Drop Shot Maniac

Not sure where you will be (Atlanta is a big place) or what you kind of tackle you are looking for, but there are plenty of options. If you are in the Buckhead area, the Fish Hawk is one of the best all-around fishing stores you will find. It's definitely fly-fishing and saltwater focused. The owner, Gary Merriman, caught the world record blue marlin about 25 years ago. It's mounted on the wall of the store and will take your breath away. If you feel like an adventure, the best bass-fishing store I have found (and ever been in) is a little place in Paulding County called Nature's Tackle Box. Run by a great lady who knows her stuff. It's about a 45-minute drive from Buckhead, but if bass fishing is your thing then you won't find a better place.

Love that Baby Torpedo. Make sure you add that one to your current box.

Probably more suited for the "timeless" category, but the Heddon Baby Torpedo. It's likely my all-time favorite lure. I mostly drop-shot these days, but when I fish topwater this is the only lure I use. My grandfather first taught me how to use it when I was a boy - cast it, ease the slack out while letting it sit until all the ripples are gone, then bump/reel it with an alternating pace, then let it sit some more. I have great confidence with this lure because I feel like I know just how to work it. It's caught many a nice bass for me, and there's nothing more fun than catching a nice one topwater.

Haven't had much luck at Stone Mountain the last three weekends. Fishing most of my favorite spots I've caught a few dinks but not much else. Mostly drop-shotting Roboworms and Rage Craws, but the bites are really rare since the weather has cooled. Also tried some crankbaits and swimbaits in various areas with no luck at all. This weekend I plan to try jigging if the new ones I ordered show up in time. Anyone else fished Stone Mountain recently? Looking for some advice.

Drop shot with Roboworms on the spots Seanyboy mentions above. They can't resist the Roboworms, and a drop shot rig with 10 lb. fluorocarbon line is an excellent choice for super-clear water. Also, the Rage Craws and Baby Craws are a good choice this time of year and I have had some success with them on a drop shot the last couple of weekends. Good luck!

Good choice. I've used Vanish but I don't like it. Never lost a fish with it, but it wears out quickly and twists. I currently have a spool of BPS flouro on my rod, but I don't like it either. The Seaguar is the best I've used (and also the most expensive). I'll be going back to it as soon as I'm done with the current spool. I also like the suggestion of using a colored backing. Good idea.

Roboworm in Morning Dawn color with chartreuse "hot tip" is a killer. Also love the Rage Craws and Baby Craws.

K-Mac – very well said. There's nothing "wrong" with an Ugly Stik. It will work and it will catch fish. But like any other material object there is always a better option if you are willing to spend the dough. Now, some would argue that there are much better options in the same price range as the Ugly Stik, Maybe so, but I can pretty much guarantee one of those rods wouldn't last me more than a few months before I broke it. The Ugly Stik's real appeal, in my opinion, is it's durability. It will last you a long time, it will catch fish and it's cheap. That's a pretty appealing combo, and the reason why the rod has been so successful for so many years. I used one last summer when staying at a friend's lake house (I wasn't able to bring my own gear) and I caught 10 pretty decent bass over two days, just fishing a couple of hours. And I was drop-shotting. So don't tell me you can't catch bass with an Ugly Stik, and don't tell me you can't sense strikes. You most definitely can. I wouldn't trade it for my St. Croix, but it darn sure worked. I can understand a preference for a higher quality rod, but I don't see any need to rip on a product that has been as overtly successful as the Ugly Stik, or to be critical of Red Earth just because the Ugly Stik is what he loves and clearly prefers to use.

You really don't need to mess with a swivel if you use Quick Drops sinkers. These are the best drop shot sinkers I have found, and they have a swivel built in that prevents line twist. I use the 3/8 weight. You can pull these sinkers through pretty much anything without getting snagged (rocky bottoms can sometimes be a problem) if you just gently back off at the first sense of resistance, and then keep moving. Once you get the hang of it it's easy. You don't even have to tie them on – just run your line through the eye and it cinches tight. These sinkers have the best "feel" of any sinker I have used. There are other drop shot sinkers with built-in swivels, but none I have found work as well as the Quick Drops. I use stand-out hooks. These hooks give the best presentation. I use 8 lb. fluorocarbon line. I don't like fluorocarbon, either. It's a pain in the butt. But it sinks, it's hard to see, and it works. I'm not too particular about rods. Use whatever you are comfortable with, but it is helpful to have at least a little bit of action in the tip so you can work the bait. Lastly, you can use whatever bait you like, but I highly recommend the Roboworm in Morning Dawn color with chartreuse hot tip. Best bass lure I have ever used, period.

Thanks, brushhoggin. In my short time on this site I've read a lot of favorable reviews of the game hawgs, and the Strike King Rage Craws and Eeliminators. I'm going to order some of these, but I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with these on a drop shot? Are they too heavy to drop shot? And Ratherbfishing, I hear you about the durability of Gulp worms. If I have any complaint at all about the Roboworms it's that they aren't very durable to say the least. They are just so soft that you can't expect to cast them too many times before they fall off the hook. Not really a complaint though, considering the success I have with them. Small price to pay.

First post here. Love the site and glad I found it. I am also a huge fan of Roboworms. These are the best and most natural worms I have found for drop shot. I have had great success with the Warmouth and Aaron's Magic versions, as well as several other colors. But the one color that I use far more than any other and that seems to get consistent strikes regardless of circumstances is the Morning Dawn with the chartreuse hot tip. While the other versions of the Morning Dawn color will work OK, the one with the chartreuse hot tip is simply the best bass-fishing lure I have ever used, period. Just to mix things up, some days I tell myself, OK, today I am not going to use this worm. I'll go through practically my whole tackle box trying to find what the fish are hitting, with limited success. Every time I eventually end up back on a drop shot with a Morning Dawn Roboworm. And it works, every time. It's the one lure I have found that the fish will hit every time I go fishing, regardless of weather, wind, water clarity, etc. Some days it works better than others, but it always works. Love this worm.