Dropshot questions

basstamer · Post by **basstamer** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:09 am

Ok I will be honest I have spent probably 1 hour dropshotting in my life and while my first and only fish so far was 3 1/2 pounds I still have mucho questiones. I loved the feeling of a quality fish on my little buggy whip Lamiglas and the screamin drag on my president just made it better but while watching the Bassmasters today everything I have read/learned/saw,etc went out the window. If you didnt see the show they were on Table Rock for the last tournament of I believe the Elite series...anyways of the 12 finalists like 9 of the guys were dropshotting humps and ledges with structure. EVERY single one of these guys cranked back setting the hook HARD when they got bit....now I did notice one guy was dropshotting a texas rigged plastic so I can see that but what about the guys with the 4"-6" plastics nose hooked? Did I not learn that with a dropshot hook its basically just a matter of applying pressure when it comes to setting the hook? Did i not only learn that if I were to actually "set" the hook I would pull the bait right outta the fishes mouth??? I am majorily confused here and since I am still way in the experimental stage of this dropshotting stuff I am really boggled! What do YOU guys do??? Any tips would be appreciated-I know we have talked this damn near to death on here and I have read every post on the subject but Bassmasters today blew my mind. Its a kick in the tail to catch fish on this light tackle so I'd like to get it right . Thanks and tight lines-
Scott

not4un · Post by **not4un** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:17 am

From what I have found that works for me is giving just a slight hook set nothing real hard. Every time that I have just tried to apply pressure I have lost the fish. When I set the hook I dpo pulling the rod straight up.

ownfl4g · Post by **ownfl4g** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:20 am

Different people make different hook sets, I get away with more of just a hard pull but I have seen alot of people just reel in some slack and set the hook really hard, whatever gets the fish on.

allbelac · Post by **allbelac** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:35 am

I saw the show as well. If you noticed most reel set first, them applied the actual hook set. The pressure set came first for most of the hook sets I saw on the show. Just what I saw.

basstamer · Post by **basstamer** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:52 pm

snatch the pebble from your hand? I'll take you up on it too Bones-you know I owe ya a ride anyways! MAYBE we can do our learnin on Clear Lake?????

Morgan · Post by **Morgan** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 7:39 pm

On that same show Ike hooked a fish, the line broke, and he went overboard to get the fish. Isn't leaving the boat illegal? Did that fish count?

Morgan

Larry Hemphill · Post by **Larry Hemphill** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 9:39 pm

It depends on the size of the outfit you are using, the line size, and the size of the bass you are targeting. I don't set the hook much at Oroville because of 6 to 8 lb test and the fact that most of the spots arn't that big. Just apply pressure and a little wrist snap. At Clear Lake or Amador, I might be using 12 to 14 lb test, drop-shotting a 6 to 8 inch worm or a 5 " Senko. I am looking for a BIG bass and I will set the hook! A client and I caught 3 bass in a row at Clear Lake a few years back for a combined weight of 19 1/2 lbs - biggest was the client's 9-13. We set the hook on those!!! It all depends on water clarity, depth, type of bait you are fishing, and whether trying to just put fish in the boat or enticing large bass.

Calistar · Post by **Calistar** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 9:58 pm

I also saw the Table Rock show and believe that some of the pros were fishing brush and were attempting to steer the fish away from the limbs rather than do a hard hook set.

By the way, the electronics that those pros used is pretty sweet. It looked like Ish was using a Lowrance 332C. If you adjust the sensitivity, you can see the fish...your dropshot weight...your bait...your swivel....your line....everything.

For normal dropshotting (like on Oroville or Folsom) I let the fish tell me how much pressure I need to apply. If the fish is fighting hard then I just apply pressure, let the reel/drag do its job, and wait until the fish tires itself out.

If he is kinda just floating up or freight training the boat, I might try to do a harder hook set -- just to make sure the hook has penetrated the lip. After some trial and error, you'll be able to judge how much pressure you can put on 6-lb line before it'll snap.

basstamer · Post by **basstamer** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:48 am

Thanks guys for all the replies! Its a pretty cool technique and I hope to do it more
Scott

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:24 am

OK, A (8") WORM, DO YOU STILL NOSE HOOK THE WORM WITH A SMALL #1 OR #1/0 DROP SHOT HOOK ???

