Crestliner2008

I totally agree. I've never "set" the hook with a drop shot. I also have yet to try this hook, but if you "have to" set it to have it be effective, I'll quickly return to my tried and proven Gammy drop shot hook.

You are new to the game and fishing from a canoe, probably without a sonar. Get yourself a bunch of 1/8 oz. plain ball head jigs and a variety of 3" curly tailed worms (Kalin's are great!). Get some white, chartreuse, smoke w/black flake, green pumpkin. Fish paralleling the drop off or weed line, trolling the jig behind your canoe as you paddle along. You will get get bit.

A double prop surface bait should give you some action.

I'm a revolver man, being rather old and old school. If you can't settle an argument with 5, then you're probably over your head to begin with. Here are a couple of my favorites. I carry the SP101 .357 all my waking hours. Loaded with .38 Spec. Hyda-Shoks for city use (for reasons cited previously about wandering bullets). I use the full load .357 rounds with 158 gr. solids when field roaming (we have a high population of black bear here in western MA, expecially where I fish from shore). The circa 1976 single action Colt (.45 LC) is a favorite range gun.

Amazingly huge for a freshwater fish.

I haven't been asked - yet. I've already changed over all my jig heads, crappie jigs, swimbait hooks, bass jigs, sinkers and lures to non-lead. Have probably invested over $150.00 so far and I still have a ways to go. I remember when fishing use to be the least expensive outdoor activity you participate in. What a shame it's come to this.

Congrats on your first! Just the beginning.

I've tried this a few times in past seasons. The problem you run into is that "dead sticking" a tube on the bottom is not the best way to present this lure. Unless you are retrieving it along the bottom. Then that kinda defeats the purpose of the drop shot - keeping the bait in one specific location and in front of the bass's nose. And, the hook sets on both lures are somewhat different; the tube can be set pretty hard (the way you would a jig), whereas the drop shot is more of a raise and reel type set. Mixing apples and oranges is not always a good thing. JMO.

Does this lake freeze over in winter? If so, springs should be easy to spot during ice up or ice out.

I didn't have a sonar 30+ years ago either when I started to fish smallies. Do you have a map of the lake? (If not, use a Google map of the lake.) Once you have a rough map, get yourself a 60' length of parachute cord. Tie a heavy nut & bolt (or anything else weighing at least 4 oz.) on one end. Then start putting a simple over hand knot, every 10' up from the weight. You can put a small piece of different colored ribbons through each knot to indicate the depths. This has now become your new "depth finder". Using this simple device, I was able to map a large hill-land type reservoir and establish a quality "milk run" by noting the various depth changes I discovered as I "hand lined" this device in my travels. Found humps, recorded configurations of long dropping points, old river channels and road beds, etc.. It made me a better small mouth angler. BTW, after checking my mapping records with first a Lowrance "Green Box" (first flasher on the market) and subsequently, several LCR units, I was pretty accurate when all was said and done. It could work for you just as well. One other thing that would have saved me a lot of time back then, is a handheld GPS (which I still use today). They are not that expensive and for that matter, neither is a decent LCR. Hope this is of some help.

First of all, if you are getting "grabbed by the tail", chances are it's not a bass. Probably bluegill or perch. A bass commits to a bait and it's gone...in his mouth immediately! I usually wacky rig a Senko if the cover is fairly sparce. Heavy weeds and/or wood, I'd go with Texas rigging. Just my preference.

Try a 3" Sluggo nose hooked, as well as some of the Case Helgrammites.

X2! Some great information there.

I never go after smallies without a tube rig, a Senko rig, a popper and a drop shot. Will you be fishing from a boat or from shore?

A side caveat to crimping down all the barbs is that should you get stuck - which is bound to happen if you fish much at all - hook removal is a lot easier and safer, as well as for the fish!

I've been using crane swivels on most of my braided lines for a long time. Do not use a "barrel" type swivel! These are the kind that come on cheap "snap swivels" you get at Walmarts. The eyes are connected to the body by visible wire twists. They can easily bind up and defeat the purpose. Cranes are designed to be as nearly free turning as can be, without actually going to a ball bearing type. I highly recommend the Spro "PowerSwivel". The tiny size #8 has a 50# test rating and is about as free turning as any ball bearing swivel. I use this in conjunction with a 2 1/2' fluoro leader and have had no problems. JMO.

I stopped using barbed hooks years ago, except on my drop shot hooks. Even my expensive cranks, I crimp down the barbs. Very rare to loose a fish unless they bite very short and break water a lot. The way I look at it, it's not imperative for me to land every fish (but that's just me). Hook removal is a breeze when going barbless too. I don't remember the last time I saw blood.

