Crestliner2008

Outstanding job with that pig of a bass! When did you catch it? Earlier this year or recently? Always carry a scale! You probably had the State Record LM there!

Great catch indeed! What state are fising in?

One of the best instructional videos I've ever seen! Congrats on a fine job. Also....THANKS!

I didn't know there were lakes that deep in FL! But seriously, the big girls are deeper than the rest, in all probability. I'd take a look at those submerged humps and focus your attention on finding bait, not bass. If you find a structural element on the side of one of those humps and it has some bait around it, then work that area intensely with a drop shot and finesse worm of some kind. I'm gathering that the bottom is fairly free of weeds and brush in the deeper sections, so don't over look a Silver Buddy! Cast it out. Let it settle. Twitch it off the bottom, just enough to feel the vibes. Then let it settle back down. If either this or the drop shot don't work, then someone else may have a suggestion that will work for you.

Gamakatsu Octopus size #2 or Daiichi StandOut size #4.

Definitely learn to tie the palomar knot for use with any drop shot hook. This will enable you to keep the hook point UP, which helps in hooking the fish, of either species, in the top lip. Don't forget...once tied, put the tag end back down through the eye of the hook. This will keep it at about a 45 deg. angle to the main line. Then tie on your weight. Hook size/style depends on where you are fishing and for what. If you are fishing for small mouth bass in deep, open water, then a standard mosquito/drop shot hook in size 2 (not 2/0) will suffice - but do NOT go smaller! If you are fishing for largemouths on the weed edges - or thicker - go with a small off-set worm hook, like you use in texas rigging worms. You can get this style hook in very small sizes. Gamakatsu has several. I use the size 1 or 2's for this applications (again not size 1/0 or 2/0!). For small mouths, nose hook or wacky rig your plastic worms. If you are using a minnow imitator, then nose hooking is the preferred method. For largemouths, always texas rig unless the cover is very scarce. JMO!

Last year, the In'Fisherman Staff wrote an article indicating that the spawn - on some lakes - could and does take place as late as the end of July. On the Quabbin, where I spend a lot of my time fishing for small mouths, I've seen them on deep water beds (12' down) on my buddy's Aqua-View, as late as the middle of June! A cool spring & summer like we're having here in MA this year, would indicate to me that yes, in some lakes, the spawn is still on for some of those stragglers.

Couldn't sleep Wednesday night, so around 3:30 am I decided to hit the Quabbin once again. Water temps around 70 degrees with the air very cool and around 60. Scouted out some shallow water spots (6' - 9') and only got some dinks: Being as I mainly target the bigger smallmouths at the Quabbin, I headed out in the opposite direction. This is where I settled for awhile: Wasted some time around here on several stops, but nothing would co-operate, so I headed to some shallower GPS locations and this is what 1/2 dozen of these spots looked like: These were definitely small perch and the smallies loved them! Snagged a few that got free at the surface. These perch were between 4" - 6" in length. All total for the day I caught & released about 1 1/2 dozen decent smallmouths at similar locations. Here's what some of them looked like: All in all, I made a good decision to stay up and go fishing instead of going back to bed! I even had two "doubles"....one when I put the drop shot rod down in the holder to fight another fish on a Senko. The drop shot rod doubled over suddenly and the bass cleared the water by 2' and spit the hook at me! The next one I did land both bass in the same situation. Talk about a firedrill! The last picture above was neat....caught her on my 4# test UL which was a challenge; but instead of landing her, she jumped into the boat on the other side of my engine! Quite a bit of fun. ;D You can't beat the Quabbin this time of the year. I don't believe the thermocline has set-up yet, so finding the bass is hit or miss. But they seem to congregating more so in the 25' - 30' depths, providing you can find bait on those structures. Hope everyone can get out and do some fishing this weekend. The weather is shaping up to be spectacular!

Try this link for the original application of the "wiggle rig". I use it 50/50 on my drop shot rods. "Sometimes they feel like a nut, sometimes they don't!" http://ezknot.com/Long_Shot.html

If the top of the water is choked with weeds, you might want to try a top water hollow frog, such as the Spro Bronzeye. If you can penectrate it OK, then go with your texas rig and adjust the weight according the penetration needed to get it to the bottom. Or you can use a jig.

This is the same guy who originated the Daiichi "Stand-Out" hooks for drop shotting: http://ezknot.com/

MegaStrike. It's my confidence edge.

No problems fishing it from shore. Think of it this way. If the fish want something presented to them, just off the bottom, then the drop shot is the way to go. Best part is, you can adjust and fine tune it to just where they want it best, by just varying the sinker to hook distance. BTW, don't over look the "Wiggle Rig" with the drop shot, especially from shore!

