he said. “You can sight fish year-round on the lake; so a good pair of sunglasses is a must. My Costa Blackfin sunglasses with a 580P Sunrise Silver Mirror lens allows me to see everything that is down in the water.”
HIDDEN TARGETS
While Lake Skinner is lined with visible cover to suit the most advanced bank beater, there are also some hidden targets under the water. “Lake Skinner is a good lake to learn how to use your electronics,” said Lain. “I use my Lowrance StructureScan® to locate the three or four boats that are sunken in the lake. Those boats always hold fish and can be a great place to throw a big swimbait or a jig.”
In addition to having sunken boats under the water, the lake has several offshore shell beds. These shell beds can produce great jig bites. “The lake’s shell beds are easily located using my StructureScan® on my Lowrance HDS12 Touch,” said Lain. “I like to throw a ½- or ¾-ounce green pumpkin Revenge football jig on 12- or 15- pound Toray fluorocarbon. Those Skinner bass love a football jig fished over the shell beds.”
Lain pairs his football jigs with either a green pumpkin Missile Baits Twin Turbo or a Reaction Innovation Sweat Beaver. He targets the 12- to 20-feet zone off of points or where his electronics show the presence of shell beds. Lain uses his Lowrance electronics connected via Wi-Fi to the Navionics app on his iPhone to sonar log the lake for better mapping and data for what is under the water. This allows Lain to
effectively locate structure such as the sunken boats or shell beds. Lain uploads the data that he sonar logs to www.navionics.com; so other anglers can have access to the freshest data on Lake Skinner.
FIRST TIMERS
Woods recommends that first time visitors to Lake Skinner simply pick up a pack of Yamamoto Senkos and simple go down the bank. “The lake has a lot of visible cover such as grass, brush and tules” said Woods. “It’s hard to beat throwing a five-inch green pumpkin Senko, Texas-rigged, weightless on 12-pound-test Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon.”
A Senko is a good choice due to the bait being weedless. The Senko can be fished effectively around the many targets that line the lake’s shoreline. Woods fishes his Senko on a 6:3:1 Daiwa Tatula baitcaster and a 7’2 Tatula medium-heavy Tatula rod.
He positions his Mercury powered Nitro in 10-feet of water and pitches and flips the Senko at the lake’s many tulle lined banks. Woods says that the strikes are plentiful as he watches for any slight jump of his line. Skinner Lake’s bass eat the Senko like they have never seen the soft plastic before and the bites are fierce. Woods routinely catches 15 to 20 fish per visit to the lake.
Lake Skinner offers two shade shelters and picnic benches and barbecues throughout the park for picnics and other gatherings. With 241 campsites, Lake Skinner’s campgrounds provide plenty of space for overnight or extended stays. Sites offers picnic
benches and fire rings. The lake has
excellent launching facilities and a
store that can accommodate most
away from home needs. The next
time you are looking for a place to
get away from the crowds
or somewhere to teach
someone to fish, please
give Lake Skinner a try.
Sorry guys, the secret’s
out! I’m sure there will be
a couple more bass boat
trailers in the parking
lot this spring enjoying
the fishing at little Lake
Skinner.
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