TAKEOFF
TECHNIQUES
“ SHOOTING” DOCKS FOR BASS a unique sYsteM fRoM Gene laReW MaKes slinGshottinG Baits undeR docKs easY
By Colin Moore
Afew years ago, pro crappie fisherman Wally Marshall perfected a system of presenting small jigs underneath docks into tiny cubbyholes that seemingly a water snake might have trouble squeezing into.“ Mr. crappie,” as he’ s known on the pro crappie circuits, called his method“ shooting a dock,” and its effectiveness can be measured in the big pile of prize money Marshall has won in crappie derbies. Basically, the texas pro uses a fairly limber spinning rod teamed with a spinning reel to slingshot tiny baits under docks and into tight places. to a lesser extent bass fishermen adopted the technique, and those who have tried it have generally found that it’ s just as productive for catching bass lurking under docks as it is for slab-sides. any lure that’ s shaped and suited for skipping docks will work, and now some manufacturers are getting ahead in the game with their own versions of specialized lures and tackle. in 2016 Gene larew lures introduced its Bass shooter, a 3 1 / 4-inch soft-plastic baitfish imitator whose flat, streamlined design makes it ideal for shooting. the response from anglers has been favorable. likewise, lew’ s is marketing spinning rods designed especially for dock shooting.
When to Shoot according to flW tour pro andrew upshaw, who numbers Gene larew among his sponsors, the Bass shooter is effective any time bass are holding in the shade of docks or overhanging bank cover to ambush passing shad or juvenile crappie and bluegills. it enables an angler to present a bait in clear-water conditions without moving too close to a dock or other cover and spooking fish.
upshaw believes it’ s a bait with a tendency to get big bites, and it has a lot of potential for offshore schooling bass, or bass suspended on ledges.
“ it has a fluttering,‘ dying shad’ action if you let it just fall on its own,” he says,“ or you can twitch it upward in a darting motion once in a while for reaction bites.”
How it’ s Done the key to shooting baits such as the Bass shooter is to lower it about halfway off the tip of a spinning rod, snub the line with the reel hand, pull the jig back so that the line is parallel with the water’ s surface, point the rod at the target and let it fly. depending on how low the angler crouches when he releases the bait, and his accuracy, the bait will either skip across the water or fly straight and true to the destination. for safety’ s sake, Gene larew also sells small Bass shooter pull tabs( shown below) to use with the soft-plastic shiners or any other single-hook bait used for shooting. the elongated
22
FLWFISHING. COM I JULY 2018