Drop Shotting

[Old Ironmaker]

LOL old, I used live bait at time on Lake Erie fun fishing. It's a rarity for bait shops here to sell leeches, but with a fuzzy grub and a golden shiner or bigger chub you could locate smallies in a hurry! If you could keep the walleye away!

Don't you hate it when a 28" Walleye or 14" Perch takes your Leech when you are fishing for Bass on Erie? It drives me bonkers I tell ya.

[OhioFisherman]

It was worse when you paid for crawfish to feed to sheephead! LOL

[Old Ironmaker]

It was worse when you paid for crawfish to feed to sheephead! LOL

We call them " Farm Animals" here. Last year we had a flat line out 300 feet and guess who's turn it was? It feels like a Walleye even gives a flash of Walleye color 100 feet back. Nope farmfish's still a fish caught in my books regardlessof the guffaws from my mates.

[OhioFisherman]

Lake Erie Silver bass! Yes, they do fight like a walleye, but I held walleye up for pictures a couple of times! LOL

[Old Ironmaker]

I'll take a nice 1 to 2 lb. Silver Bass or White Perch whatever you call them fresh any day for a nice feed, as good as perch fresh. A 2 day old fillet tastes like Cat food gone bad though. Never good out of the freezer too. When the Hydro Plant at Nanticoke was running you could catch them on a bare jig when they were running in April and fill a boat with them. 200 was our best day in 83', I thought we were going to sink the 15 footer. Those days are gonzo. Miss Wynne shut the plant and 400 jobs down because of the C02 emmisions waffting pollutants going to Ontario, Michigan, NY, PA and Ohio and maybe Kentucky too. You are more than welcomed. Really it was bad, we could see the brown crap going across the lake everyday heading for western NY. a good decision really.

 

It was announced this week a solar farm is going in on the site, a few hundred acres I read today. Better then nada but no warm water run off. If they take down the stacks I won't be able to know where the Walleye are. The standing joke out here is when you ask someone where they are hitting we say strait off the stacks. You can see the stacks from Erie PA. That's a lot off water.

[singingdog]

Don't overthink dropshot: it's just a different configuration of weight/hook (there are only 3) that allows for a suspended presentation. If a bait works on a splitshot, Trig, or on a jig, it will work on a dropshot. It doesn't have to be a downsized presentation. I sometimes dropshot full-sized flukes above a 1/2 to 3/4 oz weight as an alternative to pitching/flipping jigs.

[Acountdeleted]

Personally, though the VMC spinshot hooks can eliminate some line twist, I prefer tying hooks direct. The less knots the better IMO.

 

Dropshotting is versatile no doubt. Ever tried flipping docks with a dropshot? Use a 1/2 to 3/4 weigh and have your creature about 12" up. You can flip it in and LEAVE it there for as long as you like without the bait burying itself in the weeds/mud. Stays up in the strike zone like a neutral buoyancy bait.

 

 

This is probably my favourite way to fish dropshot. Off of my buddies dock or in the current that flows from the river into my parents lake, its always been deadly.

[netminder]

Netminder, if you are thinking about hitting Erie for some beauty Smallies drop me a PM and I will be able to get you onto some fish and where to launch from here.

 

If anyone does fish Erie for Smallies with live bait a live leech will out fish live minnows on any day other than fall, then it's the largest minnow you can get. Even a black twister tail grub Carolina, California, Jig and stinger rig or actually any style weight and to get the presentation down will do the trick with an artificial leech. I have used even a Pickerel rig with 2 leaches and hammered them drifting. They don't call me the Bassassin for nothin'. Go ahead laff out load.

Thanks! I might take you up on that someday. Not sure my vessel is really seaworthy though, or at least something I should be taking out on Erie, unless it's within shouting distance of the boat launch though!

[Garnet]

Spinshot invented by a Canadian guy. Anybody that's went to a show or in store has likely talked to him.

[Old Ironmaker]

Thanks! I might take you up on that someday. Not sure my vessel is really seaworthy though, or at least something I should be taking out on Erie, unless it's within shouting distance of the boat launch though!

Mine is and you're more than welcomed to come aboard any time this year. 19' StarCraft deep V, 115 Mariner and 15 Mariner kicker. VHS, GPS and sonar X3 with Motor Guide hood ornament. We pick our days out here.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Old Ironmaker

[AKRISONER]

lots of great info here, I am a little different than a lot of these guys, but the results speak for themselves.

 

First of all I fish Georgian Bay, which means that 5-10lb pike run ins are an ever day occurance so I run a much beefier set up. If there are pike in the lake you are fishing, I would stay the heck away from bothering with the finesse test. The water is also Gin clear and its absolutely normal to be able to see 30 feet down like looking through a window. I have no issues using heavier gear in water like this so the whole finesse deal is Bull to me...these are bass we are talking about, not browns.

 

This past year I would argue that i fished a drop shot nearly 80% of the time while hunting for smallies. In the fall I also used a drop shot 95% of the time while fishing for walleye. The only exception was morning top water, spring spinner baits and fall swimbaits on deep suspended fish chasing bait.

