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Jan 23rd, 2013
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 Dropshotting with a new Twist!
#5529336
11/18/10 10:25 PM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 32
Fish-N-Fool Lures
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 32 |
Dropshotting with a new Twist! By Rick Lawrence
Hi guys;
I thought I would share with you a neat new way I found to catch river Smallmouth on a dropshot, but with a NEW twist! I call it “The Drag the Dropshot" method. I found this method kinda by accident. It was early November and the weather was fair but a cold front had moved in and the water temps were dropping down into the low 50's. I was fishing a tournament a few weeks ago and the Smallies were banging craw crank baits pretty good and we had caught a few nice size fish in the 1 ½ to 3 pounds range when the bite just stopped. I knew the fish were still there, just not biting. So we switched it up and tried a few other things like spinnerbaits, different cranks and tubes, but got no more fish. As we were getting ready to leave to try another area, we went over one of the many big truck size boulders that are in this stretch of the river. The fish finder lit up and showed a ton of fish all around it, so I told my partner why don’t we try dropshoting them. We had pre-fished this stretch the week before and done ok here with cranks, catching just enough fish to figure this was a good starting point.
The water along this bank was a flat that was only about 10 to 14 feet deep with a fairly slow current, but full of large boulders from about 2 feet to 10 feet across. It had just enough color that you could just see some of the bigger boulders 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 earlier in the day and we both nailed a fish within the first minute of that drag! Well we loaded the boat this way and I quickly perfected the technique.
You need a slow current with a rocky or gravel bottom. Just drop the bait over the edge of the boat, don’t try to cast, as that will only get you hung-up. I learned right away that you need to 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 hang-ups 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 with 10 and 10 ¼ pounds in the tourney. Only Four hundreds of a pound from 2nd place, 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 Drop Shot” method with GREAT success every time, even on different sections of the river. This even worked in the main lake where there is no current, just a breeze to move the boat along. As long as you can drag the bait slowly with the boat and not with the rod it seems to work just as well.
I tie this rig up a little differently for this method and it has proven to be a fish killer. Here’s how I do it. I tie on a 1/0 Gammy 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 pointing straight out. 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 12" to 24" off a hard bottom and about 30” off a weedy bottom) and if (or should I say when) you get hung up the weight will just slide off and you won’t lose the whole rig. Just slide on a new weight, pinch it in place and you’re good to go. I've been using the tails off my Chartreuse Sink-N-Fool baits 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 I’ve ever fished.
Although this worked great on the hard to catch cold front Smallies, I think it would work just as well on active fish earlier in the year. I plan to put it to the test next spring!!!
Here is a diagram of how I tie up my dropshot. Give it a try I think you'll like it!!!!!
Inventor of the Fish-N-Fool knot Wanna Catch Fish? Don't be a Fool! Tie on a Fish-N-Fool lure & get bit. Fish-N-Fool Lures www.fnflures.com
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 Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: Fish-N-Fool Lures]
#5529424
11/18/10 10:52 PM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 423
cove_crawler
Angler
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Angler
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 423 |
hey thanks for sharing that info. Sounds like a great way to catch some deep sluggish LMBs too.
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 Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: cove_crawler]
#5529446
11/18/10 10:58 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 620
Zach Caudle
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 620 |
My only question is whether it would be considered legal in a tournament. You are purposefully dragging it under the boat without reeling or anything. Could be considered "trolling". I guess it would depend on the TD. For not fishing a tournament though it could be good.
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: Zach Caudle]
#5529457
11/18/10 11:03 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,321
Texcwby
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,321 |
My only question is whether it would be considered legal in a tournament. You are purposefully dragging it under the boat without reeling or anything. Could be considered "trolling". I guess it would depend on the TD. For not fishing a tournament though it could be good. Well, When I read the Rules for a tournament they have always said no trolling with the big motor. They have never said anything about trolling with your trolling motor. But I agree it could be in a grey area
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: Texcwby]
#5529489
11/18/10 11:12 PM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 15,135
txwhitetail
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 15,135 |
There are guys that "stroll" like that year round. Probably don't make ten casts per day.