Whether or not the big ones are anywhere, is solely dependent on if that particular structure you're working, attracts baitfish. In this case, it's huge schools of perch. Go to any marina and buy an inexpensive slip ring, fluke type anchor. They will know what size is needed for a rental rig at the Quabbin. Get a 3' length of heavy chain from a hardware store along with a couple of screw together cleats to put on each end. Buy 100' of 3/8" nylon anchor line (best buy at WalMarts). Attach the chain to the anchor and the rope to the chain. Always take an anchor with you on the Quabbin. If/when you get the anchor hung up on a stump, you just start the engine and run 180 degree circle around the hung anchor. Don't go too fast! Or you may swamp it! By doing this, the slip ring will move to the bottom of the anchor and it will come free. In the past 12 years, I've never lost an anchor up there using this type of anchor and this technique. You need to stay in one position while you fish a structure. The bass are constantly moving back & forth, chasing the bait. You can't possibly stay on them by being mobile. Anchor and let them come to you. Work a spot for 20 min. or so, then go find another spot, and so forth. You need to put your time in, in order to be successful up there. Good Luck.

Back-to-back Uni knots. 8 turns on the braid, 6 on the fluoro. Haven't had a problem yet.

Take a 50' - 75' length of 1/4" nylon rope. Tie a 1/2 lb. weight, of your choosing, to one end. Tie a large loop in the other end. Then tie a series of overhand knots, at 15', 20' 25' 30' & 35'. When you tie these knots, put a short piece of different colored ribbon in each knot (so that you will remember which knot means what depth). Put the loop end around your wrist, so you don't loose it overboard when you using it! This is what is known as a "poor man's depth sounder". A very effective tool, which I used for many, many years, when I use to rent boats up there. You'll learn a lot about the Quabbin when you use this depth line. Get to know the bottom configuration in those areas you fish, using this device. Find humps 50 - 100 yards off-shore, using this device. Anchor when you find a dramatic rise in the bottom (a hump). Then cast some tube jigs and/or drop shot and/or Senkos. You'll do just fine. Good Luck!

Try a 3" Sluggo, nose hooked!

No one mentioned that some reels - like some Shimano's - require reeling the line on the reel the same way you do a baitcaster. That is, with a pencil thru the hole in the spool and the line coming off the top. Check your owner's manual.

ROFLMAOOO!!! That's what I was thinking!!! ;D

I don't get too hung up on trying to "match the hatch" when drop shotting. If a bass sees something edible and appearing vulnerable and hovering in it's face, it's going to eat it. The trick to drop shotting is finding bait on a good structure. Do that and you're 90% home. Any 4" worm or shad imitation (i.e.: Berkley Power Minnows) will work. Also, don't over the 3" Sluggos!

Those small cut-tails make an outstanding drop shot bait! Especially at that price! Wanna sell any?

I've got a Black Max that I've had for about 6 years. Nice small reel. However, if I don't keep spraying the insides with WD-40, the reel won't cast worth a darn! A reel tech once said it was because of the lack of decent bearings (it uses a bushing instead of a ball bearing on the end spool) and too tight a fit (?). Once it's "warmed" up a bit, it'll work ok though. Much prefer any of my Ambassadeur 5500Cs. Maybe I just got a bad one?

I've got a Cherrywood 5 1/2' medium action baitcasting rod. Been using it (not a lot) over the past 4 years. I mainly use it to drop shot when I'm shore fishing. Haven't broke it yet and it has caught a bunch of bass for me. Not sure I'd like to be limited to only using this one rod, but like the ole' ranger once said, "it'll do to ride the river".

You might want to look into a longer rod. More in line with a 7' - 8' model. "B n' M" makes a dandy, called their "Sam's Super Sensitive". It's a heck of a buy at about $50.00. I've paired mine with a Shimano Symetre 750, filled with 2# test fluorocarbon. Also makes a heck of a panfish rig. Yep, it's a tad on the light side for big bass, but if you don't have a lot of obstructions, it can be used very efficiently. Biggest I've taken on this outfit is a 3.2 lb. smallmouth out of 35' of water. Took awhile to bring her up, but patience and back-reeling did wonders. This is definitely not a sport for the weak of heart! I only do this a couple of times a year and have yet to loose a smallie. Great fun!

I usually fish out of Gate #31 two or three times a week. What species are you targetting? Do you have your own boat or renting? Do you have a sonar? I am mainly a smallmouth fisherman, specializing in targeting the bigger females, after the spawn. This is usually around this time frame, but the darn cold weather we've been having is keeping the water temps below 70 degrees. This doesn't allow an adequate thermocline to set-up; consequently, the smallies are doing a lot more roaming, vertically throughout the water column. Assuming you have a sonar on your own boat, I'd recommend trying some shallow points for starters and work progressively deeper. Keep on the look out for bait balls, in the 25' depths on any drop offs or humps you find. Early in the morning, the top water bite can be pretty good, but after the sun displaces the thermals with a steady breeze, your best bet would be to target those off-shore structures and humps that you see, using your sonar. Don't waste time on any one of them, unless they show bait. And if you "accidentally" hook into a small perch, drop anchor and use your drop shot. You'll be happy you did.