Crappie fishing at Weiss Lake conjures up many stereotypes of the sport. The healthy population of slabs on this northeast Alabama reservoir fall victim to the various methods of trolling and casting and the live-bait applications most often associated with the action.

Darrell Baker and fishing partner Kelly Matthews prepare to send a couple of jigs shooting up under a Weiss Lake dock. Photo by Greg McCain.

However, a growing number of anglers on this 30,000-acre Coosa River impoundment are practicing a slightly different approach to crappie fishing: shooting docks. Though slow to gain widespread acceptance in crappie circles, the technique an exhilarating change from the tedium of trolling or dunking a minnow under a float.

On a windy March afternoon, long-time Weiss Lake guide Darrell Baker and former guide Kelly Matthews demonstrated the potential of this tactic. Trolling in the Church House Slough area near Weiss Lake Dam had produced a few strays -- nothing like the numbers normally associated with Weiss at this time of year.

"Let's ease right over there and shoot those docks," Baker suggested.

Moments later, both anglers were standing on the front deck of Baker's boat, rods bent in a serious curve, anticipating the first "shot" of the day. Releasing their tiny Southern Pro jigs, the two guides doubled up almost immediately, and eventually caught nine crappie from beneath that single dock.

"That's how much fun shooting docks can be," Baker said after the frenzied action. "Find the right dock, and you can catch numbers of fish shooting."

Of course, "shooting docks" has nothing to do with firearms. The term describes the method of casting a tiny jig under the structures to tap a largely neglected segment of the Weiss Lake crappie population.

Despite growing popularity, shooting docks only accounts for a small percentage of the overall take of crappie on Weiss. Unlike, say, trolling, it isn't applicable year 'round. But in prime periods around the spawn or in fall, it adds a challenging element of variation to crappie fishing.

"It's not for everyone," Baker admitted. "We don't necessarily shoot docks a lot on our guide trips, although some of our clients like to try it. But it does offer a change of pace from trolling or bottom bumping or any other method of catching crappie."

Another well-known crappie angler is Russ Bailey, host of the Sportsman Channel's Midwest Crappie show. He loves the dock-shooting opportunities on Weiss Lake as much as he does any other technique, scheduling extended stretches on Weiss each year, as he depends on variety to maintain the popularity of his TV show and video series. That fact doesn't stop him from shooting docks at Weiss as often as possible.

"Well, it's just a lot of fun," Bailey explained, "and different from most other means of catching crappie. It's a lot more involved than trolling. There are a lot of different ways to catch crappie, but this is one that most fishermen haven't tried."

SHOOTING 101
Most dock-shooting experts use a "bow-and-arrow" or "slingshot" analogy to describe the process. Using a short, flexible rod, the shooter takes advantage of the rod's whip-like qualities to propel the lure underneath the structure. The motion is not a cast, a flip, or a pitch; neither is it an underhand toss. It's literally a shot, with the rod as a weapon.