Dead sticking

[BlakeMolone]

Reading on these forums, watching YouTube videos, and reading tw reviews I hear the words dead stick tossed around a lot. It seems like it can mean anything from a slow steady retrieve to literally not moving a bait. Is there a real definition for dead sticking? What do y’all mean to when you say you dead stick a bait? 

[NJBasstard]

Not sure if there's a real definition. I may be wrong but I think to most people here, including myself, dead sticking is when you don't do anything but let the bait sit motionless.

[A-Jay]

To Dead stick a bait to me means to cast it out and let it sit, with ZERO angler input.

Can be on the surface, somewhere in the middle of the water column (using a slip bobber), of perhaps more commonly, on the bottom.

It's not a presentation I use very often, not that it doesn't get bites, but more that most days I just don't have the patience.   Much rather chunk & wind. 

However there are a few times where I do utilize it, mostly as a last resort.

Off the top of my head, here's an example of each of the above.

In flat calm sunny clear water deals, I will dead stick a popper for several minutes between single pops for late summer & early fall smallies.

In the same conditions mentioned above, I'll dead stick a stick bait under a slip float down 10-15 over much deeper water for smallies. 

And finally, I will often dead stick my drop shot presentation, so I'm fishing it as if it were live bait.

 Cast it out and and let it soak . .  . and soak . . .  and soak. 

A-Jay

 

[NHBull]

you know I am going to dead-stick when I pull out my bow banana saddle or reach for a cigar  

[evo2s197]

Deadsticking means cast it out and do nothing, or during the retrieve stop and do nothing.

 

Not even a jiggle.

 

Deadsticking a dropshot bait that's buoyant with a heavy weight is extremely productive in the winter or the dog days of summer.

[Goldstar225]

I usually deadstick while working out a backlash.  Surprising how often a fish takes a fluke or worm (once it was a buzzbait) while I'm doing that.

[Boomstick]

2 hours ago, Goldstar225 said:

I usually deadstick while working out a backlash.  Surprising how often a fish takes a fluke or worm (once it was a buzzbait) while I'm doing that.

I have had this happen before too - once on a swimbait of all things!

[Junger]

4 hours ago, Goldstar225 said:

I usually deadstick while working out a backlash.  Surprising how often a fish takes a fluke or worm (once it was a buzzbait) while I'm doing that.

Same, then I’ll reel in my rig and the plastic lure will be all mangled!

[fishwizzard]

I am sure it is confirmation bias, but I will swear to you that when I stop to take a leak with a line in the water I will get a bite with unusual frequency.  

[Hammer 4]

Mattlures actually makes swimbaits, some that are good sized, just for dead sticking. Got bit a couple times om my 5" jointed bluegill dead stick bait. Being more of a power fisherman, it was nerve racking casting it out and then just standing there, watching for a blow up on it..lol

[Bankbeater]

I’ve seen bass in clear water just watch a weightless plastic bait sink to the bottom. The bass will just sit and watch the bait until the bait gets twitched. Then the bass will slam it. 

[Log Catcher]

5 hours ago, Goldstar225 said:

I usually deadstick while working out a backlash.  Surprising how often a fish takes a fluke or worm (once it was a buzzbait) while I'm doing that.

I have caught bass several times on a Texas rig while working out a backlash. Caught one a couple of years ago on a crankbait. Bass hit as soon as the bait hit the water. I had to work out the backlash before I could reel it in.

[papajoe222]

Two baits that I dead stick more than all the others combined; a 10in. worm and a Zara Spook.  I cast them out and work them for a few feet, stop and wait. While waiting, I'll retie a leader, or change baits on one of my other rods.

Then, I'll go to move the bait and get bit.  In some instances, I'll have to put down whatever else I was doing and set the hook because a fish had picked it up while it sat on the bottom, or blew up on my Spook as it sat motionless.

[Bluebasser86]

My biggest swimbait bass was on a deadsticked Slammer. Felt like it sat for hours, but it was probably around a minute before she destroyed it.

