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Skippin - Skip Casting 101
By Jeff Wilton
...there are not many better things to witness than a perfectly presented soft plastic that has been expertly (or luckily) skipped through several branches, under an overhang, around the snag, landing spot on in the strike zone... that gets MONSTERED instantaneously by the snapping jaws of a fired-up jack!
Just typing that puts a smile to my face and makes the casting arm all twitchy!
We have all read about it and watched countless clips on the internet but sometimes attempting to learn new techniques can be rather tricky. As anglers we need to build knowledge and skills to maximise our chances of catching fish. For me, moving to North Queensland 15 years ago has seen my fishing knowledge and techniques build rather quickly as the range of fishing options is simply endless. This need to upskill is also due to the fact some waterways are heavily fished, meaning I need to get better to get results.
For the last three years I have been trying to perfect skip casting as I my love of chasing mangrove jack knows no bounds. For those who don't know what skip casting is, it is simply the process of casting a soft plastic across the surface of the water, normally under overhangs in the bank or mangroves. This is also handy for anglers casting under pontoons and other heavy structures, where a traditional cast won't allow your plastic to get close enough into the strike zone. When the cast is made correctly, the soft plastic will actually skip across the water for the majority of the cast distance, very similar to skipping a stone across a river (which we will talk about again soon).
Below is a basic rundown of gear, with the odd tip and technique that I have picked up over the years. I am by far no expert, however my passion for a well-made skip cast is strong. As with the majority of soft plastics fishing, choosing the correct gear is half the battle. Then it comes down to getting out there and practising. To practise skip casting you really need to get on the water, unlike casting in the backyard into buckets, etc., which is another reason why it is a little more advanced and difficult.
Soft Plastics & Jigheads
Ok, so I must first point out that not all soft plastics will skip well. In fact, some skip very poorly and others skip like bullets. Understanding why this is will help you when choosing what to tie on. There is no rule to this, however in most situations if the plastic has a good surface area and not too many bits and pieces hanging around, it should skip well. When choosing a plastic, try and imagine it skipping across the water. If you feel it may catch or tumble on the water, then chances are it isn't going to skip well.
Jighead selection is also critical as the weight of the head will assist (or not assist) the skipping capabilities of your plastic. For the angler to skip a plastic, the plastic needs to be heavy enough on its own or a weighted jighead needs to be added. This weight will help the plastic to skip over some distance when you cast. If the weight is too heavy the plastic will catch too much water, not travel far and want to sink. If the weight is too light the plastic will not skip much and casting distance will be heavily reduced. So, given the above information, it is critical to match the plastic to the jighead. The following is a starting guide to matching some of my favourite ZMan soft plastics with the appropriate TT Lures jigheads when targeting barramundi and mangrove jack.
- ZMan 4" Pop FrogZ - ChinlockZ 4/0 unweighted
- ZMan 2.75" Finesse FrogZ - ChinlockZ 2/0, 3/0 unweighted or ChinlockZ SWS 1/12oz
- ZMan 3" MinnowZ - HeadlockZ 3/0 in 1/8oz - 1/2oz, 3/0 ChinlockZ or ChinlockZ SWS 1/12oz
- ZMan 4" DieZel MinnowZ or SwimmerZ - HeadlockZ 4/0 in 1/8oz - 1/2oz or 4/0 ChinlockZ
- ZMan 5" Diezel - HeadlockZ 6/0 in 1/4oz - 5/8oz or 6/0 ChinlockZ
Rods, Reels, Braid & Leader
Now, I'm pretty sure that some master skippers out there could skip cast with pretty much any rod and reel but there are some definite choices that will make things easier. Starting off with spin gear is the easiest as it gives you the chance to get the casting motion down pat, without having to worry about bird nesting your reel. There is no need to go out and purchase specialised combos as long as you have a few lighter rods and reels lying about. Probably the most common mistake is anglers attempting to use gear that is way too heavy for this style of fishing. If I was to make any suggestions, it would be longer rods, of around 7' with a crisp fast action, matched to small reels. Baitcast setups need to be well balanced. I would be suggesting reels that offer various spool controls and magnetic breaking to play with whilst casting, to minimise backlash and bird nests.
As always matching your plastic size and weight to your rod and reel is critical. There is no point casting large heavy plastics with a very light rod and vice versa. Personally, I use a 2-4kg or 3-6kg rated rod 99% of the time and find that I can skip smaller plastics through to larger plastics, such as ZMan 5" DieZel MinnowZ, no worries. Braid should be kept light when possible, 8lb to 20lb maximum, with thin and slick braids flying off the spool easier, which in turn assists with the cast. Match up leader to braid as always. Again, lighter leaders will help as they will not catch the water as much, with heavier leaders hindering the skipping plastic. Good leader to braid knots, such as an FG, are also important as it is critical that nothing hinders the line flowing through the guides whilst making the cast.
Making That Cast
The best example that I can give you about skip casting is to imagine skipping a flat stone across a river. Getting the stone down low, looking where you want that first skip to start and letting it go with timing and speed. You want that stone to start just off the water, then start into multiple small skips.
A few simple tips that may assist you are as follows:
- Visualise where you want your plastic to end up, taking into consideration the overhang or structure that you need the plastic to skip under.
- Keep the plastic off the rod tip by around 50-60cm before casting. This allows a little momentum when the cast is begun and helps start the plastic skipping motion.
- Rod tip low on back cast and kept low in a sweeping motion with rod. Use the rod loading up to propel the plastic forward.
- After the forward cast is complete and plastic is skipping, keep the rod tip facing up a little as this will help keep the plastic skipping rather than trying to dig in.
- Try to use just the one hand for casting, meaning your other hand is ready to flip bail arm and commence the retrieve. It is easier to get the correct motion using one hand anyway.
Start small and try practice casting in easier situations, such as a single branch, to get the motion happening. It can be frustrating trying to begin this style of fishing in gnarly territory and repeatedly having to motor in and retrieve your plastic from snags. Add to this the odd fish snapping away, way down the back and you can't get to them yet... rod rage may occur quickly. Perfecting this casting technique will take time and I think no matter how long you do it, you can always improve. It is a very good technique to have up your sleeve as it simply means that you will be able to put your offering into the strike zone more often. Skip casting also means that you will be fishing water that the majority of anglers haven't as normal casts are not able to get close enough to where the fish are hiding.
Good luck perfecting this casting style. I will guarantee that once you can consistently start making these casts your catch rates will improve. If I can leave you with one last thought it would be to now start imagining trying to extract the fish back out from there hidden home...
Cheers, Jeff