I was looking at the bassmaster opens rules and looks like that is illegal in their tournaments. I wish the rule was worded like the Opens in all tournaments.
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: txwhitetail]
#5529548
11/18/10 11:27 PM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 32
Fish-N-Fool Lures
OP
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
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Trolling is the use of a motor to move the boat, We never did only used the current and wind so we were drifting NOT trolling. IMHO it would be legal in any tourny, but some tourneys have strange rules. Like not leaving your boat even to go to the bathroom, That is a really stupid rule. And I would have a big mess to clean up. lol
Inventor of the Fish-N-Fool knot Wanna Catch Fish? Don't be a Fool! Tie on a Fish-N-Fool lure & get bit. Fish-N-Fool Lures www.fnflures.com
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: Fish-N-Fool Lures]
#5530340
11/19/10 03:50 AM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 456
enykamp
Angler
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Angler
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 456 |
Guys on Lake Erie fish the huge flats up there dragging jigs while drifting. Its been a go-to tactic for years up there..
Eric Nykamp 903-746-7146  
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: enykamp]
#5530355
11/19/10 03:56 AM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 31,902
JustWingem
Gentleman Jack
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Gentleman Jack
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 31,902 |
Guys on Lake Erie fish the huge flats up there dragging jigs while drifting. Its been a go-to tactic for years up there.. 
DON'T GET CONFUSED BETWEEN MY PERSONALITY AND MY ATTITUDE. MY PERSONALITY IS WHO I AM...MY ATTITUDE DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ARE
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: JustWingem]
#5531022
11/19/10 02:27 PM
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,869
Bassinfool
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,869 |
you are not using the trolling or big motor so why would it be illegal?
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: Fish-N-Fool Lures]
#5531432
11/19/10 04:22 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 603
Retired Fisherman
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 603 |
What program do you use to draw the graphics you displayed.
If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life,
there'd be a shortage of fishing poles
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: Texcwby]
#5531535
11/19/10 04:54 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 38,822
KingwoodCat
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 38,822 |
My only question is whether it would be considered legal in a tournament. You are purposefully dragging it under the boat without reeling or anything. Could be considered "trolling". I guess it would depend on the TD. For not fishing a tournament though it could be good. Well, When I read the Rules for a tournament they have always said no trolling with the big motor. They have never said anything about trolling with your trolling motor. But I agree it could be in a grey area Trolling is usually considered to be with the use of the big motor. If they didn't make this distinction, then dead sticking and drifting would not be acceptable.
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him had better take a look at the American Indian".
Henry Ford
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: KingwoodCat]
#5531573
11/19/10 05:04 PM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 670
rducky625
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 670 |
we've been drifting carolina rigs like that for years and catching fis in tournaments
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: Retired Fisherman]
#5531637
11/19/10 05:22 PM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 32
Fish-N-Fool Lures
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 32 |
What program do you use to draw the graphics you displayed. Hey Retired fisherman; Fish killer got it right on, I used Micosoft paint. It works pretty good to made simple drawings like this.
Last edited by Fish-N-Fool Lures; 11/19/10 05:23 PM.
Inventor of the Fish-N-Fool knot Wanna Catch Fish? Don't be a Fool! Tie on a Fish-N-Fool lure & get bit. Fish-N-Fool Lures www.fnflures.com
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Re: Dropshotting with a new Twist!
[Re: Fish-N-Fool Lures]
#5535278
11/21/10 05:13 AM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6
Schreecher
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 6 |
This is jokingly called the "fag" drag in the Northwest. Very productive for deepwater smallmouth, but it can really be boring. Some tournaments accept this, others frown upon it. The more effective technique is called the dropswim. Do a google search for it, as Marc Marcantonio wrote an article on it. This is very deadly in the summer, fall, and winter for smallmouth. I just had to chime in on this.
Home of the Panic Minnow
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