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Short days and often the coolest
weather of the year make it a perfect time to tune up on
your drop shot
skills. Bass bunch up this time of the year and will gather
in small bunches near rock or wood structure. Water temperatures
are at their lowest of the year making bass tough to coax.
I will always have a drop shot rod on the deck ready to put
in action when I see fish bunched up on the meter. Areas
are often small and you need to keep your bait near in their
living room for a period of time. I will keep my bait suspended
in the area for as long as several minutes. Baitfish like
threadfin shad are often small and swim slowly in cold water.
Bass will key in on these easy targets versus run down a
fast moving crank bait.
My tackle box selection will
focus on the essential elements for drop shotting.
Yamamoto
Cut Tail Worm 4"- This small
thin worm works wonders on the drop shot rig. I have found
that a few colors
will do the trick in most situations. My color selection
is #31 blue pearl with silver, #177 smoke with black and
siver, #208 watermelon with black and red, #236 rootbeer
with green and copper. I feel confident wherever I fish for
smallmouth, Spots, or largemouth. I will nose hook the bait
when moving it along searching for pods of fish using a #1
Gamakatsu drop shot or mosquito hook. I will wacky rig it
if I am keeping it in small area using a #1 Gamakatsu drop
shot hook. In the brush I will rig it texas style on #1 Owner
or Gamakatsu wide gap worm hook.
www.ownerhooks.com
www.gamakatsu.com
Main
Line- I have been using Crystal Fire
Line by Berkeley throughout the season. The line is thin,
tough, and very small in diameter. I use this low stretch
line over mono or Flurocarbon for my main line as it behaves
well on spinning gear, is very thin, strong, and sensitive.
I will use Crystal in 3(.75 diameter)and 4 lb. (1 lb. diameter)
test.
www.berkley-fishing.com
Attachment
of leader to line- I use
a very small Sampo Rosco crane swivel (size 12) to connect
my leader to the
line.
I like the smaller swivels as they do not affect the
action you will impart to the bait. The swivel also reduces
line
twist.
www.sampoinc.com
Leader- I use Super Finesse Flurocarbon by
Blackwater International for all of my drop shot leaders.
This line is very strong, nearly invisable and supple. Tie
your hook with a palomar knot and shove the dropper end of
the line back thru the hook eye. Your hook should be facing
with the point up!
www.blackwaterinternationalinc.com
Sinker- I prefer to use
the Tru-Tungsten worm weight in sizes 1/16, 1/8 and 3/16.
Attach by sliding weight up the dropper end of your leader
and attach a #10 crane swivel below the sinker to hold in
place. The tungsten sinker will give you a fast drop to your
target area and is less apt to snag because of its small
size.
www.tru-tungsten.com
Rod
and Reel- You will want
to choose a rod that is designed for drop shotting. These
rods have
a fast action and a soft tip. I use the Powell 701LEF drop
shot rod for winter drop shot fishing. This rod is light
soft and protects your leader. The rod feels great
in hand and is matched well with a 2500 size spinning reel.
I use the Shimano Stella 2500FB. This reel has the smoothest
drag of any spin reel made!
www.powellco.com
www.shimano.com
This is my selection for winter
drop shot fishing.
Please feel free to email
me with any questions
you might have.
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