Skipping Jig under and/or overhang tree limbs

[Speedboat]

Just getting into skipping jigs. Like suggestion on best Rod / Reel / Fishing Line I might find to be advantageous?

[krindgen]

Your spinnerbait rod would be close to the perfect skipping rod. 6-10 or 7ft, I even use a 7-3 at times.

[Dr Spooner]

I prefer 6'/6'3" MXF, 20/30lb braid, casting

[Fishysam]

If you want adventurous get a Diawa tatula t-wing 103 in a high speed. 20 pound mono since its cheep like trileen XL, get a dock sniper rod from st croix. Mojo bass is 150$ legend tournament version is 250ish. Then get 4" Berkeley powerbait pit boss, bite the first section off and thread on a 3/8swim jig of your choice. I haven't dabbled in jigs specifically but the rest is a for sure win

set the brake on like 15 and literally cast at like 85% with a low flat swing and finish with the rod up, this helps keep the line out of the water. Practice mid lake take all visual ques out of the equation. Then after your successful slip into some cover and keep making the first skip off the water like 10-15 from the boat. Also dont get to close to the overhangs because then you back down on power and rhythm goes down and you backlast.

[FALCONflyer200]

I prefer the Lews skipping reel. Here in SC we have tons of floating docks with 2 inches of clearance to get baits in. I used to struggle now i am an dead eye on most days. I used to fish behind my dad who was pretty good. I got the Lews SP and I caught up with him and now he cant get A bait where im getting. He used practice to get good I purchased my skill LOL. All reels will skip with enough practice but the SP is a machine for me. On the rod Im 6'5" so I use a 7'8" rod and 20 invisx. If the cover is thick enough like where im going in 2 weeks in Alabama Ill switch up to braid.

[catdude28]

Tatula SV is the best skipping reel that i have. It is the reel that I learned how to skip with. I only fish 40 or 50 pound braid on it. Lots of vids on you tube for skipping. Andy Montgomery's are my favourites.

[basscat21]

Your spinnerbait rod would be close to the perfect skipping rod. 6-10 or 7ft, I even use a 7-3 at times.

This is very true, what ever your flavor of rods...reels same, you can skip with any reel...

[scotty34]

I use the following.
ALX Deputy Lews tour mp 12lb flouro
ALX Skipper Lews tour mp 15lb flouro
Both work great , I skip tubes, and GRT jigs with them.

[DrewFlu33]

I'm a Daiwa and Phenix fanboy, so I use that combo quite a lot. I agree with catdude on the SV reel for skipping. In general they work awesome, but within the Tatula SV series, the 2020 version (SV TWS 103) was a pretty substantial step up from the 2017 version (SV TW) when it comes to control in my opinion. Make sure to get the newer one if you go that route.

As for the rod, I generally want a soft tip that transitions fairly quickly to the backbone. For me, it's tough to beat the Phenix Feather series in general for anything bottom contact, and the 6'9" MH version would be a great choice as an all-around short-range stick. Great tip, super lightweight, really sensitive, and economical at like $150. The rod I use for it is one I built on the 7'1" H blank that I cut down to 6'9". I can skip with 7 footers, but taking a little length off makes me more accurate. Of course the downside is you can't cast as far or have as much control over fish, so this rod gets used almost exclusively for close-quarters work.

I tend to throw braid to leader on my setups I use for skipping (and a lot of other setups to be honest), but I think going straight heavy braid or with heavier mono/fluoro is probably the best thing to do while you're learning. The same braid you put on a frog rod would be the simplest since even the gnarliest backlashes can usually be rescued without ruining the line. One tip that a lot of folks use is to pull off about a cast and a half's worth of line, then wrap the spool with tape. This stops any backlashes you get from going really deep on the spool and wrecking everything. Electrical tape works, but will leave residue. I used self-fusing tape (feels like electrical tape, but only sticks to itself...available in the tape section of any big-box hardware store) to avoid that.

If you have a decently-sized area of pavement or concrete, you can practice skipping on dry land too. I stood on an upside-down 5 gallon bucket to mimic the height that my boat sits off the water and skipped baits across my driveway underneath obstacles I sat out. It's a little easier to skip on pavement than water, but the general motion is the same. You will tear up your line and any jigs you use, so keep that in mind, but it's a great way to practice without worrying about boat control, wave action, or all of the issues we encounter around docks. Only issue is that people driving by thought I was nuts...don't really care about that myself though. Now I live out in the country so that anybody driving by is a rarity anyhow.

[jay74]

I use a Dobyns skipping rod with a Metanium XG to skip docks. In Georgia it starts to get cold in late October and really cold December through late February. I fish docks (I focus on metal/iron/steel dock posts because they warm up quicker that the standard wooden posts) 95% of the time. This combo is excellent for long skips. I use 1/4 oz. or a 5/16 oz. jig because of the slower rate of fall and the tip action of the Dobyns skipping rod allows me to get the jig way up under the dock. I absolutely love skipping docks in late fall and all winter up until early spring. You also have the lake to yourself in most cases. Just my 2 cents worth.

Good luck!