Skipping Reels, Are they worth it?

[Crankin]

Pitching docks isn't a big part of my game but it really should be . I really need to up my game as far as skipping docks. My lake here is a big grass lake but there are plenty of docks that I should be getting under instead of just hitiing the side , back , and front.

I'm considering trading one of my shimano 200 currado's for a Lew's SP. The hope is that the reel will help improve my skipping and I will have it as a dedicated rod spooled with 20 # floro. My concern is that the SP is just a marketing gimmick and that it really doesn't help. I don't want to get stuck with a reel that has limited uses and doesn't help my skipping.

Thoughts

[BigFishSteve]

Seriously, get a size 10, 20, 25 reel and put on any spinning rod that is less than super bass stiff. Put some yellow #6 line and in a dozen casts you can be putting your favorite bait way back up under there. It’s not rocket science. You can put together a working combo gif $100 from your Walmart. Go right behind another boat and skip a 3-4” grub under there. Then decide if you want to yell “There’s one” of just silently pull some fish out of there.

[Mark Perry]

Depends on if you use the skipping presentation a lot. They are good with pitching too.

[bassfisher444]

You can skip with just about any baitcaster, using the correct rod and lure is more important than the reel when it comes to skipping. I don't use fluorocarbon, either Pline C21 or CXX copolymer, cheaper, stronger and casts better than floro.

[basscat21]

You can skip with just about any baitcaster, using the correct rod and lure is more important than the reel when it comes to skipping. I don't use fluorocarbon, either Pline C21 or CXX copolymer, cheaper, stronger and casts better than floro.

Agree with this, I beleive the free-er the reel the better, with thumb control. Not a fan of SV for skipping, its too restricted. I don't feel you need a specialized reel, the rod is more a factor.

[MattVT18]

More practice, less searching for "skipping" gear. I will say the Tatula SV can lessen the curve, but they act differently from "regular" reels, so learning with one of them will only get you so far. They can also mask some bad technique that will blow up other reels. I learned to skip way before skipping was mainstream. I used round Abu reels on short rods because that's what I had. I always encourage folks to find something you already have, there isn't a real need to special gear. Don't be afraid to try things against the grain so to speak. You'll read about short (6'6-6'9) rods being preferred, but that just someone's opinion. My two main skipping setups the last couple of years are a 7'6 OG Tatula rod paired with a Taula SV reel and a 7'5 Loomis GLX 894 with a Curado 70. They are quite different to use but having the foundation and mechanics down make the transition easier. FYI - I don't set out to skip, if I need to skip a bait I do. The two combos are my main jig and plastics rods but I'll skip vibrating jigs and buzz baits as well regardless of the rod/reel they are on.

[MLCA]

You can skip with just about any baitcaster, using the correct rod and lure is more important than the reel when it comes to skipping. I don't use fluorocarbon, either Pline C21 or CXX copolymer, cheaper, stronger and casts better than floro.

braid is the best for me but i don't like putting extra knots on my line so what i found out to work best with fluoro is to only have my reel spolled 40-70% line capacity that way i hardly ever get a birds nest on those casts where you mess up every once in a while

[WStorey]

I skip just fine with a Daiwa Tatula CT and 20lb seaguar Invizx.

[Bjxds]

Lews works well for me.

[Delta Bass Fool]

I’ll try to remember to post back after I get the Lews Pro SP figured out and skipping then have time to try skipping with the Tatula SV.

[bassfisher444]

braid is the best for me but i don't like putting extra knots on my line so what i found out to work best with fluoro is to only have my reel spolled 40-70% line capacity that way i hardly ever get a birds nest on those casts where you mess up every once in a while

I don't like braid around docks or wood cover, catches and digs into it to easily.

[SoonerFan]

I ruined several spools of Invizix trying to learn to skip with Curados and Cronarchs. That was a few years back when Andy Montgomery and Ott was doing it a lot on MLF. So I go whole hog on Andy Montgomery rod and Tatula SV TWS. I have never bought a rod just because a pro endorsed it but I did that time. I liked the reel so much that I became a Daiwa convert and bought several more. I found I could skip pretty good with just about any rod the Tatula SV TWS was on. I put one on my Falcon Cara Headturner and found it skips a jig better than the Daiwa 6'9" Tatula Andy rod. I seldom take the Andy rod out of the locker.

[chris c]

You can skip with any baitcaster. One tip that I almost never see mentioned is don’t fill your spool but about 3/4 full, this will cut down aboit 90% of your backlashes when skipping.

[chris c]

I personally do not like the sv spools for skipping. Feels like it slows the lure down too much for me.