 

My go to rig is 20lb power pro, uni knotted to a 3 foot long 20lb fluro leader.

 

I have been using TTI stand out hooks https://www.ttiblakemore.com/product-category/standout-hooks/typically half way up the leader (can adjust all of this depending on where you are marking fish) I like the TTI stand up hooks because the hook keeps the bait on a perfect profile but also provides some meat to your hookset, typically the fish hit it and dont come off

 

to pencil or regular drop shot weights as long as they have a swivel. Whatever you do, i suggest you use as little weight as possible while still allowing you to get down and stay still. If its windy like it is on GB nearly every single day or you are fishing current, you have to go a little heavier with the weight to stay put.

 

My favourite technique is to literally deadstick the bait...then wiggle it ever so slightly, then put it right back to dead stick. Keep your weight sitting on bottom but put tension on the rod...your line needs to be tight, but your weight still needs to be on bottom. When a bass hits your rod will set the fish itself and typically wont come off.

 

 

Baits...pretty much your preference, i had luck this year with live bait, berkley hollow bodies and jackall cross tail shads (personal fave)

 

Also looking forward to trying out some Gulp alive on the drop as well.

Edited March 16, 2016 by AKRISONER

[Sterling]

Excellent advice Akrisoner. This site needs a "thank you" or "this was helpful" button. In any case...

 

Everything on that page you linked looks deadly. The stacker rigs included. Seems like they would do ok through the ice as well (cleaner presentation than conventional pickerel/perch rig). Going to see if I can locate these in Canada.

 

Edit: OK I can't find these anywhere in Canada. Someone needs to supply me a source before I cave and buy in USD.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Sterling

[Old Ironmaker]

It was worse when you paid for crawfish to feed to sheephead! LOL

 

We can no longer get soft shell crabs here but they are deadly almost to the point of being not fair for Smallies. And at the price they were charging hooking a Sheepshead drove me insane, more insane. I did have the kids down the laneway catch me them and even they were starting to charge outrageous prices.

 

Good point not over thinking the dropshot method, a weight on the bottom and a hook tied onto a line. Can't get much simpler than that. I really had to laugh when I saw specific "Dropshot" weights being sold and not cheap either. The cheapest "dropshot" weight is when I Gorilla glue a Robertson on the bottom of my line or tie it on well just as you would tie on a snelled hook on a harness. Hard to get a snag and when it does I just break it off. I like the green deck screws myself.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Old Ironmaker

[grimsbylander]

lots of great info here, I am a little different than a lot of these guys, but the results speak for themselves.

 

First of all I fish Georgian Bay, which means that 5-10lb pike run ins are an ever day occurance so I run a much beefier set up. If there are pike in the lake you are fishing, I would stay the heck away from bothering with the finesse test. The water is also Gin clear and its absolutely normal to be able to see 30 feet down like looking through a window. I have no issues using heavier gear in water like this so the whole finesse deal is Bull to me...these are bass we are talking about, not browns.

 

This past year I would argue that i fished a drop shot nearly 80% of the time while hunting for smallies. In the fall I also used a drop shot 95% of the time while fishing for walleye. The only exception was morning top water, spring spinner baits and fall swimbaits on deep suspended fish chasing bait.

 

My go to rig is 20lb power pro, uni knotted to a 3 foot long 20lb fluro leader.

 

I have been using TTI stand out hooks https://www.ttiblakemore.com/product-category/standout-hooks/typically half way up the leader (can adjust all of this depending on where you are marking fish) I like the TTI stand up hooks because the hook keeps the bait on a perfect profile but also provides some meat to your hookset, typically the fish hit it and dont come off

 

to pencil or regular drop shot weights as long as they have a swivel. Whatever you do, i suggest you use as little weight as possible while still allowing you to get down and stay still. If its windy like it is on GB nearly every single day or you are fishing current, you have to go a little heavier with the weight to stay put.

 

My favourite technique is to literally deadstick the bait...then wiggle it ever so slightly, then put it right back to dead stick. Keep your weight sitting on bottom but put tension on the rod...your line needs to be tight, but your weight still needs to be on bottom. When a bass hits your rod will set the fish itself and typically wont come off.

 

 

Baits...pretty much your preference, i had luck this year with live bait, berkley hollow bodies and jackall cross tail shads (personal fave)

 

Also looking forward to trying out some Gulp alive on the drop as well.

 

Some good tips on deadsticking smallies. That is a very effective big fish method on all great lakes tournaments.

 

I can't say I agree with the finesse comment. If I'm targeting bass, which is almost all the time, I'm not going to use bulky line in case I hook a pike. Plus, 20 lb line would necessarily save you regardless. I'll gladly catch more bass in exchange for a maybe getting bit off. I lived up there and fished GB 3 times a week for 16 years. In gin clear water it absolutely 100% makes a difference if you use thinner fluorocarbon. On Erie, which is also extremely clear, many guys have gone done to 6 lb because it means more hooks ups and there is no structure to get hung up on once they're hooked. Use what makes you happy, but finesse fishing is real.

