Brett Collins of Ridgeway, who runs the Carolina Anglers Team Trail, said that skipping lures back under docks is a good technique throughout the year, but it can be especially beneficial in February.
“Some bass will be under these docks, but when the water is cold, they won’t eat much or even move much,” Collins said. “They aren’t going to waste energy chasing baits, and they’ll sometimes sit 10, 20, even 30 feet under a dock. The only way to get a lure to them is by skipping it.”
The lure of choice for skipping is a jig, and it’s just like skipping stones. Like most anglers, Collins uses baitcasting gear for skipping docks. Where most anglers mess up, he said, is not getting the lure in the water soon enough.
“The jig should hit the water fast, almost immediately, and at a flat angle,” Collins said.
If done properly, the jig should skip as many as a dozen times before sinking, well back under a dock in front of a bass that likely hasn’t seen a lure in quite some time.
Skipping isn’t just for docks. Anglers often skip jigs under pontoon boats, threading the needle between the outboard motor and each pontoon.
“Especially in the winter, a lot of these boats are parked there for weeks without being moved,” Collins said. “So to these bass, they are just like docks or other permanent structures. They will hide under there when it’s cold and not move unless an easy meal comes by.
Because these fish aren’t interested in wasting energy chasing small baits, Collins said half-ounce or bigger jigs are common this time of year. The bigger jigs move more water, give off more vibration and is the kind of big bite a bass prefers.
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