JIGS

Ron C · Post by **Ron C** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:31 am

...itâ€™s all about the equipment that you are using.

When I am using light line and, more importantly, when I nose hook my worm on a small dropshot hook, I never set the hook hard. I simply reel into the fish to load up the rod and pull slightly. This is commonly referred to as a "reel set".

However, when I am dropshotting with heavier line (in or around brush, etc.), I'll use a number 1 to a 3/0 EWG hook (depending on the thickness of the bait) and rig my worm weedless. When dropshotting with this set up, I always set the hook just as I would when fishing a Texas rigged worm.

The one thing that I disagree with in Larry's dropshotting approach is the part about targeting big fish. There are times when the better fish get "line shy" (especially down here in So. Cal) and the only way to get them to bite is with the light line, small nose hook set up. This can make for some real exciting action and you will break one off every now and then. But you've got to get 'em to bite before you can worry about losing 'em.

basstamer · Post by **basstamer** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 12:03 pm

Jigs brings up a good point-how do you fish such a big bait....when I was reading Larry's post I was kinda surprised to read he used such large baits-I am an avid reader of EVERYTHING on Cooch's Bubba Dropshottin' but have yet to try it but I guess I never though about using that big of baits! Like if you were to dropshot a senko say-what hook would you use? I can imagine a dropshot hook having the hooking potential with a big ol fat bulky senko stuck on it. Questions,questions,questions-I got 'em!
Scott

Cooch · Post by **Cooch** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 5:51 pm

Basstamer, sometimes that dropshot just flat out works when nothing else does. The past two days on the river, my clients and I started out with a jig and at-rigged Zoom Super Hog. After five hours of not getting the kinds of bites and fish we have the past three weeks, we reverted to dropshotting. Typically, I'm the kinda guy who will put that jig out there and stick with it all day, especially when the bite appears tough. But I'm also the kinda fisherman who knows when ta put it down when it ain't working, and we need to try something different to catch fish that day..

That dang "Bubba dropshot" took us from a measly 8-10 fish morning where we couldn't put solid keepers in the boat, to a 40-50 fish days catching quality fish to 4 pounds, with our best five going 18-19 pounds. Both days, we fished either a 4" CA 420 Flirt or a 6" Kut tail in 208(water melon red). On both these days, that 4" Flirt got us the bigger bites. I tried the 7.5 inch Kut tail and could not git bit. So going to bigger baits is not always the best solution, ya gotta let the fish tell ya what they want on a given day.

Saturday I had clients that were very inexperienced anglers, switching to the dropshot, really turned our day around and made me look like I knew what the hell I was doing out there. Today, I had two anglers that were a little bit more experienced, these two had never dropshotted before and the techniqued opened their eyes to a new technique that just ruled supreme on a day when bites were tough to come by.

One of the key mistakes all four of these anglers made during our initial fishing with the dropshot, was setting too hard. I started to catch fish instally and was putting fish in the boat cast after cast. The differece, was the hook set. When I'm out there on the river or Clearlake dropshotting, I do use heavier equiptment and terminal tackle. With the circle hooks I use, you do not want to set the hook real hard, but in fact just a sweep and reel. Once I explained this to each of my clients, they then began to follow suit and were catching fish cast to cast with me.

I didn't see the show in question, but I have noticed over the years, many times you will see these pros on the Tour and in these big events setting the hook with the intent of crossing the fish's eyes. It doesn't matter what bait they use, they set the hook with the intent on blasting that fish to the moon. I think there's a time and place for that type of hookset. For the most part, for us average day in and day out fishermen, when fishing a dropshot, yer better suited with a simple sweep and reel hook set.

rmcollins3 · Post by **rmcollins3** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:32 pm

Morgan wrote:On that same show Ike hooked a fish, the line broke, and he went overboard to get the fish. Isn't leaving the boat illegal? Did that fish count?

