# Skip jack



## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

can anyone point me in the right direction to find skips? I have a trip planned for the beginning of October and I'm thinking of heading down and just spend a day trying to catch some to freeze up. I am new to the river and really new to skips. I have caught a few here and there in my castanet getting shad but I can't find any with any consistency. I hate to make a 2-3 hr drive just to find out I can't get any. Any and all I do is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance guys


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

The dams are your best bet. They are in thickest in the spring but you can still catch a handful here and there around here. If you are trying to really load up on them now your best bet would be to head south and hit TN or Alabama.

Around here you can hit Greenup Dam, Meldahl Dam, Racine, etc... you can catch them but you never know how many you will actually get. Sometimes 1, sometimes 10, sometimes 50.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

Hmm, not what I really wanted to hear lol. Hopefully I can find some, don't need a ton but I'd like to have some for the trip we have planned, I like to vary my baits as much as possible. Any bait stores carey them? We will be staying pretty close to the Belleville dam


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## stonefly71 (Apr 14, 2004)

good luck cause most we been finding are small 3-5 inch fish you might get a bigger one here or there but be better trying to fish for mooneye or shad.But mooneye dont freeze well at all.Another month and there will be 6-8 inch fishing moving in if we get lucky. this year has been all screwed up. I'm hitting river Saturday for the day I'll let you know how I do


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

stonefly71 said:


> good luck cause most we been finding are small 3-5 inch fish you might get a bigger one here or there but be better trying to fish for mooneye or shad.But mooneye dont freeze well at all.Another month and there will be 6-8 inch fishing moving in if we get lucky. this year has been all screwed up. I'm hitting river Saturday for the day I'll let you know how I do


Thank you sir much appreciated, I've never used mooneye, I can get all the shad I want so. It worried about that. Do they usually move back in in the fall? My trip is the first weekend in October, so I have a little bit of time. I usually bring shad, bluegill/sunfish, and chubs with me. But I like the idea of using skips. I want to see if all the hype is worth it or not


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Definitely worth the effort for skips. When you get on them. Don't leave till you've filled up a cooler take home vacuum pack and freeze them.


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## GMRcatman (Mar 16, 2008)

If worse comes to worse before your trip let me know. I can get you hooked up with a legitimate bait dealer that has the best legal operation around, and their bait quality and prices are excellent.


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## TClark (Apr 20, 2007)

I always put bait fish on a sheet pan and freeze, THEN vacuum pack. simply because if you don't, you'll be squeezing the blood out of them.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

Salmonid said:


> Definitely worth the effort for skips. When you get on them. Don't leave till you've filled up a cooler take home vacuum pack and freeze them.


That's the plan, want to take a day and do just that. Need some guidance so I'm not driving around aimlessly lol


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

I was hoping you'd get better info on skips . I'd like to know myself how to chase them down this time of year.


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## stonefly71 (Apr 14, 2004)

They will be 6-9 inches,might get a few larger ones,might want to bring some minnows And if they don't have the water Jacked up by then for fall pool level. But if you have a boat find a warm water discharge at one of power plants and you will be good. 1st week of October Walleye and Sauger should be moved in also.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

stonefly71 said:


> They will be 6-9 inches,might get a few larger ones,might want to bring some minnows And if they don't have the water Jacked up by then for fall pool level. But if you have a boat find a warm water discharge at one of power plants and you will be good. 1st week of October Walleye and Sauger should be moved in also.


May take a trip do n one day next weekend. I know it's the holiday so it will be packed but I can deal with it lol


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

Ok so they are calling for some heavy rain this weekend, was thinking of making the drive down Saturday and seeing what I can do as far as catching bait. Does the high water push them out of the dams? Or would it still be worth a shot


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## Dolla5!3 (Jan 13, 2017)

GMRcatman said:


> If worse comes to worse before your trip let me know. I can get you hooked up with a legitimate bait dealer that has the best legal operation around, and their bait quality and prices are excellent.


i may have to hit your bait man up


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

Any reports?


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I was at Markland last Thursday I got about 40 of them. Biggest was about 6". Seriously I kept hoping to get a few bigger ones. Nope.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

Well I guess 6" is better than nothing, hopefully there will be some around Belleville


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

You can catch all the small ones you want at the dams right now. Bigger ones are harder to come by. They are there but not in thick. My dad has been fishing Meldahl a lot and when he catches the bigger skipjacks its on live emerald shiners under a slip float.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

fishdealer04 said:


> You can catch all the small ones you want at the dams right now. Bigger ones are harder to come by. They are there but not in thick. My dad has been fishing Meldahl a lot and when he catches the bigger skipjacks its on live emerald shiners under a slip float.


Thank you sir! I will be giving it a shot. For casting should I go sabiki rig or double up on jigs? Figure I can fish two poles if I have minnows and a bobber


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

Using white jigs? What size.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

Small sabiki rigs are the way to go for the small skipjack. They will hit jigs too but you will have a higher hookup ratio with the smaller sabiki's.


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## GMRcatman (Mar 16, 2008)

It's probably out of your way but I have vacuum sealed large skips. They are 4 to a pack. I no longer am in the bait business so if you would like some I will give you some for free. I live in between Dayton and Cincinnati. Nothing worse than having a trip planned but no bait. BTW, they still work well. Caught a 50 pounder on they last Sunday morning.


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Very generous of you GMRcatman


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## cali2ohio (Nov 27, 2010)

GMRcatman said:


> It's probably out of your way but I have vacuum sealed large skips. They are 4 to a pack. I no longer am in the bait business so if you would like some I will give you some for free. I live in between Dayton and Cincinnati. Nothing worse than having a trip planned but no bait. BTW, they still work well. Caught a 50 pounder on they last Sunday morning.


If he don't pick them up.... I would be happy to purchase


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## Dolla5!3 (Jan 13, 2017)

im happy to purchase some to right at this very moment


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

GMRcatman said:


> It's probably out of your way but I have vacuum sealed large skips. They are 4 to a pack. I no longer am in the bait business so if you would like some I will give you some for free. I live in between Dayton and Cincinnati. Nothing worse than having a trip planned but no bait. BTW, they still work well. Caught a 50 pounder on they last Sunday morning.


Gmrcatman I appreciate the offer! Very generous, unfortunately you are way out of my way, like 2 hrs, but none the less thanks for the offer


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## GMRcatman (Mar 16, 2008)

Don't want this thread to be hijacked. I PM'd Cali and Dolla513 about Skipjack. Just don't want to give the impression that I am a bait dealer.


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