Hey Drop Shot experts!

[Comfortably Numb]

If you are fishing 30' then braid and a flouro leader is a must. I use a 3/8-1/2 sinker. I tie up a bunch at home so re-rigging is faster. 

[Mike L]

Hey Fellas 

First, above all I want to thank you all for the advise and suggestions that you gave me. 

It was a tough 2 days on Lanier. A cold front came down and changed everything..

When I left home it was 88 deg, at take off on Thursday morning it was 46! 

I thought my cheeks were gonna crack off!! 

My boater who has been on the lake since Tuesday said he's had a lot of luck chasing schooling spots all over the lake and that was his plan. 

 

We started where he left off anticipating fast action but nothing...We went to 2 other spots he had and nothing there either. We didn't put a line in the water until after 8:00!!

Finally we pulled up to a secondary point on the Chattahoochee River in 46 fow about 20ft from shore! 

 

Anyway he started with a jerk bait and I with a DD craw colored crank that I bought the night before. 

There were balls of bait all other his screen but no bites, so we started roaming around again and still nothing. 

I suggested we flip some docks in a marina but he said don't worry we'll find em. 

When we finally saw some acton, they were gone by the time we got to them. 

He took his drop shot and I did the same and stayed with it most of the day. 

 

 Man O Man what a slow, boring presentation; )

Talk about being out of my element!

I would have given my Kingdom for a pad field, reed line, a blade of grass, something!! 

I did ok with it I guess.. I tried to remember everything you guys told me but it's just not my thing. 

 

Anyway, we started catching fish but most were under the 14" slot.

It was a tough, tough day. 

I'm told a good number of co anglers and boaters zeroed and a few co anglers didn't bother to show up for day 2. 

 

Day 2 started with a fog delay but when we started my boater had the same plan, to chase schools but that didn't work out either. We had the same results, by the time we found some busting fish they were gone.

My boater got so aggravated he cut the day short, gave up and we came in early. 

 

All in all I was hoping for better results but Thankful I got this far and gratefull to you all for trying to help me understand a presentation that I was totally lost about. 

 

 

Thanks Again

 

Mike

 

 

[68camaro]

8 hours ago, Mike L said:

H

 Man O Man what a slow, boring presentation; )

Talk about being out of my element!

I would have given my Kingdom for a pad field, reed line, a blade of grass, something!! 

I did ok with it I guess.. I tried to remember everything you guys told me but it's just not my thing. 

 

 

Mike

 

 

Finesse fishing is EXTREMELY difficult for me, I really struggle staying with it more than a few casts even though I know I should.

[WRB]

Chasing Spotted bass fast feeding is very low percentage, sorry your boater was dialed in phantom fishing.

Drop shot isn't a search bait, you need to know where and what depth the bass are active at.

If you ever get into this type of bite during the fall try structure spoons, cast them a long distance and also fish them vertically, lot more productive this time of year.

Maybe next time!

Tom

PS, if interested I believe there are a few older threads on structure spoons, if not be glad to write up a short article on it.

[IndianaFinesse]

Sounds like you were the one more qualified to be the boater.  Bummer on the stubborn boater not getting you on some fish, did he ever hear of fishing in the moment?

 

BTW, I also stink at drop shotting.  I like and have some degree of skill with other finesse techniques, but not that one.

[WRB]

It's easy to 2 nd guess tournament decisions, you go with your instincts and pre fishing, sometimes it works. The reason I suggested a structure spoon last Weds was to target deeper schooling bass if the were feeding on Shad schools. Sometimes a tail spin also works, but in the fall the faster moving flashy Shad lures shine.

Tom

[Mike L]

 

 

Thanks Tom, If I ever find myself in the same conditions I'll certainly take your advise. 

What got me is that both were waiting for the fish to come to them and then reacting. When that didn't happen niether adjusted to the conditions or trusted thier electronics.

 

When we pulled up to an area they tried to force a bite with no information to make an informed decision on how to fish it. 

 

Both days I was just along for the ride.  

 

 

 

10 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Sounds like you were the one more qualified to be the boater.  Bummer on the stubborn boater not getting you on some fish, did he ever hear of fishing in the moment?

 

BTW, I also stink at drop shotting.  I like and have some degree of skill with other finesse techniques, but not that one.

 

Both boaters were locked in to what they wanted to do and that was it for me. 

I'm not the kind of co angler who would complain to them or even offer advise if none were asked for, especially in a tounament with that much money and an opportunity to advance on a National stage. Some would say I should have because of that, but I compete in so many State and Regional circuits that I'd rather try to make the best of it, even when the cards are stacked. 

 

 

 

Mike 

[TOXIC]

in a tournament, you don't come in early......EVER!!  You gut it out.  Many a tourney has been won in the last 1/2 hour. 

[Mike L]

42 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

in a tournament, you don't come in early......EVER!!  You gut it out.  Many a tourney has been won in the last 1/2 hour. 

Exactlly Right!

It's happened to me more than once and saved the day. 

 

 

 

Mike 

[Choporoz]

That 'coming in early' part....I can't even begin to understand....I don't fish tournaments, but I don't come in early...unless there's lightening and/or gale force winds

[Mike L]

4 hours ago, Choporoz said:

That 'coming in early' part....I can't even begin to understand....I don't fish tournaments, but I don't come in early...unless there's lightening and/or gale force winds

 

It doesn't happen often but you'd be surprised.

It's happened to me once before and both times in a cumulative point format in multi day tournaments. Both boaters either zeroed the first day or was way down in points and had no confidence in making a comeback.

 

Oh... they feel bad, at least thats what he said, but just didn't get it that any cast can be the one.

 

Lucky for me the first time it happened I was among the leaders and my total was enough to finish, unlike this one. He had a 10 hr drive home (I did also) and didn't want to spend the extra money even tho I gave him more than 1/2 his fuel cost and bought lunch and snacks.

 

 

 

 

Mike