Dirty Water Dropshot

[Choporoz]

For a long time, I viewed jerkbaits and dropshots as 'clear water tactics'.  Maybe still do to some degree, but I have in recent years had a few good days with a jerkbait in fairly dirty water.

 

Do I need to rethink dropshot, also?

 

I faced a tough bite yesterday in muddy water. Fish hugging wood, fairly tight lipped.  Had the water been even a little clear, I would have probably sat near tree crowns with a dropshot rod in hand.  Maybe I should have anyway.  Working trigs, cranks and jigs through was not very successful. 

 

  Do you dropshot in dirty water? ( I was looking at 9-10 inches viz.)

 

If yes, what do you do different?  Upsize/Bubba?  Rattles?  Shake it in place a lot?  Or am I off here and dropshot probably not where my head should be in that situation?

[Cbump]

9-10” visibility pretty normal here and I use a regular drop shot often with out any issue. 

Muddy here is no visibility. 

[roadwarrior]

18 hours ago, Choporoz said:

...what do you do different?  

Nothing. I highly recommend the Maxscent Flat Worm (Black Shiner)

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Powerbait_Maxscent_Flat_Worm/descpage-CLF.html

[Choporoz]

18 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Nothing. I highly recommend the Maxscent Flat Worm (Black Shiner)

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Powerbait_Maxscent_Flat_Worm/descpage-CLF.html

I have black/silver two tone....maybe same.  Thx.  I usually default to mango or whatever orange is called, but I will try black/silver.  Maybe even with chartreuse JJ stripe or tip.  I will try.  Sure goes against my nature to fish very finesse-y plastic in YooHoo

[roadwarrior]

I don"t catch monsters on a dropshot, but I have caught a boatload of 3-5 lb bass, 

both green and brown.

[Bankc]

I don't have much luck on dropshots around here.  These lakes are heavily pressured by the Bobber Bobs, so I think most of these bass are conditioned to avoid minnows and worms just sitting in the middle of the water column.  That, and our waters are very stained.

 

However, what luck I have had has come from hopping or dragging them very slowly across the bottom.  I can't seem to get bit just dropping them onto structure and letting them stew, motionless, like everyone else suggests.  I've tried scents, rattles, even glow in the dark soft plastics.  The scents might help a tiny amount, but who knows.  

 

Really, drop shots are a desperation move for me, when Ned rigs and shaky heads have failed.  

[Darth-Baiter]

I do.  I drop shot in dirty waters all the time. 

[JustJames]

 Not saying it would work for you but you might wanna try some craw, baby brush hog or Yamamoto twin tail grub. I just shake, shake, pause and let it drop to bottom.

[NorthernBasser]

In water with barely any visibility, I like the NetBait Stumpy Crush Worm. It's 3.5", but it has some bulk to it, giving it a larger profile. They have a new version that just came out that is infused with BaitFuel.

 

[TriStateBassin106]

I've caught fish on jerkbaits and dropshots in pea soup to 10inch water visibility. I like dark and bright colors. Nothing beats a black or junebug zoom finesse worm in 4inch. 

[hunterPRO1]

I've started fishing a 4-inch white grub on a dropshot pretty regularly in water with sub 12inch visibility with mixed results. I think the tail on the grub moves more water and creates more vibrations compared to a traditional shad lure or straight tail worm.

[JWall14]

I use a drop shot in stained water a good amount. It’ll get bit. I like larger worms 6” robo over smaller ones to be more noticeable, 6in for largies 4in for smallies. Prism shad is a favorite color along with anything green pumpkinish. 

[TOXIC]

Normally, I will just change the bait color to water conditions.  I will use a bait with more red in it.  I fish a DS a lot in all clarity.  My only other concern is how long has the clarity been compromised and is it normal for the body of water.  After 3 days they gotta eat, up until then it’s a crap shoot.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Ive done really well DSn in frigid chocolate milk.  If you know where the fish are you can usually get them to hit a DS when they wont hit anything else.