I'll be honest with you folks. The designers of this line really screwed it up. I was very optimistic about Nanofil when it first appeared on the stage. Tried the 2# & 4# test on my 7' UL rig for crappie & bluegill. Total failure! Line kept breaking off. Could not find a knot to use with any kind of leader. Tried uni-uni, alberto, blood knot. Nothing worked. Breakage always occurred at the main line knot, not the leader. Then I tried tying direct to my jigs, using their "nano-knot". Same thing; line break-offs at the jig. I even tried a very slow "sweep-set". After loosing way too many expensive non-lead jigs (MA requirement now), I went back to my old reliable, Trilene XL. No problems....no worries. Now I'm not quite sure why I switched in the first place! I also tried 10# test and the 12# test. Tied to a small Spro Powerswivel, with a 2 1/2' section of fluoro. Tried texas rigging some Senkos and again, lost about 1/2 dozen rigs - at the swivel knot. Tied direct and same thing. Tried doubling the "nano-knot" and that worked for awhile, but I still had a few break offs. If I use it with a circle hook, no problem; however, with any kind of "hook-set" being required, the odds are pretty good that I'll break off. Very disappointed. I've been fishing a very long time and am quite proficient at tying knots. I just can't imagine how this line has survived the market place. Am I the only one experiencing these problems? Guess I'll be switching back to Fireline and PowerPro on my heavier rigs. Expensive testing!

Try a popper (Pop-R is a good one) with a "plop....plop....pause (until the rings disappear).....repeat" retrieve. Not a fast way to fish, but in the dead of summer, it's hard to beat - on either LM or SM bass. Jitterbugs are great at dawn or dusk or at night. The popper can be used during most of the day, including those periods.

Hard to beat a Hula Grub on a football head jig.

Probably would be beneficial if you can say just what kind of swimbaits you are referring to? There are the soft plastic ones with paddle tails. There are the segmented straight tail variety. There are numerous large hardbaits as well. Each has it's own purpose and design. Each can be worked a number of different ways. Which are you interested in?

WalMarts has inexpensive steel "Bass Casting" sinkers (I think the brand name is Eagle Claw). You can get 8 for under $2.00. Then add a split ring and a drop shot swivel, from Netcraft (www.jannsnetcraft.com). You will no longer worry about hung sinkers, as this set-up is very inexpensive and environmentally sound. Also, if you are fishing deeper water, fish vertically, under the boat, targetting humps or other bottom structures that have bait on them. For hooks, if you are fishing shallow, go ahead and use a regular, off-set shank, worm hook; such as you'd use with the Texas rig. You can get smaller sizes, like the Gamakatsu "G-Lock" in size #1 for the smaller baits. They won't get you hung up. Here's a picture of the sinker set-up I've been using for many years:

Scout around in deeper water. Use your sonar. Locate likely structures with bait on it. They should be there. Start probing after the first break, out to deepest water. Focus on points or humps in that area. If you happen on a hump with bait, put a drop shot down there and see what happens.

Here's my two cents. And I'm assuming you are keeping the fish for food. (Nothing wrong with that as long as it's within the legal limits.) Fact: fish, as a food group, is more perishable than milk! Think about that. You must/should pay particular attention as to how you handle the meat when considering it for human consumption. I believe stress, as well, plays an important part in the quality of your dining experience when it comes to fish. Some folks throw their fish in a live well and forget about them - cleaning the belly up fish when they get home after a day's fishing. I hope I never have the pleasure of dining with those folks! Best way is to kill and gut them right away, then put them on ice immediately there after. I always REMOVE the gills quickly after killing the fish as well. This prevents the blood engorged gills from draining back into the flesh. Quickly gutting prevents any unwanted body fluids from doing the same thing. Gutted fish, cleaned and cooled properly, on ice makes for some delicious fare! JMO.

I'm probably the tightest "tight wad" on this site, but I really don't get the "cost" issue when making knock-off comparisons. Most folks spend hundreds of dollars on various combinations of rod, reel & line; then skimp and gripe about the cost of what is actually put in front of the bass! The bass never gets to see your rod & reel after all, right? The durability factor could be a consideration, but the Yammy baits flat out produce - for me anyway. The Fat Ika was made by altering the Hula Grub mold, which is is a great bait in itself, as well (especially for smallmouiths). The Ika is all I've ever needed for both LM & SM bass. I have had no desire to explore the various knock offs of this basic design. As long as the originals keep producing, I'll keep buying them. I also use the original Senko exclusively. I have actually tried some of these knock-offs. Have had some successes too. But I just have more confidence in the original is all. my mistake! edit: picked up a nice, fat 3 1/2 lb. largie, just this morning, on the Ika down at an oxbow lake near me.