[AKRISONER]

 

Some good tips on deadsticking smallies. That is a very effective big fish method on all great lakes tournaments.

 

I can't say I agree with the finesse comment. If I'm targeting bass, which is almost all the time, I'm not going to use bulky line in case I hook a pike. Plus, 20 lb line would necessarily save you regardless. I'll gladly catch more bass in exchange for a maybe getting bit off. I lived up there and fished GB 3 times a week for 16 years. In gin clear water it absolutely 100% makes a difference if you use thinner fluorocarbon. On Erie, which is also extremely clear, many guys have gone done to 6 lb because it means more hooks ups and there is no structure to get hung up on once they're hooked. Use what makes you happy, but finesse fishing is real.

 

 

I guess if you like losing gear a lot, for those of us on a budget it hurts when you get cut off every hour. The pointe au baril area is infested with big pike, i personally dont have the patience or budget to retie all my gear every hour. The pike are no joke!

 

to each his own though for sure, maybe in a tournament situation I would be different.

Edited March 16, 2016 by AKRISONER

[manitoubass2]

Frig I must be the pike whisperer.

 

I hardly ever get bit off no matter what line in using

 

Guess i got a horseshoe up my

[grimsbylander]

Frig I must be the pike whisperer.

 

I hardly ever get bit off no matter what line in using

 

Guess i got a horseshoe up my

 

LOL I caught my PB pike up near GB while walleye fishing. Just shy of 14lbs...8 lb mono and a 1/4oz jig and minnow. $#!^ luck haha

[manitoubass2]

 

LOL I caught my PB pike up near GB while walleye fishing. Just shy of 14lbs...8 lb mono and a 1/4oz jig and minnow. $#!^ luck haha

Hahaha. I got a 42" on rainy lack while crappie fishing, 4 lb mono and a lil 5'6" rod.

 

My bad though fhat fish was hard to revive and although it did swim off, im not sure she made it???

 

Funny how the monsters come out to play on light gear

Edited March 16, 2016 by manitoubass2

[BucktownAngler]

 

 

I guess if you like losing gear a lot, for those of us on a budget it hurts when you get cut off every hour. The pointe au baril area is infested with big pike, i personally dont have the patience or budget to retie all my gear every hour. The pike are no joke!

 

to each his own though for sure, maybe in a tournament situation I would be different.

 

ive also used 20lb flouro for dropshot, senkos, pretty much any bass technique

 

have no problem catching, and dont have breakoffs, or re-ties

[AKRISONER]

Hahaha. I got a 42" on rainy lack while crappie fishing, 4 lb mono and a lil 5'6" rod.

 

My bad though fhat fish was hard to revive and although it did swim off, im not sure she made it???

 

Funny how the monsters come out to play on light gear

 

pops has the cottage record on a number 2 mepps with 6lb mono and a medium shimano crucial.

 

go figure, i hooked into a 20+lber 2 weeks ago using 20lb braide and 20lb leader...the damn thing literally snapped my braid at the hole!

 

Manitou, the reason you never get bit off is cause you only catch dinks

[Old Ironmaker]

Frig I must be the pike whisperer.

 

I hardly ever get bit off no matter what line in using

 

Guess i got a horseshoe up my

Or those fish are so old they lost their teeth. My first Muskie was caught on a Mepps Black fury and 8 lb. mono trolling for Pickerel. I never get bit off here on Erie as I have never seen a pike caught where we fish, Long Point Bay yes actually they are fishing there for Pike already.

 

Akrisoner, I really like those rigs. I need to send a note to my family in NY and see if they are available at Gander Mountain in Tonawanda. It's less than a few hours away from me.

 

edit: not available at Gander Mtn. according to site.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Old Ironmaker

[manitoubass2]

 

pops has the cottage record on a number 2 mepps with 6lb mono and a medium shimano crucial.

 

go figure, i hooked into a 20+lber 2 weeks ago using 20lb braide and 20lb leader...the damn thing literally snapped my braid at the hole!

 

Manitou, the reason you never get bit off is cause you only catch dinks

Big pike around here bro???

 

47" is my biggest(might not ever top that lol)

 

Rainy lake and LOTWS produce bigguns bro

[manitoubass2]

But thats totally true for me and muskie???

 

They are here big time, pb is still around 27" ????

[Hedfish]

Youtube is your friend, there are lots of videos on how to drop shot, here is one of them:

 

 

I just tie a hook using Palomar knot. With Palomar, it's easy to control the length of the line that goes down to the sinker. And if the hook ends up upside down, just run the sinker end of the line through the eye of the hook again.

 

Another variation is to attach a hook to a leader, tie a loop on the leader, like double surgeon, and then tie that leader to the main line, similar to the way you tie the hook when drop shotting. This gives the hook a bit more lively presentation. Or instead of attaching the leader by the loop, to eliminate line twist, you can use a T thingy, forgot what they called, lol.