Drop Shotting for Smallmouths
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 4:42 pm
My apologies if this gets a bit long winded, but I believe it may offer some new drop shot fishermen a shortcut to improving their success. You've been warned! >/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />
I've been drop shotting now since 2001. Learned the technique back then from an old fishing friend of mine in Japan. Started off with very short hook to sinker line lengths and monofilament. Since then (and many, many smallies later), I've progressed through various nuances of this technique.
For many years I was a staunch student of the RichZ camp; advocating light 4# - 6# fluoro all the way, with no swivel or separate DS leader.
Then I started using pre-tied 4# leaders, wrapped around a velcro tube (Netcraft), as we'd have to change leaders after every 2 or 3 smallies - or you'd break off! This facilitated quick leader changes and upped our daily catch quantities tremendously. We also attached a #8 Spro PowerSwivel about a foot above the hook, to help with line twist. To the end of this, we attach a "snap hook" (Netcraft again). Thus, a quick un-snap & re-snap and you were back in business with a freshly tied leader.
Been using this process for about 5 seasons and was satisfied. Recently though, I've heard and read a lot about employing braid for your main line, along with a fluoro DS leader. This season I finally gave it a try. Using 10# test PowerPro and a 3' section of 6# test fluoro for the leader. I still use the PowerSwivel to connect the two, but I've taken line twist in a different direction besides. I've started using #2 VMS Spin Shot hooks! (I can hear the rumblins in the "old camp" now!) Talk about a travesty! LOL! >/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />
I'm still using my steel bass casting sinkers on the end; lead has been outlawed in MA (and I can't afford tungsten). That about rounds out where I am at this point in my learning curve. Due to some medical & family issues, I haven't been out that much this past month, but 3 weeks ago we had a pretty good day on Quabbin Res. using this new tooling:
This is two pictures of my largest for the day (6 hours):
Enough eye candy for now. We probably caught between 10 - 15 smallies each that day; not counting quite a few dinks which were less than 2#. The point is, that changing to braid and a new hook did little negatively effect our catch ratio. Further, my point here is that 1) you are never too experienced to learn something new and 2) nothing, with regards to fishing, is cast in concrete. Experiment, Never stop learning and be thankful for this wonderful sport or ours! >/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />
I've been drop shotting now since 2001. Learned the technique back then from an old fishing friend of mine in Japan. Started off with very short hook to sinker line lengths and monofilament. Since then (and many, many smallies later), I've progressed through various nuances of this technique.
For many years I was a staunch student of the RichZ camp; advocating light 4# - 6# fluoro all the way, with no swivel or separate DS leader.
Then I started using pre-tied 4# leaders, wrapped around a velcro tube (Netcraft), as we'd have to change leaders after every 2 or 3 smallies - or you'd break off! This facilitated quick leader changes and upped our daily catch quantities tremendously. We also attached a #8 Spro PowerSwivel about a foot above the hook, to help with line twist. To the end of this, we attach a "snap hook" (Netcraft again). Thus, a quick un-snap & re-snap and you were back in business with a freshly tied leader.
Been using this process for about 5 seasons and was satisfied. Recently though, I've heard and read a lot about employing braid for your main line, along with a fluoro DS leader. This season I finally gave it a try. Using 10# test PowerPro and a 3' section of 6# test fluoro for the leader. I still use the PowerSwivel to connect the two, but I've taken line twist in a different direction besides. I've started using #2 VMS Spin Shot hooks! (I can hear the rumblins in the "old camp" now!) Talk about a travesty! LOL! >/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />
I'm still using my steel bass casting sinkers on the end; lead has been outlawed in MA (and I can't afford tungsten). That about rounds out where I am at this point in my learning curve. Due to some medical & family issues, I haven't been out that much this past month, but 3 weeks ago we had a pretty good day on Quabbin Res. using this new tooling:
This is two pictures of my largest for the day (6 hours):
Enough eye candy for now. We probably caught between 10 - 15 smallies each that day; not counting quite a few dinks which were less than 2#. The point is, that changing to braid and a new hook did little negatively effect our catch ratio. Further, my point here is that 1) you are never too experienced to learn something new and 2) nothing, with regards to fishing, is cast in concrete. Experiment, Never stop learning and be thankful for this wonderful sport or ours! >/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />