By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

Just about anybody who fishes at the professional level these days can make a bait skip. Few, however, can do it with the proficiency of FLW Tour standout Bryan Thrift.

The North Carolinian grew up bouncing jigs underneath docks at Lake Wylie and Lake Norman and can literally pull off that feat with his eyes closed. His skipping repertoire isn't limited to just jigs, though.

Observers at last month's Forrest Wood Cup, which took place at South Carolina's Lake Murray, reported seeing Thrift skip a buzzbait under docks and pontoon boats. They said the distance between where his bait first made contact with the water and where it disappeared beneath the surface was a good 30 feet.

If they hadn't seen it, they wouldn't have believed it. We had a hard time buying it ourselves, but Thrift removed all skepticism on a recent visit to California's Clear Lake.

"My favorite time to do it is the heat of summer – July, August or September – but I'll do it anytime the fish are shallow," said the 2010 FLW Tour Angler of the Year. "If I'm fishing grass or rock, I'll have it rigged up so I have the option of skipping it under something when I want to."

Go Heavy or Go Home

Thrift says heavy buzzbaits (3/8- or 1/2-ounce) are much easier to skip than lighter models. Secondly, the bait needs a substantial plastic trailer threaded onto the hook.

"You can't skip a traditional buzzbait with just a skirt (and no trailer)," he said. "Don't even try it – all you'll be doing is picking out backlashes all day."

He did his demonstration at Clear Lake with a half-ounce Damiki MTB Noisy Buzzbait and a Damiki Gizzard Shad trailer.

"What the trailer does is give the bait enough surface area to skip and the extra weight allows that piece of plastic to hit first. That way it'll skip just like a jig or a fluke or something like that. It keeps the blade from digging into the water."



BassFan
Photo: BassFan

A substantial piece of plastic, such as the Damiki Gizzard Shad shown above, must be threaded onto the hook of a buzzbait in order to make it skip properly.

Make sure your rod is neither too heavy nor too long. A 6 1/2-footer is ideal, but one that's 6'9" should also work. The action should be no stiffer than medium-heavy.

"I use medium-heavy for whatever I'm skipping, even if it's a jig or something that people would normally use a flipping stick for. You don't want a stiff rod because you need a soft tip."

A decent-quality baitcasting reel is essential and it can be spooled with whatever line you choose.

"Line has no effect on skipping, but for people who want to learn, I'd suggest a good copolymer like 20-pound P-Line CXX. It's a little bit more limp and gives you some freedom when you're first learning because it allows a little room for error."

All in the Wrist Roll

Thrift said it's a good idea to tighten down all of the casting adjustments on your real before starting to practice skipping. This will not only prevent a lot of backlashes (or at least limit their severity), but also allow you to make the forceful throw that skipping requires.

Use a sidearm motion, then roll your wrist at the same time you release the spool.

"It's pretty much the same motion you'd use to get the spin on a curveball if you were throwing a baseball," he said. "And with a medium-heavy rod, it allows the bait to load up even more. That's what creates your speed that you need to make it skip.

"Another key thing is that once the bait hits the water, you have to follow through with the cast. Again, it's just like throwing a baseball or something like that – you have to follow through to keep it skipping.

"If you stop your rod as soon as the bait hits the water," he concluded, "It's just going to pile-drive right under the surface."