that I know of that's for sure.
I have a light action rod that is 6 1/2 feet that I just got at BPS on sale for $29.99 that is just perfect. DK likes to use a shorter rod and if you are right up next to a dock that is probably better and I use a 5-5 1/5 foot rod for that but the longer rod lets me shoot a bait farther. I also like to use 6lb test but the high vis line is a must because most strikes you see and don't feel. If you can't see the line very well you won't see the take and you will miss most of the fish. I also like to use a bigger spooled reel than DK. I have been using a Quantum PTI 30 or 40 and the line just shoots off of that reel like nothing. I use heavier test as backing and use an Albright knot or a Uni knot to Uni knot connection between the two different sizes of line. I usually use enough of the 6lb test, 50 or 60 yards to be sure to totally cover the knot because if the knot is on the spool where it can catch the line it will really decrease the distance that you can shoot. With the BPS rods being on sale I am really tempted to get another just so that I would have two long rods in the boat, one for me and one for a partner. Most of the people that I take shooting come with what they have and it usually just doesn't work as well as this combination. I usually get my reels on Ebay because I can usually get them for half of what they are retail. Now, I don't want to see anyone that I know bidding against me, okay?
I'll try to get that video done sometime in the next couple of days if I can. Does anyone know how to package a video so that it would link onto a page here at the forum? I don't even know how to get it on you tube.
It's the funnest technique for crappie fishing that I know of that's for sure.
polo-dog
Well-known member
Wow, who's the idiot with the long post?emoAngel emoAngel emoEvil
Junebug
Active member
Thats funny FP , 12 gauge , lol . Thanks guys for the replies. It sounds like a fun way to fish.
Later junebug
Later junebug
I promise that my explanation won't be as long as Polo's cause he just about covered all bases.
Here goes: Have you ever shot a slingshot as a kid? Well, shooting docks or underneath overhanging trees is a technique that makes presenting lures to Crappie or Bass easy and a whole lot like shooting a slingshot. In the winter time when the water is down, of course, I don't have to fish from my knees. But in the summertime when Gator takes you crappie fishing, it is imperative that you fish on your knees. Just kidding, Gator.
The reason that I prefer shorter rods than Polo is because I get up tight to the docks many times. There will be times when the wind will blow you into the docks and is such an aggravation that you can't fish it properly. Polo has missed several opportunities lately because the wind wouldn't let him fish the mainlake docks that he wanted to and knew that fish were on them. With shorter rods, you can get close to the docks and still shoot underneath them without worrying about breaking your rod tips on the hookset or the actual cast. I have let the wind keep me uptight against a dock and by getting on your knees, you can still hold the rod low to the water and shoot the jig back to the fish. Troublesome yes, but still possible to fish.
My rods are cheap. Shakespeare Micro graphite 5.0 UL's that have 5" from the tips removed per Fat Albert (greatest) $14.95 from Walmart. My reels are not cheap. I have a Quantam PT20 reel on one rod and Abu Garcia Cardinal 101 reel on the other. My favorite is the Cardinal 101. The next reels that I buy will be Cardinal 102's and/or 103's. Around $33+ at Walmart.
If you are not fishing Mr Crappie Hi-Vis yellow line, then something has to be wrong with the little noodle that is sitting on your shoulders. I fish with 4# test under docks, and I have grudgingly moved up to 6# on longer rods for Spot fishing at the Riverpark. You cannot find a better line for Crappie fishing than this. Order it from BPS for around 6.95 for a 3100 yard spool. Put the line in your freezer if you get it in bulk. That is a great tip for all you fishermen. Monofilament degrades at room temp, but retains its original strength if it is stored in a freezer. We have done numerous aging tests on nylon at Dupont where I used to work in the R&D lab.
One last benefit of using the slingshot method of delivery. Ever fish in the spring when the wind was blowing (when does it not ever blow in the spring) and had trouble with your accuracy? Using the slingshot method of delivery keeps the lure under the wind and on target. I use it all the time even in open water even if the wind isn't blowing. I just love to cast this way. Never gets your shoulders tired or achy. So I sacrifice 10 yards of distance from time to time. Who cares? I still catch my fair share of fish or more if it is windy enough, cause I will be on target more than a overhead caster will be.
I need to look back and see if my answer is longer than Polo's. Goodness, this gets good when you start talking about it. emoBigsmile emoGeezer
One final comment. A flimsy action spaghetti noodle like UL rod isn't good for this type of fishing. The rod needs a little backbone and when I had FA break off the tip of the rods that I use and put new tips on them 5" shorter, it stiffened up the rods just right, but still left a good fast tip so sensitivity wasn't compromised.
Here goes: Have you ever shot a slingshot as a kid? Well, shooting docks or underneath overhanging trees is a technique that makes presenting lures to Crappie or Bass easy and a whole lot like shooting a slingshot. In the winter time when the water is down, of course, I don't have to fish from my knees. But in the summertime when Gator takes you crappie fishing, it is imperative that you fish on your knees. Just kidding, Gator.
The reason that I prefer shorter rods than Polo is because I get up tight to the docks many times. There will be times when the wind will blow you into the docks and is such an aggravation that you can't fish it properly. Polo has missed several opportunities lately because the wind wouldn't let him fish the mainlake docks that he wanted to and knew that fish were on them. With shorter rods, you can get close to the docks and still shoot underneath them without worrying about breaking your rod tips on the hookset or the actual cast. I have let the wind keep me uptight against a dock and by getting on your knees, you can still hold the rod low to the water and shoot the jig back to the fish. Troublesome yes, but still possible to fish.
My rods are cheap. Shakespeare Micro graphite 5.0 UL's that have 5" from the tips removed per Fat Albert (greatest) $14.95 from Walmart. My reels are not cheap. I have a Quantam PT20 reel on one rod and Abu Garcia Cardinal 101 reel on the other. My favorite is the Cardinal 101. The next reels that I buy will be Cardinal 102's and/or 103's. Around $33+ at Walmart.
If you are not fishing Mr Crappie Hi-Vis yellow line, then something has to be wrong with the little noodle that is sitting on your shoulders. I fish with 4# test under docks, and I have grudgingly moved up to 6# on longer rods for Spot fishing at the Riverpark. You cannot find a better line for Crappie fishing than this. Order it from BPS for around 6.95 for a 3100 yard spool. Put the line in your freezer if you get it in bulk. That is a great tip for all you fishermen. Monofilament degrades at room temp, but retains its original strength if it is stored in a freezer. We have done numerous aging tests on nylon at Dupont where I used to work in the R&D lab.
One last benefit of using the slingshot method of delivery. Ever fish in the spring when the wind was blowing (when does it not ever blow in the spring) and had trouble with your accuracy? Using the slingshot method of delivery keeps the lure under the wind and on target. I use it all the time even in open water even if the wind isn't blowing. I just love to cast this way. Never gets your shoulders tired or achy. So I sacrifice 10 yards of distance from time to time. Who cares? I still catch my fair share of fish or more if it is windy enough, cause I will be on target more than a overhead caster will be.
I need to look back and see if my answer is longer than Polo's. Goodness, this gets good when you start talking about it. emoBigsmile emoGeezer
One final comment. A flimsy action spaghetti noodle like UL rod isn't good for this type of fishing. The rod needs a little backbone and when I had FA break off the tip of the rods that I use and put new tips on them 5" shorter, it stiffened up the rods just right, but still left a good fast tip so sensitivity wasn't compromised.
