Dropshotting with a new twist

[Fish-N-Fool Lures]

Hi guys, although I havent posted much here lately I thought I would share with you a neet way I found to catch Smallmouth on a dropshot, but with a NEW twist! I call it the "Drag the Dropshot" method. I found this method kinda by accident. I was fishing a tournament a few weeks ago and the fish were banging craw crankbaits pretty good and we had gotten a few nice size fish at about 2 and 3 pounds when the bite just stoped. I knew the fish were still there, just not biting. The weather was fair but cold and the water temps were droping down into the low 50's. As we were getting ready to leave to try another area we went over one of the many big truck size bolders that are in this stretch of the river and the fish finder showed a ton of fish on it. I told my partner why dont we try dropshoting them, even though it was only about 10 to 14 feet deep but it had just enough color that you could just see some of the bolders and make out some of the bottom.
So we cast out and let the boat drift with the current like we had been when throwing cranks here and we both nailed a fish on the first min of the drag. We loaded the boat this way and I quickly perfected the technique. You need a slow current and a rocky or gravel bottom. Put on a large enough weight so the bait will stay almost right under the boat and not drag back, then put out just enough line to reach the bottom. Let the boat drift in the current and watch your rod as the weight bounces along the rocks. If you keep the line right under the boat the hangups are few and the fishing can be fantastic. Bites can be very light though so you have to lift on the rod to feel for weight if the rod tip does something odd.
We ended up finishing 3rd and 4th in the tourny on water I didn't know all that well. So it was a good day. I have been out about 6 times since then and have done my drag the dropshot method with GREAT success every time. I tie this up a little differantly for this method and it has proven to be a fish killer. I tie on a Gammy 1/0 red finesse hook using a double palomar knot so the hook eye points up and you have about a 30" tag end. Then run the tag end back down through the hook eye, that will keep the hook straight. Then I run a bullet or egg sinker weight up the line and pinch it in place with a pair of pliers. That does two things, it makes it easy to adjust the height of the bait off the bottom (I like mine about 18" to 24" off the bottom)and if (or should I say when) you get hung up the weight will just slide off and you wont loose the whole rig. I've been using the tail off a Sink-N-Fool bait on this rig and it has been killer. I just cut off about 2 1/2 " of the tail of one of my used baits and nose hook it. It has turned out to be one of the best dropshot baits Ive ever fished.

Here is a diagram of how I tie up my dropshot. Give it a try I think you'll like it!!!!!!

[Mac2]

Hey, thanks for posting the great info. I had recently read not to shake a dropshot in order to apply extra action, but rather just drag it slowly, but your post was excellent in riverine applications. Very well written and presented. Muchly Appreciated, Mac

p.s. Also appreciate the bullet or egg sinker pinching approach. Great idea. Thanks.

[MIbasser]

Pretty much sums up the "St. Clair Drift". Well, pretty much all small mouth fishing in Michigan when you have a current/wind.

[Bender]

Originally Posted by MIbasser

Pretty much sums up the "St. Clair Drift". Well, pretty much all small mouth fishing in Michigan when you have a current/wind.

That's what I was thinking of too, since there always seems to be a wind from light to "barely able to stand in the boat" out on Saint Clair. Set a waypoint and start your drift, once you stop catching fish drive back up to the waypoint and repeat. Only difference for me is I prefer the little Gammy Split Shot/Drop Shot hook in size 2 or sometimes 1. I agree that the small baits seems to be the ticket.

[Fish-N-Fool Lures]

Sounds like it works as well using the wind to move the boat as it does using a current. Nice to hear you guys back east are using the ol grey matter too. LOL

[philipj]

My Dad died in October of 1967. Prior to that we did the same thing to catch the largest perch in the lake. Very similar hook set up, and we used two hooks spread 2 ft apart.

[fish2]

man just goes to show that a slight change in presentation is all you need. awesome new way (to me that is) to use this presentation. Very eager for the waters to warm up so I can go out and try it