Morgan

That fish was short anyway.

basstamer · Post by **basstamer** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:07 pm

Thanks Cooch-like I said I reread that article everytime its reprinted in here like its the first time! One of these days I am gonna book a trip on the river with you so's I can learn it first hand from Da Man!
As far as "Ike" I didnt see that but then again I fast forward thru anything and everything with his face on it, BUT why would it matter if the fish was short? Don't Bassmasters rules (as well as FLW I believe) state you must never physically leave the boat and if you do you are DQ'd? I can see if you fell overboard like the Fritts fiasco but if you leave the boat intentionally thats a whole nuther story-IN MY OPINION anyways. I hated what this clown did to MY countrys flag and while others may have dismissed it I havent and wont-ever. I also hated that this same PROFESSIONAL ANGLER "Culled" all those dead fish to win a friggin tournament-yeah a tournament! What if everybody that fishes a tournament did that? Hell what if just 1/2 of them did? Lets just say 10%-is that excusable? I understand fish die no matter how good they are cared for but he should have been DQ'd for his stupidity on that right there. THEN he is so oblivious he goes on camera and says he isnt sorry for ANY of it! Afetr his sponsors pulled the pin then he's sorry? Huha I aint buyin it-its all about money and making a name for himself for him-worst part is the little *** can fish-good too! So BASS allows all this right on camera and broadcasts it and yet what 6 months later this guy is this organizations "Angler of the Year"???Wow says alot for BASS-does anyone remember what the patch used to say? Bass Anglers SPORTSMANS Society-that in its own is enough reason for me not to be associated with them. And since I am allready on a Ike rant -is ANYONE else flat *** tired of seeing him on EVERYTHING ESPN does??? Of course this is all my own opinion-he aint like Denny Brauer,Skeet Reese,Mike Reynolds or well any of the others I associate with "real" professional anglers. Ok I am done! Sorry Cooch-I do appreciate the help didnt mean to take the thread to a dark place

Scott

JasonJ · Post by **JasonJ** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:42 pm

cooch wrote:Saturday I had clients that were very inexperienced anglers, switching to the dropshot, really turned our day around and made me look like I knew what the hell I was doing out there.

I wasn't that bad was I?

haha

True story about the drop shot snatching numbers in the dozens. With the 4" Flirt and circle hook, just the twitching of the rod would set the hook EVERYTIME.

PS:
I still like the jig better though. Other than the day-ending lunker, the jig seemed to bring the bigger bass out to bite. Swam it mostly. If they didn't commit, let it fall and twitch.

Larry Hemphill · Post by **Larry Hemphill** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:48 pm

Ron - that is absolutely right. When I mentioned Clear Lake and Amador - visability is mostly no more than a foot or two. When Clear Lake was "clear" a few years ago - I was drop-shotting with 10 lb test at the most. I drop-shotted a "hot" 9-7 one Sept afternoon under a deep dock with 10 lb test. Didn't take a breath for 3 or 4 minutes!!!!!

Dewayne · Post by **Dewayne** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:13 am

In general for tournaments you must maintain contact with the boat. I was blown away by Ike's quick thinking. He kept one hand on the boat as he jumped in to retrieve the line. The fish ended up being short, but it would have stood up to protest from what I saw as he did maintain contact with the boat at all times.

On the hook set issue. I have drop shotted some big fish in tournaments on the Delta. Even with a t-rigged worm I do not use a big hook set, just a firm pressure set. The hook set needs to be matched to the line, depth, rod, hook, and cover. In this case they were fishing deep in bush piles. The big hook set was probably more to pull the fish free of the brush than to set the hook. The down side of the big hook set is you can create tears in the mouth that will make it easier for the fish to throw the bait.

basstamer · Post by **basstamer** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:53 am

Thanks Dwayne-I understand getting the fish headed to the top and all but I have always heard like you said if you set hard it dislodges the hook and or rips a hole. Thanks for the reply!
Scott