Drop-Shot As A Search Bait

[papajoe222]

I've been seeing more and more posts recommending this and other soft plastics when first approaching a spot. The most recent was about fishing a stump field.  I wouldn't consider a drop-shot or Ned rig until I find fish. An exception might be dock fishing, but only if I've successfully caught a fish or two on a different presentation.  I think it's great that many anglers have confidence in using these type baits, but unless the fish have been located first, I see using them in that way (to locate fish) a waste of valuable fishing time.  Great presentations when you're on fish, but time consuming when you're not.

I love fishing tubes, but I don't break them out if I don't know there are fish present, even if the structure and cover tell me there is a high percentage probability there are fish there.  I may throw them before leaving a promising area, but only after I've tried other presentations.  I know these finesse rigs  catch fish and numbers, especially under tough conditions,  as I've had success with them. I also know they will catch fish when others don't.

Is my thought process flawed?

[Bird]

I keep a dropshot rigged on my boat year around 

It's my preferred clear water technique.

 

It's not a heavy cover bait but edge of grass lines and steep rocky banks, nothing does better. Imo 

[gulfcaptain]

So you can search with a drop shot, you can also fish a powershot fishing around cover just a stepped up version 15 to 20lb line instead of the lighter 6 or 8lb and bigger hook and bait. As for searching, longer hook to weight as so your bait stays up off the bottom. You can fish it fairly quickly to cover water and if you wanna pitch one into cover then 6' to the sinker and let it fly.  6"fat roboworm or a 7' works great around timber and reeds. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I won't throw a bottom contact bait unless I think I'm going to get a bite, so no it's not a search bait at all for me.

 

In the context of that thread, the understood you is that you think fish are already holding on the cover based on sonar, but sans FFS you really risk hanging up a crank, jerk, a-rig, etc vs. just feeling it out and seeing if you can pick a fish off with the bottom contact T-Rig, Jig, C-Rig, etc.    Even then there are no promises as I'll snag those up too lol.  

[LrgmouthShad]

I don’t think your thought process is flawed; it’s whatever you like to do, man

[Catt]

A question out of curiosity.

 

Do y'all use electronics to find fish or do y'all just randomly cover water with "search" baits?

[Darth-Baiter]

Drop shot is effective, but it’s slow.  Real slow sometimes. 
 

I feel a good search bait is a faster approach to get it done. 

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

A question out of curiosity.

 

Do y'all use electronics to find fish or do y'all just randomly cover water with "search" baits?

I'll bite. I use the graph to find fish and or structure. "Search baits" are used to find the active fish or establish a pattern, hopefully. Blindly casting can work in a pond or working from a limited area of shoreline, but if you can other tools to narrow things down in a boat, all the better. 

[gim]

A drop shot is about the furthest from a "search" bait as possible IMO.

 

No more drop shots for this guy.  Its ungodly slow and boring.  Rather watch my grass grow this time of year.

[softwateronly]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

A question out of curiosity.

 

Do y'all use electronics to find fish or do y'all just randomly cover water with "search" baits?

 

Without electronics, I'm always somewhere between randomly covering water and finding fish.  Where I fish, I've spent a lot of time on, so I do have a pretty fine tuned understanding of the structure from maps, dragging, and time.  I also watch the birds.

 

scott

[PABASS]

If your fishing without electronics on a large body of water using a drop shot as a search bait doesn't make sense to me.

Small body of water, sure I do it, just not in a stump field, grass I will use a buba shot or mojo rig.  In a stump field rather use a jerkbait that cant snag the stump field and if I see fish I will change to a wacky rig and cast to each stump.

 

 

[TOXIC]

I will use a dropshot to hone in on the water depth the fish are holding in.  When casting at the bank and there is a shallow ledge progressing into deep water or channel, I like the dropshot because it holds bottom and I can pause it at the differing depths to determine a depth pattern.  I am not that keyed into electronics because I catch more fish where my graphs don’t show squat for fish and yes, I have them dialed in pretty good.  I am not using FFS though.  

