Crestliner2008

They do make cork jigs specifically for the presentation you are trying to accomplish. You can add bait to it, or use hair. It's called the "Lindy Floating Rig". Google Lindy Fishing Tackle.

I'm reading this thread with great interest. Having 5 grandkids now and another on the way, I'll be buying a few rod/reel combos very soon! Back in "the day", we all used either the top of the line spincast reels, like the Johnson Century, or the run-of-mill 303's. Both were quite adequate for river rats back then. The main reason I went to open faced spinning was because of the poor line pick-up when you needed it most! As well as the very low gear ratios. You'd have to crank your arm off to get a buzzbait to stay on the surface! These days though, I'm sure they must have improved the technology.

BPS offers rod handle tape that I've tried. Very effective. Probably the same stuff as JFranco suggested for tennis rackets. If you want to keep your handles cork though, I'd recommend deep cleaning with the Magic Eraser, dry thoroughly, and apply a coating of U-40 Cork Sealant (Netcraft). I do this with all my cork rods and have never experienced them being slippery. But I don't have any with a pistol-type grip either, so I'm not so sure about that design. Two good suggestions here regardless; one will work for you I'm sure.

When I first started drop shotting back in 2001, I learned the technique from a Japanese friend from Japan. He advocated the use of 4# test fluoro when fishing deep, clear water. It certainly did catch a lot of quality smallmouth for me over the next half dozen or so years. The problem I experienced was that the fine teeth on the smallmouth abraded the line significantly. I lost quite a few quality fish because of that. Ended up changing out my leader about every second bass landed. Following the RichZ formula, I shifted to 6# test fluoro instead and have since only very rarely lost a fish due to break offs. I also change my leader several times a day, usually after 3 or 4 fish are caught & released. That helps as well I suppose. I've caught some pretty big smallmouth using 6# test and have never noticed/experienced any reduction in catch ratios compared to the people I've fish with.

Sorry you are having this problem. Never heard of this before! And over my many years on the water, I've never seen it happen to anyone I was fishing with either. Thanks for the heads up regardless.

We use this kind of drift presentation for crappie all the time. Works well deep jigging lake trout & smallmouth bass too.

Excellent video!

A lot depends on where you are fishing, what are the conditions and which species you seek. Use varies with those kind of variables.

The polarized lenses I use also create a problem for me when using my digital camera. Holding it horizontally, no problem, but when I turn the camera to the vertical frame, all I get is a black screen. Having to always take them off to take pictures. But they are still worth their weight in gold.

You did not mention if you had access to a boat, or if you are restricted to fishing from shore? There are several lure categories that would work better from one or the other. What kind of experience have you previously had? What kind of a budget are you working with? When I was your age, I was catching lots of different river fish with a plain ole 1/8 oz. jig head with a 3" curly tailed grub on the back. Doesn't get much cheaper than that and I have doubts as to whether or not more expensive lure types are any more effective. Cast them out and slowly retrieve them back. I've caught a lot of river smallies on these, as well as lake fish of all species. Start learning what structure really is. Best book for the "buck" is entitled, "Spoonplugging" by Elwood "Buck" Perry. This book alone will vault you ahead of a lot of more experienced anglers - I guarantee! Other lures you probably should be thinking about are simple topwater poppers. And, of course, the venerable Senko, although it's expense is quite a bit higher. However, the Senkos effectiveness is much greater than less costly options - IF you are fishing in the right places. It takes time on the water and a lot of study to become a good angler. It's of life's purest pleasures. You are on the right track by being here.

I "bubba" drop shot with a 7' MH action spinning rod. I use between a 2/0 to a 4/0 off-set worm hook, depending on the size bait I am presenting. And what I find is that my dropper - from hook to sinker - is shorter. Maybe only a foot or so, as opposed to a lighter presentation. Just seems to work better for me. Baits can be anything you want to try.

I like what Sam wrote above. However, before I'd even start, I'd try to find out just what they are interested in accomplishing. Just to catch a fish - any fish? Or, after watching some TV shows, do they want to catch a bass? Or a trout? Don't try to get too technical with gear and stuff. And explain that if the do NOT catch anything, it may not be because they are doing anything wrong. Most of fishing is "Location, location, location". After that, it will all fall into place. I actually find that teaching kids to fish is so much easier than adults! They have no per-conceived notions to break.

