How to Walk the Dog in Fishing

Walking the dog is an effective fishing technique used to lure a fish into striking. It calls for you to reel the bait in a wide, side-to-side motion using a topwater lure. The commotion it causes on the surface can lure fish from several feet deep. This technique hones your rhythm and can put you into the zone while waiting for that big strike.

Instructions

1. Choose a thick, heavy-test monofilament line. A thicker line will help float your bait. The rigidity of the line will keep the bait from floating over the line and catching on in the treble hooks.

2. Tie on a long surface bait, such as a stickbait. The torpedo shape of the bait will help it cut across the water and glide from side-to-side.

3. Cast and reel your bait in slowly. Twitch it gently with your wrist and pause. With each twitch, pull the rod tip slightly to either side. The pause allows the bait to glide forward under its own momentum, leaving your line slightly slack for a moment before your next twitch.

4. Find a rhythm with your twitching and pausing to create a smooth back-and-forth motion. To perform the the walk the dog technique effectively, bait should be moving side to side more than it is moving toward you.

5. Stop reeling and wait a few seconds every once in a while. Begin reeling again with the same motion and rhythm. When you begin reeling, be prepared for a strike; fish often go for the bait once it starts moving again.

Tips & Warnings

• To swim the bait further to one side, simply extend your pause between twitches to the left or right.

• If you have trouble finding your rhythm, slow the process. Beginners often twitch too fast or too hard without pausing long enough.