I was wondering what different methods are used to fish artificals (Sassy Shad in particular) for hybrids in the cooler months when the fish are typically deeper and want a slower presentation.

Do you drift across deep structure slowly with the baits straight down with your line nearly perpendicular to the water? Do you drift faster so that your line is at a 45 degree towards the back of the boat? Or is it better to cast out past the structure and do a slow retrieve back across the structure. Or something completely different all together? If the fish are at the same depth as last winter, I'll be targeting fish in the 25 to 35 foot depth range. Any help or suggestions are much appreciated.

I like to cast em where I think them stipers are holdin. Driftin takes away the having the rod in your hand when they bite...

Good questions Cowtown...and good to hear from you!!! I use 2 methods � Deadstick and Casting. I got to fish a trip last weekend with Thomas Powell and he taught us a lot about deadsticking. Thomas and Mike Acosta fish together a lot and last winter I found Mike deadsticking one of my favorite humps just of the Benbrook Marina creek and catching lots of hybrids like he always does.

Deadstick == I target humps or points 10-30' deep using anywhere from 1/2 - 1 oz jig head and a 4" chartreuse cohoe minnow, Bass Assassin or Fluke. The location has to have bait on it - try there even if you do not see fish arches on the sonar. Holding one or two rods straight down and slow drifting, maybe even using the trolling motor to control drift direction and speed. You feel a tap like a crappie = set the hook!!!

Casting == I use the same weights and baits, but add in a sassy shad and the Hyper Striper jigs from BPS. Points in main lake, secondary points in the creeks and all the way back in the creek where it can get 3� deep. Cast it out and slowly crank in back just bouncing it off the bottom or just above the bottom. Once again it will be a tap like crappie.

I usually use yellow, chartreuse or a darker color for stained water. We also juice our lures. Academy has a black spray can of shad oil � just open the bag and soak the plastics leaving some in the bottom of the bag (it will all soak up in a couple hours).

Hope to see you out there if we can ever get back on the lake�but if not, I will be doing this up at Texoma.

Thanks Fuzzy. It sounds like dead sticking is a lot like trolling for crappie. I am going to try Tin Top in the next few weeks to see how things are there then I may branch out a little further from home until Benbrook water levels rise a bit. (Note: A bit in this instance means 7 to 10 feet ) My motor is a little sick right now and I dropped it off at Eagle Marine and will be lake ready in about 2 weeks.

Cowtown, I love the sassy shad and think its 10 times more challenging to catch fish with than a hunk of lead/chrome plated. A couple of years ago I accidentally came upon a technique thats simular to what Fuzzy describes "dead sticking". My transducers are all mounted in the rear of my boat, this allows me to drop a sassy shad or storm swim bait in the front of the boat, controlling speed with the trolling motor. In the deeper water I can pull forward locate my lure with the graph and regulate the depth. You can actually see fish coming to hit the bait. Its hard to do and you have to have the right wind, not too much, but some. I've seen the fish come off bottom when the unit shows nothing. I'd spend hours mezzmarized watching the graph like a TV. Only works for me in the cold cold months when the water temp reaches the 40's. Use no movement and it is just a tick. Good luck.