It's Really Painful, But I'm Going to Do It

Giving drop shotting a fair shake.

My last trip out I was on WBL targeting smallmouth so I tied on a drop shot for the first time in years. When I had first learned it I got quite comfortable with it but soon found other ways I enjoyed more. Lost my touch with it. Gave it a fair shake yesterday and caught a lot of fish on it but all under a lb. Great to get the feel back but couldn’t figure out why I was only getting smaller fish. I’m guessing I need to upsize my plastics. Most were largemouth too. I think the bigger smallies (had they been around) would’ve eaten the plastics I was throwing. What are you guys putting on drop shots? Yesterday I had a Zman TRD Trickshot in a chartreuse color and then switch to a roboworm in black with a green tail.

And I have to admit, it wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be.

Once I tried it and started catching fish on it I was hooked. I now have half dozen or so strictly DS rods. It truly is an addiction. Love the “Video Game” type fishing as well. Seeing those marks rise to the bait is a blast.

munchy wrote:

Once I tried it and started catching fish on it I was hooked. I now have half dozen or so strictly DS rods. It truly is an addiction. Love the “Video Game” type fishing as well. Seeing those marks rise to the bait is a blast.

I think I need to do more of this when I use it. I was in 30-35 fow yesterday and shoul’ve probably just been dropping straight down. Although it was WAY windier than the 5 MPH the weatherman told me it would be yesterday. Felt like fall out there!

Yeah I will occasionally cast the DS but only if I’m searching or its shallow. Otherwise straight down. Also a lot less likely to get hung up in rocks.

I also learned the hard way not to use the pencil shaped DS weights, cannonballs only. The pencil shaped ones will randomly glide, sometimes 10 or 15 feet from where you dropped if the water is deep enough. Frustrating when you see a fish below and your lure disappears from the screen halfway down.

munchy wrote:

I also learned the hard way not to use the pencil shaped DS weights, cannonballs only. The pencil shaped ones will randomly glide, sometimes 10 or 15 feet from where you dropped if the water is deep enough. Frustrating when you see a fish below and your lure disappears from the screen halfway down.

Interesting. I could see how that would happen. Good tip there.

You guys ever use DS rig for panfish? I have and have had some luck, but have not used it a lot.

No but I could see how that would be effective on smaller gear. Especially for deep water jigging for suspended crappie. Might have to give that a try….

robby wrote:

You guys ever use DS rig for panfish? I have and have had some luck, but have not used it a lot.

Not specifically a DS rig. However I have used Splitshot rigs with good success, and they are very similar.

First as you know WBL is really not known for big LMBs (SMBs can get big out there, shhhhh) and DS is more of a numbers approach. I caught nice pumpkinseeds out there by the island mid-summer using a DS rig

It can be a numbers approach but for smallmouth it can catch giants. Prime example happened this morning on the St Lawrence River. Bassmaster Elite tourney brought a 7 lb 13 oz smallie to the scales caught on……..dropshot. I agree about the largemouth on dropshot though.

I use a crazy legs chigger craw 4in for LMB. Have had my best SMB luck with a KVD Dream shot— I think that’s the name. Unfortunately, pike love the chigger craw, too.

I’m not a huge fan of DS but do it from time to time. I try to think of it a little like Ned/Neko in terms of size though. Sometimes Ned works well, but a lot of times I just catch small fish or the little pecking perch. That’s how I got into Neko a few years ago… I started throwing 7-8 inch worms and that kept the little ones off for the most part. I started catching some nice LMB where previously I could hardly get my Ned to the bottom without… “rat-tat-tat“ from the guppies down there.

So I will occasionally use smaller worms for DS, but usually a little bigger like a Trick Worm, or I will wacky-style a 4 to 6 inch Senko, on a Neko style spin shot #4.

DS works but yeah I prefer other methods if they’re working…

I am pretty much addicted to dropshot. My biggest bass have come with this technique. Lately, I’ve been using exclusively the Z-Man Bang Stickz in 5.75″ green pumpkin, rigged wacky. My approach is a little unconventional in that I’m almost always pitching away from the boat. Most of the lakes I fish do not have a real deep bass bite, as in more than 20′, so I think the fish are boat shy. My best night of league was last week pitching this setup right to the edge of lily pads in about 6 fow. Had to work the edge slow and if you didn’t touch a pad on the cast, you didn’t get bit. I think the DS is far more versatile than most give it credit for.

I don’t care for the DS tactic either. I know it can be effective but its such a slow finesse method that I just don’t really have the patience for it.

On another note, I did something yesterday I haven’t done in years: I went night fishing. It was very effective too. I started at 8pm and established some spots before it got completely dark, dodging waves from recreational boats. Around 9pm I was the only person left on the lake. In the next 2 hours I caught 10 largemouth including 18, 19, and 20.5 inchers. The 20.5 is the biggest I’ve caught this season. Caught all 10 of them on a black spinner bait with a big colorado blade. Needless to say, I will be doing this again to avoid the heat of the day and boat traffic.

Shout out to Steve Root who gave me the idea. He had been posting photos of bass he was catching at 3:30am in the complete darkness.

I agree gimruis. I have some buddies that do it and seem to catch pigs. I can honestly say I’ve never tried it! Might have to change that soon.

mahtofire14 wrote:

I agree gimruis. I have some buddies that do it and seem to catch pigs. I can honestly say I’ve never tried it! Might have to change that soon.

I won’t be going at 3:30am like Steve though!

I can get up at 3:30 but I have to wander around the house like a zombie, make coffee, wonder why I’m up so early and I’m out by about 4:15.