Shakeyhead or Dropshot for Prespawn

[TxHawgs]

I will be fishing twice this wk here in Tx and one day being a club tourney. I only have one spinning setup right now and was wondering if one technique is better than the other in 50° water? Also with the shakeyhead I will be fishing a Zoom trick worm, 10 mph+ winds in 20+ ft. of water what sz. shakeyhead is too big to fish on that finesse worm, is 1/2oz. 5/8oz. too big? Are both techniques just as good it just depends how tight to the bottom they are holding? And does anyone fish a shakeydrop, shakeyhead on bottom with a dropshot above it too see what the fish want?

[Fishes in trees]

Shakey  heads and drop shot presentations are not limited to spinning gear.  I frequently throw a 3/8 or half ounce shaky head on 15 lb Abrazx in 10 to 20 feet or so of water.  Generally I'll throw a trick worm, but there are other brands of worms that work as well or better - as well as different shapes of baits.  The same can be said for a drop shot presentation.  My boat doesn't leave the dock without both a fines drop shot and a bubba drop shot rigged and ready to go.  I make decisions on which one I want to use based on cover and depth and the bubba gets chosen much more often than not. (To me  a bubba drop shot approach would be 20 lb Abrazx and a half ounce drop shot weight.   I use a 7'5" Kistler pitching rod and a Chronarch 50 seems to handle enough 20 lb line just fine.

Don't get me wrong, I carry spinning shaky head rigs as well.   Make presentation decisions based on water color - perceived level of fish activity and cover.

[TxHawgs]

2 minutes ago, Fishes in trees said:

Shakey  heads and drop shot presentations are not limited to spinning gear.  I frequently throw a 3/8 or half ounce shaky head on 15 lb Abrazx in 10 to 20 feet or so of water.  Generally I'll throw a trick worm, but there are other brands of worms that work as well or better - as well as different shapes of baits.  The same can be said for a drop shot presentation.  My boat doesn't leave the dock without both a fines drop shot and a bubba drop shot rigged and ready to go.  I make decisions on which one I want to use based on cover and depth and the bubba gets chosen much more often than not. (To me  a bubba drop shot approach would be 20 lb Abrazx and a half ounce drop shot weight.   I use a 7'5" Kistler pitching rod and a Chronarch 50 seems to handle enough 20 lb line just fine.

Don't get me wrong, I carry spinning shaky head rigs as well.   Make presentation decisions based on water color - perceived level of fish activity and cover.

Do you fish a trick worm on the 1/2oz. shakeyhead or is that too big?

[Catt]

I don't own spinning tackle, I fish both techniques on bait casting.

Where is it written that those techniques are for spinning tackle only?

Is a 1/2 oz to big?

Down here in southeast Texas we drag 1 oz football jigs on deep structure!

[clh121787]

Pick your favorite one. Let it soak for a while. If there's any kind of a bite inmo it won't matter what you have tied on if it's in the zone

[ripinit]

Its really a trial and error thing,  and let the fish tell you...Have to figure out what the fish are eating, and if they are hugging bottom..Catch one, look at its belly, or see where the blimps are on your depth finder.  If there are signs they are hugging bottom, I'd start with the Shaky, and vice versa if they are suspended...But try both, as the bite determines what they like best, no matter where they are....

[BaitMonkey1984]

Both work well. Personally prefer the drop shot because I can keep the bait in the same spot and impact action. Even with a shaky head jus barely being twitched, I move the bait. Ever so slightly, but it moves. So if you found the sweet spot on the nest, I would go with the drop shot so you can stay on it longer. 

[Raul]

In this sport there are no  absolutes so, shaky or drop ? you have to try both to find out which the fish prefer, also, I don´t from where most bass anglers now think/believe that shakeyheading or dropshotting have to be done with noodle super extra ultralight rods, hair thin line, micro reels and feathers as sinkers/weights, shakyhead RIG and dropshot RIG are that: RIGS and rigs can be done with any friggin´ weight and the appropiate gear depending upon needs to match the conditions of cover type & density, wind speed and depth.

[Paul Roberts]

Season has less to do with it.

Shaky is a jig so it free-swims and hops a bit better.

DS big diff is it offers a weightless plastic at any depth.

Ether could work. I find jigworms easier to rig and maintain. But sometimes losing the weight in the presentation matters. I'd rig jig first, then go DS if needed, or to eek out more bites. That would be my thinking.

[ww2farmer]

Maybe I would do poorly in this tournament your fishing, but in 50 degree water, with wind, during the pre-spawn period...............the last thing I would be doing is trying to eeek out bites on finesse presentations in deep water. 

[Paul Roberts]

5 minutes ago, ww2farmer said:

Maybe I would do poorly in this tournament your fishing, but in 50 degree water, with wind, during the pre-spawn period...............the last thing I would be doing is trying to eeek out bites on finesse presentations in deep water. 

Good point!

[blckshirt98]

If you don't mind risking losing a lot of tackle on a snag, do both.  Rig up a drop shot as usual but instead of using a drop shot weight at the bottom, use a shakey head rig.  Don't go too heavy on the shakeyhead, like don't stick a 5" senko on a 1/4oz shakeyhead, but something a bit more graceful like a Damiki Air Pocket Worm on a 1/16 or 3/32 oz Owner Ultrahead.  If the fish are preferring one over the other that day, stick to the single rig they want.

I've done this a few times with success but very selectively, since a snag will cost you a ton of gear.

[Pondboss16]

shakey head all the way! pre spawn bass are still coming up from the deader waters and i find it very effective. I usually just use a zoom shakey head worm in green pump color and slowly jerk it along the bottom. (seems to work best near cover)

[WRB]

Pre spawn comes around ounce each year, it's the only seasonal period when big female bass stage in groups before moving up to spawn. Why target big bass with a presentation designed to entice strikes from less active smaller bass?

I target big pre spawners with swimbaits, jigs, big worms and deep diving crankbaits and don't get out finesse rods until post spawn.

Shaking a big worm using brass & glass T-rigged or shaking a worm on a jig doesn't require spinning tackle.

Tom

[Catt]

19 hours ago, TxHawgs said:

Do you fish a trick worm on the 1/2oz. shakeyhead or is that too big?

Try this with your favorite plastic, drag it on the bottom letting it impart it's own action.

[TxHawgs]

On Wednesday, February 03, 2016 at 10:32 PM, Catt said:

Try this with your favorite plastic, drag it on the bottom letting it impart it's own action.

Who makes this and what sz?

[Catt]

6 hours ago, TxHawgs said:

Who makes this and what sz?

Strike King TroKar they come in 3/8, 1/2, & 3/4

[blckshirt98]

14 hours ago, TxHawgs said:

Who makes this and what sz?

Also check TW for "swinging jigheads" since Trokar stuff can be a little pricey.  I think the Biffle Hardhead was one of the first ones for Tommy's weird "bottom bugging" technique.

[TxHawgs]

8 hours ago, blckshirt98 said:

Also check TW for "swinging jigheads" since Trokar stuff can be a little pricey.  I think the Biffle Hardhead was one of the first ones for Tommy's weird "bottom bugging" technique.

I did pick up the VMC ruby and the SK jointed structure head.

[Catt]

6 hours ago, TxHawgs said:

I did pick up the VMC ruby and the SK jointed structure head.

The SK jointed structure head slides through grass better but the grass on Toledo Bend is scattered so the football head works better.