The Road Less Traveled
When the topic of deep, clear water is broached amongst bass fishing enthusiasts, you are likely to hear a broad range of opinions on how to successfully tackle such bodies of water. Some anglers prefer taking their chances jockeying for positions in the upper ends of the tributaries in an attempt to find traces of stained, shallow water. Others find success applying conventional methods such as crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or jigs along the shoreline hoping that it stays cloudy and windy all day. Although both are considered productive, let’s take the road less traveled and explore the extremely versatile and highly effective technique of drop-shotting.
In order to better understand the diversity of a drop-shot presentation, it is important to first consider the basic components which comprise the drop-shot. As with most baits and techniques, there are multiple variations that can be adapted and applied to alter and enhance the drop-shot rig. As always, I strongly encourage experimenting with different presentations. For the purpose of this article however, we will remain within the basic fundamentals of the drop-shot rig.
Let’s begin by identifying the terminal tackle (hooks, weights, line, etc.) necessary to begin our journey. The drop-shot is made up of a small bait hook (usually a red #4 or #6), a ¼-½ oz. casting sinker or specifically branded “drop-shot sinker,” a barrel swivel, and the bait of your choice. I prefer a 6’ 6” medium action rod paired with a spinning reel that offers anti-reverse and is spooled with 4- to 8-pound fluorocarbon line.
The size of the hook is a function of the size of baits I normally use—a 4-inch straight-tail or paddle-tail worm in shades natural brown, green, or shad color rigged wacky style or nose-hooked. I do not want the size of the hook to overpower the size of the bait. Styles of hooks however, are extremely important. The bait hooks offer 2 barbs located higher on the shank of the hook as well as a slightly turned barb which helps to ensure the fish stay hooked all the way to the boat. The red color offers a visual effect in the clear water and is also a function of personal confidence.
Weights, on the other hand, are more determined by application. For instance, when targeting suspended fish or bass that are staging on a sand or gravel bottom, I favor the bell or ball sinkers. Conversely, when fishing grass or rocky bottoms, I will often select the cylinder weights that do not have as large a diameter in order to minimize snagging on the grass or wedging in a rock crevice. The size of the weight can be selected based upon the depth in which the fish are located. If I am fishing vertically for suspended fish that are 50 feet deep, I will likely use a ½ oz. version in order to maintain tension between the bait and me, as well as to allow for boat drift. However, if the fish are relating more to the shoreline, say in 5-10 feet of water, only off the bottom, I will often revert to a 5/16 oz. as this promotes ease in casting.
The barrel swivel serves two purposes. First, it will help minimize line twists that seem to be so prevalent with spinning reels, especially when your bait reaches depths beyond 20 feet. Secondly, it will be your first line of defense to keep from reeling the hook through the eyes of your rod, potentially damaging the ceramic eyes. Bottom line, it will help keep you on the water longer and prevent the frustrations that go along with damaged equipment.
When considering line and reels for drop-shotting, I always use as heavy a line as I can get away with. One thing I don’t budge on is line type. Fluorocarbon provides unequalled sensitivity and virtually no stretch, which is extremely important when fishing deep. Often, lessons in life are better learned through experience, and this is exactly what happened to me when it comes to reel selection. While fishing vertically for suspended fish, my reel did not have anti-reverse (meaning after the bail was tripped, the gears did not instantaneously lock, allowing the reel to free-spool for a few rotations), and upon each hook-set, the reel kept free-spooling and I lost several fish. As a result, it didn’t take me long to purchase a reel that had anti-reverse!
So, now that terminal tackle is covered, let’s focus on ways to assemble the drop-shot rig. The swivel is the first item that will get tied onto the line. When using a swivel, though, it is necessary to cut off about 3 ft. of line prior to tying it on. After the swivel is securely fastened, tie the 3-foot piece of leader line onto the other end of the swivel. Note: you will not be able to utilize a polymer knot when tying the leader as the second piece. Once the swivel is attached, slide the bait hook up the leader to the desired distance from the swivel and tie a polymer knot, making sure the hook offers the barb, or open side, pointing up. The final step is to fasten the weight, either by tying a knot or sliding the line through the wire clip.
Targeting deep, suspended bass normally warrants a different approach than fish that are relating closer to the shoreline or bottom. For instance, on a fishing trip on Table Rock Lake with “deep-water expert” Mike Webb, we were fishing for bass suspended in 35 feet of water over tree tops. Mike kept his swivel at the normal height of 6 inches above his hook and placed his weight about 16 inches below the hook. Later that same day, the wind began to blow and we changed locations to a shoreline point with bass suspended about 3 feet off the bottom. As a result, he immediately altered the distance of his sinker from the bait to 3 feet, as well as increased the size of the sinker to 3/8 oz. This enabled him to keep the bait in the strike zone and compensate for the increased wind without losing contact with the bottom.
Another extremely effective approach is casting and retrieving the drop-shot rig. Although cumbersome to cast, this can be very successful. When bass are not responding to a jig-head worm or shaky-head, I will often fall back on a drop-shot to entice finicky bass. My rule of thumb is to start with the weight or sinker 12-16 inches below the hook or bait. After completing the cast toward the desired target, slowly begin working it back to the boat with an emphasis on maintaining contact between the sinker and the bottom, yet keeping the bait suspended. Again, this is where the size of the weight selected will play a major role, as contact between the sinker and the bottom is critical. Likewise, if fishing shallow grass, make a cast and then gently shake the worm in place for a few seconds prior to moving the bait toward the boat. Then move the bait a foot or so and repeat the process. I will warn you however, be ready for your line to take off swimming!
A final component that is critical to having success with a drop-shot (especially when fishing vertically) is electronics. After locating schools of fish which you are intending to target, it is imperative that your electronics be properly tuned. This translates into being able to see the swivel, bait, and sinker the entire time. In addition, you will literally be able to watch as the fish swim up to your bait and eat it. I know, you are probably thinking I have my graph confused with a video game, but this is absolutely true! The same trip with Mike that I referenced earlier made me a believer. After lowering my drop-shot rig into the school of fish, all the while watching it descend on the graph, Mike quickly said “3–2–1 JERK,” and I had a bass on! Although electronics are outside the scope of this discussion, be sure to read the Electronics 101–104 by Eric Prey under the “Latest Post” on bassedge.com to facilitate programming your electronics.
Drop-shotting provides a few advantages over more conventional methods. The deeper, offshore fish do not receive as much pressure as bass holding tighter to the shoreline. In addition, when fishing lakes that also hold spotted bass and smallmouth, you can literally put 5 fish in the boat in 5 casts if you find the right school of fish. Finally, there is nothing better that fighting a feisty bass on 6-pound test line from 40 feet deep!
Deep, clear water is not nearly as intimidating as it seems. Armed with the appropriate terminal tackle, a hand full of plastic baits, and properly tuned electronics, you will no longer need to run up the river to avoid fishing the clear water!
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