It all depends on the size of the trout you are targeting. Will an average sized stocker take that lure? Sure....sometimes it will happen. But to put the odds more in your favor, go for the smaller size instead. Better yet, the smallest Countdown Rapala is hard to beat. And do not loose sight of the 1/16 oz. jig head with a curly tail plastic on the back.

A true American Patriot.

I remove the center trebles on all my lures. And I crimp down the barbs as well. I've not noticed any perceivable change in lure action or catch ratio.

If that's the case, why do I catch a lot of smallies on a "hot steel" Xrap?

There are many poppers out and I've used quite a few of them over the years. However, a couple of years ago, I picked this one up. It's "Popn' Image Jr.". This bad boy not only pops great, but it's about the easiest walking top water I've ever tried. You could do a lot worse that this one, and it will not break the bank.

Old school here. Prefer Fleck. They've been around a long time and are consistent producers. Not as expensive as some, but the quality is there.

The Husky Jerk is a fine suspending jerkbait. I've caught a lot of smallmouth on that bad boy over the years. As has been said here already though, no jerkbait is 100% suspending in all water temps. So, you have to adjust the rise rate accordingly. I do not like "SuspendDots", as they appear (to me anyway) to alter the body action of the bait when twitched. I now carry a small roll of small diameter soldering wire and, when conditions call for it, I wrap the center, or forward treble shank with a turn or two of this instead. It adequately compensates without hindering the plugs normal action. Remember also, depending on the mood of the fish on any given day, a slow rise may actually be beneficial. As well as a slow sink. That's what fishing is all about - experimentation. Don't expect to just open a box on any lure and go fishing without an open mind. One final note on these Husky Jerks. If you are a CPR fisherman and care about releasing your catch with minimal damage, please remove the center treble! That darn thing has a bad tendency to blind a fish during the fight. It is not necessary and not having it will not cause you less hook ups. I also go so far as to crimp down the barbs on these trebles (as well as on any other lure I use) to further insure a healthy release. JMO.

Having used them many years ago, I know they catch bass. However, if I'm fishing for LM's, I really believe that the spinnerbait is a much better option. It is much more versatile than an inline spinner and quite a bit more snag resistant, as well as having less of a tendency to twist your line. If I'm fishing open water SM's however, I would not hesitate to tie one on.

I agree wholeheartedly. Example: Last season we spent the day fishing for smallmouth, which is my No. 1 sought after species. we each had an internal tube jig head on two rods. One had the Yum "CrawBug" which is about as realistic a representation if there ever was one. The second had a plain, green pumpkin 3 1/2" tube. We fished both rigs all day long, both of us switching rigs on & off. I gotta tell ya folks, the plain tube actually out-produced the replica by a significant margin. The plain tube accounted for 11 fish....the replica 6. We repeated this experiment twice more last season. One of those repeats came really close to each other. The last was a repeat of my initial experiment. Not sure if this a valid trial to base any conclusion on or not, but I'm convinced that the main tried & true factors involving fishing success are still, and will continue to be, depth & speed control. All else falls considerably short of that. JMO!

Hint: if you get a drift sock from any place, pay attention to their recommendations as to size. Then DOUBLE it....then get two instead of one! Trust me, they are not all they're cracked up to be. And you'll need two large ones to slow your boat's drift by any significant amount.

Wow! That's a real crackerjack and a half! How's anyone suppose to beat that! LOL!

Well, having broken the 70 yo mark, you can probably guess that these muscles aren't what they use to be! My daughter has several degrees and runs a women's health business. When I complained about pain after fishing, she sent me a tube of Dr. King's Advanced Arnica cream. It's a homeopathic cream that you just rub into your shoulders, lower back and knees, when the need arises. Gotta tell ya folks, this stuff WORKS! Regardless of how achy I get after a day on the water, this cream helps relieve most aches & pains very quickly. I'd stay away from any kind of regular Ibuprofen use, or Aleve. Yeah, they work, but with regular use, you are putting your liver in jeopardy. Just ask your Doctor.

Fish don't think. They react to a given set of environmental conditions and physical needs. You are giving them way too much credit.