MB Dark Sleeper - How Are You Fishing It?

[ghost]

I’ve had luck bouncing or popping from the bottom. No luck swimming it.

[HaydenS]

I fish like a would a jig, popping it up and then letting it fall.  Chris Zaldain has done some great videos on how to fish the dark sleeper, check 'em out!

[PhishLI]

From right about now up until the weeds come up I'm burning it in and bumping it off everything between splashdown and myself. Fast reel with straight 40 lb braid on a stout MHF. 1/2-3/4 oz Dark Shad is my best producer in clear water and low light.

[ATA]

1 hour ago, ghost said:

I’ve had luck bouncing or popping from the bottom. No luck swimming it.

Thats basicaly two way to do it as far as I know, And also I never catch any on it as well, I think it because our condition not match it. I hear so many good things about it but never catch anything on it. Going to try more and also I downsizing it and going light with it and see what will happen. 

[FishTank]

I fish it like a jig but I have also had decent luck fishing sort like a jerk bait.   I tend to like the 1/2oz size but this bait on the whole is a rock magnet.  I generally catch a few fish and then it gets wedged in something on the bottom.   I bet I lost 10+ of them last year. 

[Dens228]

I have a few new ones, my plan is to try them in some clear water quarries I fish.  My first attempt will be like a bottom contact jig but sort of swimming it more along the bottom. 

 

[NorthernBasser]

25 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

My first attempt will be like a bottom contact jig but sort of swimming it more along the bottom. 

 

These are pretty much the only 2 ways I fish it.  I did have one day last year where I was pitching it under docks for the heck of it to see how it'd work. I did catch a handful of bass (nothing big) before a pike bit me off. 

[Columbia Craw]

Drag it like a tube.?

[Bluebasser86]

I carry them around in my boat and never fish them and then wonder why I never catch fish on them.

[Teal]

Give yall a little secret.  If you are into small baits and drop shotting.  I have been using the 1/4 oz. 2.5 dark sleeper as my weight on a drop shot.  It kinda gives the fish 2 options.   Of the drop shot fish I've caught, they go for the dark sleeper, about 30% of the time.   

 

I like the 3.8 in the 3/4 oz, and I get it on the bottom and run it as fast as I can keeping contact with the bottom.  If there are rocks and brush, I try to make as much contact as I cna.  That's when u get hit.  

1 minute ago, Teal said:

Give yall a little secret.  If you are into small baits and drop shotting.  I have been using the 1/4 oz. 2.5 dark sleeper as my weight on a drop shot.  It kinda gives the fish 2 options.   Of the drop shot fish I've caught, they go for the dark sleeper, about 30% of the time.   

 

I like the 3.8 in the 3/4 oz, and I get it on the bottom and run it as fast as I can keeping contact with the bottom.  If there are rocks and brush, I try to make as much contact as I cna.  That's when u get hit.  

 However, if you are over chuck rock, or RIP rap, you can kiss that dark sleeper good bye.   I do this on hard bottoms away from the RIP rap.