Questions, questions

My mind never stops generating questions, I love to continue learning, so here is a good question. When using live bait/worms, do you see any advance to using a bottom rig that has a hook with a splitshot above it, rather than using a 1/32 oz. jig? Do you feel one will catch more fish than the other? I have my own notion about it, but would like to see what some of you think that have experimented with both ways and formed an opinion.

The rule is to fish bait on jigs on the bottom if the bottom is fairly clean or if there are Redear or other bottom feeding sunfish in the area. Also use jigs to pitch to holes in the grass or light jigs to pitch and land lightly on coontail or leafy vegetation. Jigs are also for more precise presentations and are normally used when you know exactly where the fish are.

Split shot is mainly for searching and also for fishing areas that may have a weedy or rocky bottom. The more cluttered the bottom, the longer the leader. I have sometimes put a floating jighead on the terminal end instead of a plain hook when I know sunfish are feeding near, but off the bottom or more aggressively down deep. More and more I fish a drop shot rig for that now, but will fish a split shot rig with floating jighead if I need to make longer cast where I don't feel comfortable casting the drop shot.

These rules apply for bait or lures.

Jagg, thanks for the reply. You could teach me a lot. In fact, you just did teach me several things that will make future decisions easier. When you use a drop shot rig, do you use a short dropper or tie it direct on the line? Banker told me two of his friends didn't use a dropper.

I also tie directly to the line. I only tie on a loop of two if I'm fishing live bait. Similar to a Kentucky rig.

Jagg, live bait, pieces of night crawlers, is what I had in mind when asking if you tie the hook directly on the line. What kind of bait/lure do you use on a drop shot rig when not using live bait?

I tend to use tubes, tiny stick worms, tiny flukes, soft plastic leeches, soft plastic crickets, SP hellgrammites, gulp worms, stuff like that.