[WRB]

3 hours ago, Catt said:

A question out of curiosity.

 

Do y'all use electronics to find fish or do y'all just randomly cover water with "search" baits?

Search with sonar catch bass with lures appropriate to where the bass are located. 

Tom

[Catt]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

I catch more fish where my graphs don’t show squat for fish and yes, I have them dialed in pretty good.  I am not using FFS though

 

Most of the fish I catch I don't see on my electronics. I see structure, I see hard spots, I see cover, I see baitfish. 

 

Drop shot can be used for flipping-n-pitching, not only covering water but doing it effectively. 

[Sam]

Every baitis a "search bait" until you start to catch fish.

 

Then it is the best bait you have in the boat!

[Susky River Rat]

I tend to go through a progression. Faster to slower. Unless it’s a weather pattern or time of year that dictates a slower bait. However I’d like to think a ned rig is my bread and butter so at times I use that as a “search bait”. 
 

[Team9nine]

People's mental limitations on the depth and speed control of lures and presentations is a huge hindrance to them catching more fish, IMO 

[Darth-Baiter]

truth be told.  many times, when i am having a hard time catching fish i get bored.  when i get bored i tend to do other things.  eat, pee, maybe call my wife.

 

i will pitch out a drop shot (or a neko-rig) just in case.  i cannot tell you how many times when i am fiddle-effing around a bass will grab my offering.  most times, it is just the wind gently pushing my kayak that is working the bait.  my hands are pouring corn-nuts in my face hole, or i am chatting up my wife..."oh,..fish on!"

 

then i slow it down. slow it way down. 

[LrgmouthShad]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

A question out of curiosity.

 

Do y'all use electronics to find fish or do y'all just randomly cover water with "search" baits?

Here’s my deal, Catt. I may see fish on my electronics, but depending on the structure, they may be dispersed over a wide area. I start looking for active fish on the structure. In my mind, that requires me to throw baits that I can at least get back to me in a reasonable amount of time to be able to cover the structure efficiently. 
 

Also, I may intentionally not graph what I want to fish, and instead just throw baits at several targets to figure out where they are and if they are active.

 

Thats searching for fish

[papajoe222]

14 hours ago, Catt said:

A question out of curiosity.

 

Do y'all use electronics to find fish or do y'all just randomly cover water with "search" baits?

I have found fish using my electronics, but their intended use, for me, is to find cover/bait on some structural element. That combination says: Fish Here, to me.  I'll use a presentation that quickly covers that area in search of active fish. I'll continue using that approach if successful until it no longer produces and then switch to something like a tube, Ned, or drop-shot to try to get a few more bites from the area.

Under tough conditions, or if a faster presentation is unsuccessful, I'll try a tube before moving on.

IMO, a tube lies somewhere between a search bait and a finesse presentation.

[J Francho]

Was the question rhetorical then? You have a rationale. I think you already know. It works for you. Thank you for that insight. Search bait is a loaded term. They're all search baits when it comes down to it. We do what we know when we don't know what to do. I think that's pretty cool, and sharing it here makes sense. It's a big help. 

[Columbia Craw]

Find em’ with crankbaits, catch em’ with plastics.

[msgf91]

I think maybe some people are using a drop shot as a search bait because many times you get a bite on the cast.  So maybe the thinking is, you get the bite on the cast that means there's fish there.  When I fish a new area, I usually use a drop shot or wacky rigged senko for the bite on the cast reason.  

[kevinmyfsu]

So, I tend to use a drop shot both ways. For example, there's a stretch of bank I fish that I know holds many decent fish on and around bluegill beds. When I first get there, I ALWAYS throw a DS first, because this is a highly pressured area and because the fish KNOW I'm there. Subtlety is key. However, if I get no takers on the DS, I'll start switching to less subtle methods like dragging a jig or pitching a senko. Go to more intrusive methods from there. Important to point out, however, that I'm exclusively a bank angler ATM. No electronics, just your senses.