Dropoffs - swimbaits?

[Weedless]

I rarely fish steep drop offs ( shore to 20' depth is <10' laterally from shore). However, I am going to try because that must be where every single big fish are all at since Im not catching them elsewhere...? I dont have an extensive crank collection, but I do have alot of paddle tails and flukes. Would paddles be good for suspended and/or bottom dwelling bass at these dropoffs? Or would you recommed something else? And is it best to cast parallel to shore line?

 

 

THanks,

Trevor

[roadwarrior]

Rage Tail Thumper, Blue Fleck

 

[Weedless]

36 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Rage Tail Thumper, Blue Fleck

 

How do you fish that....teaxs, weitghless,....?

[Cptndeez64]

8 minutes ago, Weedless said:

How do you fish that....teaxs, weitghless,....?

I would think put that on a swimbait jig head to get it down to those fish. 

[Teal]

I fish the thumper or cutter worms either t rigged or on a football head. I use a quick drag on the football head.

 

Also in that situation u can use hardbody swimbaits.. I like the smaller ones.

 

Heavy spinner baits are one of my go to presentations year round in deep water

[Weedless]

15 minutes ago, Teal said:

Heavy spinner baits are one of my go to presentations year round in deep water

So your saying a swimbait with a under spin would be a sound idea....I like it. 

 

17 minutes ago, Teal said:

I use a quick drag on the football head.

Would you drag it or anything like a jig and pig even if the fish are suspended? Also, would you assume the fish are suspended or closer to the bottom at this time of year?

 

 

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, Weedless said:

How do you fish that....teaxs, weitghless,....?

T-rigged, 1/4 or 3/8 oz tungsten bullet weight.

[J Francho]

2 hours ago, Weedless said:

How do you fish that....teaxs, weitghless,....?

 

[camman]

Swimbaits will work fine on a drop like that.  I use them when I fish walls, which sounds pretty close to what you are describing.  I fish them parallel and the one thing I've found that fish will usually try and associate to changes in the wall, like a cut/overhand/small ledge/even shade line etc...I also find they normally are all around the same depth.  So if its 20 ft deep,  they may all be sitting around the 10-12 ft range again focusing on something that makes it slightly different.  I'll cast my bait and work the first 5 feet depth rante and repeatedly cast until I slowly work down the water column.  I also try and usually have my bait hit something...the wall...the irregularity, etc.  Years ago i had a buddy who liked to fish spoons against a rock wall.  He would cast more perpendicular to the wall and drop to slowly have it flutter down the wall hitting it.  He would lose the occasional spoon but would do quite well.

[Eddie101]

12 hours ago, J Francho said:

 

Is the toothpick necessary? 

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, Eddie101 said:

Is the toothpick necessary? 

Critical. 

[Eddie101]

Just to prolong the usage of the bait, isn’t it? Unless I’m missing something else entirely

[J Francho]

It keeps it from sliding off the hook on the cast.

[Eddie101]

I've never done that before. Is it better than, say, super glue? 

[J Francho]

Yes.  Just cram a handful of toothpicks in your box.  They have 1001 uses.  This is one.  Just pierce the bait at the hook bend after threading it on the hook.  Break off the ends.  When you're done with them, you can toss them in the lake.  They're just wood.

[WRB]

On August 20, 2020 at 4:40 AM, Weedless said:

I rarely fish steep drop offs ( shore to 20' depth is <10' laterally from shore). However, I am going to try because that must be where every single big fish are all at since Im not catching them elsewhere...? I dont have an extensive crank collection, but I do have alot of paddle tails and flukes. Would paddles be good for suspended and/or bottom dwelling bass at these dropoffs? Or would you recommed something else? And is it best to cast parallel to shore line?

 

 

THanks,

Trevor

Swimbaits have morphed into any soft plastic boot/paddle from 3" to 12" making it difficult to answer your question.

Franco posted a small bait for example. If you are targeting larger aver size bass 4+ lbs swimmers in the 5"-6" length that you can effectively fish between 10' to 30'*.

1/2-3/4 oz jig head is my recommendation. 

You like to use crankbaits so it may be a challenge to slow down and swimbaits.

zmy recommendation is 3/4 oz Scrounger jig with 6" Sluggo for a trailer that can be effectively fished down to 30'.

start with long underwater main lake points, good location for larger bass.

Make long cast that parallels the point sides starting near shore casting out and work all around the point at various depths. You work out into deep water, then wotk the opposite side towards shore. Scrounger are nearly cpsnag prove so it's ok to bump the bottom.

This point technique should develop into a pattern for depth, speed and direction the bass prefer.

Tom

 

[J Francho]

To be clear, the bait I posted was 4.8”, and I consider it a “small paddle tail” swim bait, not something like a Hudd.