[WStorey]

The best way to reduce back lashes is just make a long cast and put a piece of electrical tape over the line on the spool. This will keep deep back lashes from happening.

[wareagle24]

Pitching docks isn't a big part of my game but it really should be . I really need to up my game as far as skipping docks. My lake here is a big grass lake but there are plenty of docks that I should be getting under instead of just hitiing the side , back , and front.

There's lots of docks and covered boat houses on Guntersville. If you're not getting a bait under them then you're missing a ton of catchable bass. I was in a similar situation as you. I could skip a Senko under them with a spinning rod but I just couldn't get the hang of doing it with a baitcaster. When I retired 3 years ago I set my mind that I was going to learn how to do it.

I watched videos and searched alot of threads on here. I practiced and practiced. I got frustrated and sometimes just flat out pissed off while learning. One day it just clicked. Here's what learned. I quit trying to skip into a foot wide opening like the pros do. I got comfortable just putting in under a wide open dock. My bait of choice was a 4" Pit Boss pegged on a 5/16 tungsten weight. The wide flat body worked good for skipping. The rod that I still use is a 7' 1" MH Fast G Loomis IMX Pro. It may not be the "correct" skipping rod but it works for me. I use a Quantum Icon PT and put about a half spool of P Line C21 co-polymer on it. I'm still not where I want to be but I can skip under pontoons, bushes and most docks without banging into them.

One last thing. Gerald Swindle said in one of his videos that he don't know of any pro that can skip in choppy water. Keep that in mind when learning.

[Delta Bass Fool]

One last thing. Gerald Swindle said in one of his videos that he don't know of any pro that can skip in choppy water. Keep that in mind when learning.

[Crankin]

There's lots of docks and covered boat houses on Guntersville. If you're not getting a bait under them then you're missing a ton of catchable bass. I was in a similar situation as you. I could skip a Senko under them with a spinning rod but I just couldn't get the hang of doing it with a baitcaster. When I retired 3 years ago I set my mind that I was going to learn how to do it.

I watched videos and searched alot of threads on here. I practiced and practiced. I got frustrated and sometimes just flat out pissed off while learning. One day it just clicked. Here's what learned. I quit trying to skip into a foot wide opening like the pros do. I got comfortable just putting in under a wide open dock. My bait of choice was a 4" Pit Boss pegged on a 5/16 tungsten weight. The wide flat body worked good for skipping. The rod that I still use is a 7' 1" MH Fast G Loomis IMX Pro. It may not be the "correct" skipping rod but it works for me. I use a Quantum Icon PT and put about a half spool of P Line C21 co-polymer on it. I'm still not where I want to be but I can skip under pontoons, bushes and most docks without banging into them.

One last thing. Gerald Swindle said in one of his videos that he don't know of any pro that can skip in choppy water. Keep that in mind when learning.

Yep I know that I'm leaving fish under those docks that why I want to take the time to learn. I thought i might try a skipping reel but from the sounds of everyone so far they really aren't worth it. I like the idea of using half a spool.

[BigFishSteve]

There's lots of docks and covered boat houses on Guntersville. If you're not getting a bait under them then you're missing a ton of catchable bass. I was in a similar situation as you. I could skip a Senko under them with a spinning rod but I just couldn't get the hang of doing it with a baitcaster. When I retired 3 years ago I set my mind that I was going to learn how to do it.

I watched videos and searched alot of threads on here. I practiced and practiced. I got frustrated and sometimes just flat out pissed off while learning. One day it just clicked. Here's what learned. I quit trying to skip into a foot wide opening like the pros do. I got comfortable just putting in under a wide open dock. My bait of choice was a 4" Pit Boss pegged on a 5/16 tungsten weight. The wide flat body worked good for skipping. The rod that I still use is a 7' 1" MH Fast G Loomis IMX Pro. It may not be the "correct" skipping rod but it works for me. I use a Quantum Icon PT and put about a half spool of P Line C21 co-polymer on it. I'm still not where I want to be but I can skip under pontoons, bushes and most docks without banging into them.

One last thing. Gerald Swindle said in one of his videos that he don't know of any pro that can skip in choppy water. Keep that in mind when learning.

I don’t get it. You were doing what was needed just fine with spinning gear. Why the need to change what was working? We’re you getting picked on for using spinning gear?

[wareagle24]

I don’t get it. You were doing what was needed just fine with spinning gear. Why the need to change what was working? We’re you getting picked on for using spinning gear?

Wasn't picked on. The spinning rod was fine for skipping whacky rigged Senkos because I was using a medium with moderate action but was terrible when I tried to skip a chatterbait, jig or anything else that had some weight to it.