[Catt]

Rhythm: a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement.

 

Establishing the rhythm (movement) of a lure is essential to getting repeated bites. It's part of establishing a pattern.

 

The "dead sticking" technique I use a lot is movement without movement. Take a Jig-n-Craw for example I will slightly shake my rod tip imparting action "movement" but the lure barely moves forward.

 

I do the same thing with a hollow bodied frog, I'll twitch it on slack line causing it to move side to side but not forward.

[fishwizzard]

8 hours ago, Catt said:

The "dead sticking" technique I use a lot is movement without movement. Take a Jig-n-Craw for example I will slightly shake my rod tip imparting action "movement" but the lure barely moves forward.

I do the same but I use my thumb to wiggle the spool forward an inch or so at a time.  I feel like I get finer control and it keeps me poised to make a good hookset, esp in the winter when gloves/cold hands make fine rod tip manipulation harder. 

[frogflogger]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

Rhythm: a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement.

 

Establishing the rhythm (movement) of a lure is essential to getting repeated bites. It's part of establishing a pattern.

 

The "dead sticking" technique I use a lot is movement without movement. Take a Jig-n-Craw for example I will slightly shake my rod tip imparting action "movement" but the lure barely moves forward.

 

I do the same thing with a hollow bodied frog, I'll twitch it on slack line causing it to move side to side but not forward.

Basically my technique - except I try not to impart action since my aging trembles seem to give very adequate movement when I deadstick.

[WRB]

Dead stick is the one in your rod locker.

Dead sticking seems to have multiple definations.

My late friend Rip Nunnery was a dead sticker. Rip liked to cast a Texas rigged worm with a sliding bullet weight and let sink to the bottom, then holding the rod tip at 12 o'clock shake it hard for several seconds and set the rod down in the boat a few minutes watching for his line to move off. To me the sitting in the boat without being held is a dead stick.

Tom

[Hammer 4]

Never left my rod unattended. I use to fish Lake Piru a bunch, it has some nice rocky drop offs, which I would throw a craw type bait, from close to the shore line, cast it and let it sit, all the while keeping my finger on the line. Twice, while doing this, having my bait sit there for at least 2 or 3 mins..I decided to give a gentle tug, both times the was a 4 1/2+ lb bass hooked, as if it engulfed the bait, and then just sat there. 

 

Dead sticking in purest form..made a believer out of me. This was back in the mid 80's.  

[roadwarrior]

Dead sticking = Gitzit

 

[Dwight Hottle]

I have deadsticked a lot when drifting on lake Erie. I always used a rod holder so I could actively fish another bait. Drifting does impart some action as the waves cause the boat to surge then slowly subside movement until the next wave hits. Even when the wind wasn't blowing the dead stick bait always produced. My favorite baits to dead stick were deep diving suspending jerks & regular suspending jerks, topwater baits like a popper or buzzjet and various swimbaits or glide baits. Using a rod holder takes the boredom out of the technique but almost always provides bonus fish & sometimes some really good quality fish. 

[JustJames]

I dead sticking a lot years ago. Nowadays not anymore even since I stop smoking.

[primetime]

One of the best bass I ever hooked into was after a backlash, and while I was trying to fix it....a good 3-4 minutes later my Devils horse was sucked underwater and unfortunately.....It broke surface and is a bad memory to this day.

 

I have had days where the only time I could get bit on a fluke or senko was when it was sitting on bottom. I typically discover this pattern by accident. I never wait more than 10 seconds for most part, but sometimes they wait for the bait to sit on bottom before grabbing it. 

 

Soft baits still move when you are not moving them, it takes patience but it is a legit technique, just not designed for my style.

[WRB]

Drop shot could be defined as dead sticking.

Tom

[primetime]

I have a bad habit of shaking drop shots too much, moving it too fast....Maybe thats why I only catch dinks on it....