anglers said that their Skeeters draft extremely shallow, preventing the keel from dragging in all but the skinniest water, and that they use their Power Poles extensively to hold them in the perfect position.
“Lots of times you see people blow shallow docks out with their trolling motors,” Dove said. “From post-spawn in to early fall, I want to keep my boat as far away from the target as possible. No closer than 10 yards. From 30 to 45 feet is great. If you get much closer, it’s harder to skip. You may get some bites on the perimeter, but the key is to get under the dock where his house is and where he feels secure.”
Some individual docks tend to hold more fish than their counterparts despite the fact that they’re seemingly indistinguishable from the others. Still, Dove said that each bite should provide a clue for how and where to search out you’re next one. “It’s 100 percent something that you pattern,” he explained. “It could be steps or ladders or the amount of clearance. Those are things that play a role in positioning.” On tidal waters docks may replenish in the course of an hour or two. On some lakes it may take much longer, but even then
Even the most inconspicuous dock can be productive, sometimes for reasons that are unclear. Often older ones hold more fish.
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