Drop Shotting

[Bass2124]

I think I have a favorite technique over crankbaits (which has always been my favorite and go to lure) after having a tough week on a new lake that I have been vacationing on (Cobbseecontee Lake in Maine Ranked #30 on the top 100 bass lakes in the US ????).  I never tried drop shotting until this past week (never really needed to) and all I can say is that it has been the best technique for catching stubborn bass all week.  I am still not slaying them like I am accustomed to (the lakes that I have back home have given me a new appreciation on how lucky I am to be able to catch 30+ bass a day no matter what the conditions are) nor are they very big but it definitely has been the only consistent pattern that I have been able to catch fish on.  I even caught a 24" pike on it.  I am averaging about 8 hours per day on the lake and am only averaging 8-10 fish with 7 out of 10 coming off of drop shots.  I am using using 10 pound fireline with a 14 inch leader of 8 lb flouro and 1/0 vmc spinshot hooks.   I am using Zoom green pumpkin trick worms. I have tried tubes, swim baits, robo worms, and other plastics on the drop shot but the only thing that has worked has been the trick worms.  I am not catching big bass however and that is where I am confused.  I have caught them deep, shallow, suspended, top and bottom but nothing with any size??  Spinner baits and trolling lizards have produced the biggest bass with the largest being a Largemouth (18" 3 lbs).  But, I have only caught 5 bass over 15" all week.  The week before I came here I caught 20 over 15" back home in an afternoon so you can imagine my frustration.  If anything, this week has given me a new insight on lake fishing that is very pressured and the patience needed to try and find out what works.  I have been very spoiled.  I also, for the time being anyway, have found a new favorite technique that I otherwise would have never tried.  The fight is amazing even with the little ones on this light gear.  I now know why Aaron Martens says it is a bass catching machine.  After a tough week and striking out on just aout everything else that I have tried, I completely agree.  I have another week on Cobbossee and am hoping that I have better luck.   For the upcoming week I think I am going to ditch the cranks and focus all my time on drop shotting to see if I can get a more consistent bite. 

[Bigbass37]

Dropshots can be awesome baits for just that haha. Stubborn bass. Dropshots do get a lot of heck for being a small fish bait, although, they can be the best bait to you big bass in a lot of conditions. 

[BiteFiend]

A lot of small stubborn fish is usually better than 0 large stubborn fish though. The thing I find with the DS though is the more fish you catch, it increases the odds of catching at least average sized fish within that same spot. More often than not, the smaller ones will bite first because they are typically more agressive, so you have to go throuh them to get to the bigger ones. A lot of times though, you seem to get into small fish schools where there is nothing but small fish. That can get annoying.

[MikeinFresno]

I have caught my 2 best on DS, 6.2 and a 7. I use the same worm you use as a standard go to, but also have branched out a little and am using lizards and brush hogs now. Have used small 3" senkos as well. I even used live crawdads once. It all seems to work.

[Felix77]

Let me tell you ... Drop shotting got me fish when nothing else would this past week.  They weren't all keepers but hell if I cared.  At least it gave me a fighting chance to catch some bass.  I am so in love with the drop shot now!

[WRB]

Have tried tight to cover very early in the morning with top water lures like a white frog, Sammy or Splash-It popper?

Drop shot works very good on less active bass, it's in their face! Have you tried wacky rigging you worms for a change?

Good luck.

Tom

[FrogFreak]

Lately I've been running top waters in the am until that bit dies and going directly to the DS in known fish holding areas. I also use the Zoom trick worm in several colors. This is my third year with the DS and I love it in the summer when the bite gets tough. I'm going to experiment with heavier weights, a t-rigged craw and throw this in some nasty stuff as well (short leader say 3-6 inches).

 

Tom,

 

Good point, I'm going go wacky rig it next weekend for sure!

[Bass2124]

Have tried tight to cover very early in the morning with top water lures like a white frog, Sammy or Splash-It popper?

Drop shot works very good on less active bass, it's in their face! Have you tried wacky rigging you worms for a change?

Good luck.

Tom

Tom, I have tried buzzbaits, frogs (not white) and hula hoppers, and lizards.  Caught 1 good one with a buzzbait but that was it.  I am up at 5 every morning and am hitting the grass first and then spending the day trying to find drop offs and deep structure.  I have to admit I am not very good with my electronics (yet) but I am seeing fish and actually caught one near a drop off that I picked up on the sonar so it was a start.   Watching the other fisherman out there they are all slow fishing plastics.  There is no fast fishing that I can see and from what I have tried, I can see why.  If this is the best that Maine has to offer look elsewhere, at least thjis time of year.  The lake I fish back north is a guaranteed 30+ fish a day, even this time of year,  and that is no joke.  It is LOADED with small mouth.  Not huge but a consistent bite with a few 2-3 pounders caught before days end.  If fishing were this slow back home I would pick up golf again!!

[WRB]

You are fishing for smallies? Do you have any chartreuse dye to tip the soft plastics with? Smallies love brighter colors in general. The reason for the white frog is they work good on pressured lakes where everyone is using green or brown frogs. Clown color small deep crankbaits also work well with summer smallies.

Sounds like you are doing what you can, slow down and work rocky points.

Try drop shotting a tube!

Tom