Drop Shot Woes

[airborne_angler]

Let me begin by saying that a Drop Shot has got to be my number one producer in the lake I fish. But that is also a problem for me. Im usually throwing small drop shot specific baits and all I seem to end up with is smaller fish.

I want to venture into larger baits,and hopefully start getting into larger fish,but I dont have the confidence to throw larger baits on a Drop Shot for fear of being skunked. So I keep the "Training Wheels" on and throw those small baits and catch small(12 inch and smaller) fish

Anyone know of a sure fire larger profile bait that works well and can catch the larger fish on a Drop shot. I like to hear from both the suggestions side and from the personal experience side of the house.Ive got a HUGE assortment of soft plastics at my disposal,so whatever bait anyone names off, I probably have somewhere in storage.

[Jaheff]

I had the same problem last year fishing from shore. I just changed to 6", 7", robo and trick worms. Zoom mini lizards also produced bigger fish for me. I also changed to a bigger weight, and started bubba shotting,or power shotting into deeper water. I also put down the drop shot and started C-riggin, that also helped with better quality fish. Hope that helps...

[Aluma-Bass]

lizard,senko,fluke, 7'' worms have produced some larger fish for me...also wacky rigging a worm on dropshot has paid off too!

[bwell]

3,5" lake fork live magic shad

[Catt]

If you're catching small fish its usually because you're fishing where small fish are

[J Francho]

I was going to say about the same as Catt. Sometimes you have move off a bit, into deeper water. Other times, increase your drop line so your bait is in the face of less active, bigger, wary fish. Lastly, try a heavier weight. Sometimes you have to "expedite" the bait through the dinks if the larger fish are holding close to the bottom. About the only time I feel like I need a bigger bait, is when I feel like water clarity or cover is obscuring my presentation.

[bman310]

If you're catching small fish its usually because you're fishing where small fish are

That was the first thing that came to my mind.

-b

[basscrusher]

Ditto what Catt and JFrancho said. But if you want to get into bigger lures, start with a trick worm (that's what I did). Still slender and has a profile well-suited to drop-shotting, but big enough to sometimes get that bigger bite. I also like to put Zoom tubes on a drop-shot, although you might need a little larger gap on your hook. No reason why you couldn't try a bigger, bulkier tube either (think flipping tube).

[Catt]

Roboworm's 6" Sculpin M.M. III

[A-Jay]

Perhaps you could step up your drop shot tackle a bit, use a Texas rig style method to drop shot your favorite creature bait and prob some likely fish holding cover. I tried this last year and was pleasantly surprised at the results.

A-Jay

[Crestliner2008]

I do not believe bait size is your problem. As has been said here already, you have to target where the larger fish are. That could be deeper water or in a suspended situation. IF, in fact, you are sure that there are larger ones in the water you are fishing. I've caught some mighty large bass on very small ds baits.

[airborne_angler]

Ya know a larger fish for me comes very seldom,but is a welcome surprise. I had been fishing an area with this small DS bait I always use,plucking the dinks left and right,when suddenly I got a hit on the DS( on the fall) right after I made a cast. Turned out to be a 4# fish. So yeah larger fish are in this lake but seems the little ones are way more aggressive,think its time to target deeper water.

[J Francho]

The little ones are ALWAYS more aggressive. Think about it, they're little and need to eat to grow.

[TxBankFisherman]

yeah I like to drop shot a lot... and it seems you'll catch the larger fish on a senko... and I like to wacky rig it...

Maybe for just one trip if you wanted to try something different you could rig up 3 different rods and reels with my 3 go to baits...

1. dropshot- senko wacky rigged or a senko fished tx rigged weightless or small split shot a couple inches above hook

2. zoom fluke- watermelon seed- or silver- tx rigged with small split shot above hook...

3. 7" or 10" powerworm-- tx rigged with slip sinker... in either electric blue or blue fleck...

I feel these are 3 of the all time lures ever created and are hard to beat... and maybe it can get you a big one in the boat?? also on your worm rig if there are a lot of crayfish in the lake, you might also try a blue chigger craw, or a gene larew salt craw- in chart, or blue/black...