Big fish on dropshot??

[joshm]

O.K. guys, I am hoping some of you can help me out. I've been dropshoting for a while now and can't seem to get any big fish. The largest would probably go 2 to 2.5 lbs. I know most people think that big fish eat big baits, but some of you must have better luck than I have. I've thrown the small stuff all the way up to larger sinkos thinking that the bigger fish will take it, but no luck. Am I wrong to think that I should be catching bigger fish or is this just going to be a good way to fill a limit?
Thanks
joshm

[mark poulson]

I saw a 7/11 that Ron Cervanka caught dropshotting at Lake Piru.

[Lance]

Ive got my PB on a Dropshot 8.25 at Casitas. But as of late im getting away from the ol Drop, Im Splitshoting Reapers with 4 lb. test.

[shifterpilot2001]

My biggest Dropshot fish to date (weighed) is 7.5 lbs......but I caught a fish back when I used to fish out of a plastic pond boat before I had a scale that took me two hands to get it in the boat....if I had to guess I'd say about 12 or 13 lbs... .took me two hands to get it in the boat.....man I wish I had a scale.... But I dropshot probably 40 - 50 percent of the time... .an I catch 4's 5's and 6's all the time on the DS rig....just caught a 6.2 last week from shore.... Keep at it......

[ash]

My second club tournament ever I was with this guy who was splashing around and making a bunch of ruckus with this bait now known as the Huddleston. He then proceeds to pitch out this little 4" worm on some screwed up setup he called it a "downshot" and I proceeded to net a 12.5lb Casitas Toad.

THat fish wanted nothing to do with a swimbait and inhaled a 4" dropshot...

[Marc]

My biggest largemouth on a drophot is a 9lber from Clear Lake, and biggest smallmouth is a 6.6 dropshot fish. I cannot count the number of bass over 4 pounds that I have caught dropshotting.

I would look very carefully at your setup, and technique, and where you are employing this method. There is a time and a place for all methods, and the wrong time or place will not get you the results you are seeking.

Although dropshotting will work in many situations, it really excels in clear water where bass are used to feeding primarily by sight. Consequently, how you rig and work the dropshot is under the scrutiny of the bass.

[Ross England]

My pb of 11-12, as well as a 10-12 and 10-2 have fallen to a drop shot worm in less than 5 feet of water...and not by sight fishing. One of my clients caught a 10.25 this year drop shotting. Over the past several years both myself and clients have caught well over 50 fish past the 5 lb mark by drop shotting here on Clear Lake. I know the big fish of the Stren event here last year (12+) was caught the same way.

Don't get me wrong, we fish big baits too but if you are not catching some larger fish to go with the smaller ones, start thinking more about where you are drop shotting. If you want some more info, send me a pm. Good luck.

Ross

[Dewayne]

I have caught a quite a few from 7# to 10# on a drop shot. I would never focus on it as a primary technique though. The drop shot is a great tool for fish that are heavily pressured or when they are not wanting to chase baits. It is very seldom that I start off with a drop shot. If I want big fish a weightless Senko, jig, crank bait, spinner bait, and topwater would all have to be eliminated first. With a drop shot you are suspending a bait. Big fish are lazy and would rather have a meal trapped against either the surface or the bottom. The are too smart to expend valuable winter energy on a bait that is likely to dart away.

That being said it can be done and there are times of year/conditions when it is more effective at catching big fish then others. Right now I would be throwing jigs and crank baits. If you must drop shot go with a very short leader, mayby 2-4".

[Ross England]

*NM*

[StockOption]

My wife holds my boat record a 7-6 on the drop shot and man she never lets me forget this....soon oh soon.....my time will come

We've also landed numerous fish in the 4-6lb range using the drop shot.

All of this is also on Clear Lake.

[Sean Graf]

I've also witnessed a few fish over 7 lbs on a dropshot. I was part of a 30+ lb limit at Clear Lake a few years back, all caught on the dropsht set up.

[fishfan]

I have caught fish any where from a pound up to five on the dropshot! 5lb came from CL!!

Jeff H.

[joshm]

I knew someone had to be catching big fish. I guess that I need to change my tactics. Any tips on how you guys rig them, size/type of bait, and how you work them. You don't have to get too specific on the type of bait cause I know some people don't like to give to much info on what catches fish. Thanks for all the posts!!!

Sounds like Clear Lake is a good place to try and learn more about dropshoting. I am going to have to get up there some day.

Thanks
joshm

[Lance]

You can dropshot any soft plastic. Flukes, brushhogs, 10 in worms down to reapers. Nothing is set in stone when talking about the Dropshot exept the weight is below the hook. But they only way to find out things is TIME ON THE WATER.

L

[StockOption]

One bait advice I will give you is do not limit your thinking to "worms only" when drop shotting. Try drop shotting ANY plastic, you will be surprised how effective this can be.

[bassindon69]

My Buddy Tom S. Holds the FLW Big fish record of 14+ on a drop shot rig on the Delta.

Don.

