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Michigan and another country...... Canada

Utah seems like a world away from Michigan, but the "migration" has already happened here. In natural lakes here fish spend the majority of the summer in mid to deep water, saaaayyyy 12 feet and up. They love vegitation and can be difficult to locate and catch on hot days. The weather has since cooled off and it's truely like a light switch. When there deep summer vacation weeds start to die off, huge schools of bluegill will start to show up in shallow water where the water is still warm enough to support weed growth. Guess what, Mr. 4 pounder is not far behind. Like Catt said, find the bait find the fish. With the lack of vegitation, they almost always choose the next best option in terms of cover. The only thing left is a few docks and vertical sea walls. Since there is so little to choose from isolated solid structure can be loaded. Here, I find the bait shallow in the fall and that's where the bass are too. I had an outstanding week last week. Wish I could go more often, days are short and there isn't very many days left.

That's exactly what I do. I use 1/2 a tab of flatline and a full tab of living image. The rubber is a pretty big skirt that's why I only use half and it comes out great. The flatline is awsome because it's already split and has great old school action.

it's true, we are silly Michigan people. Only in Michigan can you not dropshot or fish half the year because of fishing "season" and oh yeah the blizzards. Just kidding, it's legal and Michigan is a very underated fishing state. After all we did produce the best fisherman of all time you konw.

Upon its conception..... Yes dropshotting was illegal in Michigan beleive it or not. If I remember correctly, just like wnybass said, you had to have atleast 3 or 4 inches I belive of leader off your main line in order to be legal. Since salmon fishing is so popular here, this regulation was originally made to prevent people from tying directly to your main line withouth the use of a 3way swivel to make "snagging" salmon easier when they are running in the fall. However, within a year of dropshotting becoming popular the law was changed. I am not sure the regulations with the leader length in terms of salmon anymore, because I am almost exclusively a bass fisherman but they probably still exsist. If dropshotting was illegal here, I would probably be awaiting verdict on my death sentence trial. Year in and year out I catch more fish and more big fish dropshotting than probably any other technique. If you are on St. Claire, Erie, Michigan Huron, the vast majority of the inland lakes, the dropshot is a must.

Flipping a 1oz. tungsten into thick mats and the other end of the spectrum drop shotting for great lakes smallmouth. Gotta love Michigan.

Yeah there is no snelling the offset hook. It's just something I have tried.

Well, not sure if it's the easiest but I tought my girlfreinds mother how to swim grubs this weekend. She caught 3 good ones in a half hour, it must be easy.

Fogot to mention, Mark is dead on. If there is alot of alge and slime, skip the skirt. It causes more problems than it's worth. You spend more time pickin slime off and not yo yo ing under matts.

I'm starting to move back to EWG Superline Gammys. If you have a stout enough bait it is just as weedless and I think it just has a better hook-up percentage. Not totaly sold on it because straight shanks are awsome. Pays to live on the lake when I can expierement alot.

I do alot of "punching" this time of year. When the fish are really in the stuff, I have one rod with a skirt one without. I usally start with the skirt because I think it attracts a little bigger bite. If I miss a couple fish or don't seem to be getting the amount of bites I expect, I will pick up the other rod. 1oz to 1.5oz tungsten weight and an Edge Craw, I make my own skirts (alot cheaper). It's an addicting technique, once you get a 4lber to knock the fire out of it in 1 foot of water you will be hooked too.

One of the best deep water applications is drop shotting without a doubt. I know it doesn't get done much in the south, but you can put a heavy weight on, get to the bottom fast and present your lure to fish very effectively. If there is lots of vegetation you can rig your choice of plastic texas style to help with the weeds. A very underated bait in the summer is a creature style bait. You don't have to put a tiny worm on with 6lb line. If you have electronics, find a good looking spot on your map and trolling motor around it until you can see them on the graph. Open your bail and drop it straight on there head. You don't even have to move it, just let the wind push you can drag it along.

Come on arch! That's a good thing. Rock rock rock rock goby rock toad smallie! You know the drill. I hear you though. It can be boy that cried wolf type of thing. Like I said early, I don't prefer the braid either. Keep expeirementing, you will figure out what works for you

That's what I meant nanofil not silk. It's good stuff, but I mostly fish it for largemouth on inland lakes. Love it for skipping docks and jig worms stuff like that. I just never got into dropshotting with it. Like I said in water that clear I think it effects bites. Probably all in my head. I will be up in Traverse City this weekend maybe I will do some comparing.

Arch, I do alot of smallmouth fishing around the great lakes, Erie, St. Claire, Lake Michigan. For me it's flouro strictly. I'm in love with Seaguar InizX. It holds up too the abuse and is pretty user friendly as far as flouro goes. Great lakes smallies are tough critters, you HAVE to back off on your drag and just take it easy. Most of the time there is absolutely nothing they can get wrapped around so take your time and let them fight. Use the smallest sharpest hook you can get away with too, for me that seems to help. Especially when I'm dropshottig. I do like Berkley Nanosilk, but I truely belive it effects the amount of bites a day I get. However I will say, I have been in the boat with lots of people that do throw braid and they seem to do fine. For me it's a confidence thing. I can remember breaking off once in the last 2 years and it was my fault for "horsing" it. Light drag, light rods, take your time.