[Saechao]

im to lazy to read to see if anyone post this but. d-shottin isnt just a deep open water thing. or for light line. for example CL tie ur d-shot 3-4 inches above ur weight and pitch the tulles with 15lb test

like stockoption said dont limit urself to just small finese worms u can drop shot everthing well almost everything even swimbaits...

i caught 9.4 drop shottin at CL but at my tourny my partner pull up on this spot out at franks and 2 guys were on it they were catchin 2-3lb on t-rig beaver/worms they said then he droped a d-shot and he caught a 6 lb we didnt win but u can catch big fish d-shottin

just head out to CL this spring and tell us how many 7-8lbs u catch drop shottin

[leachman90]

There were two fish caught one in oct and one in nov in Idaho while drop-shotting a Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver.Here is the cool thing,both these fish were over 9 lbs and the biggest one(9.7) set a new state record.And yes,they were both smallmouth.

[Saechao]

9.7 smallmouth thats huge. biggest smallmouth i caught was a 4.13 at folsom... which lake was this at man?

[leachman90]

I will probibly mis-spell it.It was at Dorshak Res. on the Clearwater River.As for the record fish,you won't believe this.The guy that caught it was already the record holder of the last state record(8 lbs something) he caught 11 yrs earlier.Guess he must be growing his own monster smallies.lol

[mark poulson]

Leachman,
That just shows how important knowing where to fish is, not just what to use. You can't catch them if they're not there.
Time on the water, and trying different areas and depths.

[lionkiller]

We shorten our DS leaders in winter, when the bass relate more to the bottom. Funny how a few inches makes such a difference. If you're not getting bit, keep in mind that the weight is adjustable...and that there are many, many baits besides just worms.

[leachman90]

So true Mark,this res is about 56 miles long and very deep.These fish were caught in about 40+ft of water.Now that is a needle in a hay stack.

[TWinger]

*NM*

[Scott D.]

I have a 12-9 on splitshot, and a buddy has a 13-4 on drop shot. Both from Kaweah about 2 weeks apart, 2001.

[Jerkbait0071]

Josh,

For the most part I would say most of the fish you will get drop shotting in reservoirs will be in the 1 1/2 to 3 pound range with an occasional 4-5 pound fish. Here is what I do though. If I'm in an area where fish are feeding on bait fish and are taking my drop shot rig, I will switch up and drag a swimbait through that area. I can’t tell you how many times this has been successful for me. I don’t care who you ask they will tell you the same thing, that drop shotting is very productive and can produce a big fish, but not nearly as often as other baits like a Jerkbait, crankbait, jig ETC. I can tell you this, as long as you have confidence in the drop shot rig it WILL produce a big fish eventually. My PB on a drop shot rig was an 8.45 on the Delta. Hopefully this helped you.

[ttb31183]

I have caught too many 5-6lb bass on dropshots to count. And these are Northern Strains. My biggest in California was 7-7 at Clear Lake during the Everstart a few years back. I catch plenty of small ones too, but always seem to catch some nice fish on it.

[Gator]

Johs - Here is a 9.02 that my dad caught on a dropshot.

<img src="/shared/photos/photos/resized/2539_resized.jpg">

Watermelon/Red Flake trick worm.

[StockOption]

Bones, That second photo is awesome

Did he reel that toad in all by himself ?

Very nice, the fish is just about bigger than him :D:D beautiful.

[Cooch]

6" Iovinno Spade worm!


<img src="/shared/photos/photos/resized/3635_resized.jpg">

Big fish will eat this bait. Is it the best and most consistant big fish producing bait? Nope, far many more options that work much better than a drop shot. But it is all about timing and location! If it's yer bait of choice, the one bait ya got all the confidence in to throw every time out, you simpley need to rethink "where" your fishing it, and git it down to where the big ones live.

[rickd]

I got big fish last year in a AC event on the Delta with a 6.37, my partner and I split a check for 300 or so.

Using a Shimano 2500 spinning reel and a 4" MMIII with a med / heavy Shimano rod.

[joshm]

Thanks to all of you who posted. I now have some new ideas that I need to try. This is not my bait of choice, but I want to feel confident enough to throw it more. After hearing all of the big fish stories (and the pictures are great too) I already have more motivation to use this technique.
Once again, thanks for the posts, I can't believe how great this site is for feedback!

And I'll let you quys know when I catch a big one!

joshm

[Larry Hemphill]

A client and I had three dropshot bites from 10 to 11 am a few years ago at Clear Lake and they weighed about 19 1/2 lbs - using 4 and 5 inch Robo zipper worms. Mine was 4 lbs and his were 5-11 and 9-13. I like to use a bulkier bait when drop-shotting dingy water. My second-ever drop-shot bass was a near 4 1/2 spot from Collins Lake. I've liked that technique ever since!!!!!

[DeltaBound]

Small baits catch big fish too. I catch a lot of fish drop shotting 3.5" baits. Most recent catch was a 7.5LB Largy with respectable 3's and 4's.

[Ricky-S]

*NM*