TECHNIQUES Drop Shotting/Carolina Rig/Texas Rig/Split Shot

[JapanReels]

Lets share some of our techniques

Drop shotting-- I use a 3-5ft fluorocarbon leader and use a drop shotting hook made my gamakatsu and tie a palomar knot about half way down and run the bottom end of my line backdown after I tie the palomar so that the hook is facing up. wacky style a 4" finesse worm and insert a 1/4 oz dropshot weight to it. cast it out and let it hit the bottom and wind up till the line get tight and you have made full contact with the bottom and just start bouncing the tip of your pole to make the worm wiggle. I usually go with 4-7 taps and let it sink and pause for 3 sec and same thing over again. This allows the bait to suspended above the bottom and it can wiggle in front of the fish for sometime before it falls to the bottom. The key is to make sure your line has NO SLACK because you want to feel everything that you are doing with the bottom of the lake.

Practice makes perfect so go out and try it out guys. I am sure you will learn some of your own methods but this has been real good for me and has produced some amazing fish.

Oh, my favorite color 4 inch finesse worm is purple with some shiny flakes.

[sdesign]

Thanks for sharing JR,

My favorite worming technique in the past has been split shotting. I guess this technique has lost a little flare recently, with the advent of the drop shot. However, it is still my go-to technique in some of the clear, deep reservoirs we have around the SF Bay Area - if and when the fish are relatively shallow.

I didn't realize my technique was different than others until I was fishing with a friend of mine from the tackle store almost 8 or 9 years ago. He was using a 6' medium light spinning pole with 6lb test, casting his rig out and retrieving slowly.

My rig is a 5'10" mag-lite spinning pole (ultra light tip with a magnum taper to a strong backbone) matched with 6lb test. When I cast out and start my retrieve, I'm pulling and reeling very VERY slowly, feeling for rocks or other bottom structure. When I feel the "tap" of a rock, I pause - invariably, after that pause, I'll get a hit. If not, I continue my painstaking retrieve.

Since that time, I've found my retrieve is consistently slower than everyone I fish with. This is not the traditional method of splitshotting since I perform the technique ever so slowly, but it's what has worked for me in the past.

And of course, my favorite worm for this technique is a 4" straight tail worm - formerly known as the weenie worm.

[Lightninrod]

Dennis: Your retrieve is similar to one called "stitching" by Bill Murphy. He fished structure 30 years ago and was one of the first CA Bassers to regularly land BIG Bass.

In case some don't know stitiching, I'll try to remember what to do even though I havn't used it in a few years. It's best done with a spinning reel(one of the reasons I don't use Stitiching ), light line, a split-shot, a 1/0 or 2/0, straight-shanked, round bend hook, and a straight-tailed soft-plastic worm(of just about any length). As you retrieve it. point the rod tip straight at the point where the line enters the water(Btw, your boat needs to be anchored fore-n-aft to keep from ruining the retrieve.), never deviating from the straight, head-on, horozontal rod position retrieve. Now here's where it get's a little different: You pull the line towards you with your reeling hand by grasping the line between the first line guide and the reel bail. This way you're getting the most FEEL out of the line and the structure. You 'stitch'/pull the line, expecting a pick-up at any moment. The line is dropped at your feet until you've got several feet/yards(?) of it laying there. Then you carefully and quickly reel up all that slack line and repeat the stitiching retrieve, laying more line at your feet.

As an aside; there is his way of applying a split-shot to your line that is unique too. Squeeze(not too tightly but 'tight') a shot onto your line about a foot above the end of the line. Now, holding the tag end in one hand, slide the shot up the line a foot or two. Now grab the main line above the shot and slide the shot back down the line to where you started with it. Keep on doing this for a minute or two until you feel the shot now has a smooth core worn into it from the sliding line. It should still be 'tight' enough to stay where you put the shot but not 'tight' enough to damage the line if it get's moved. The last step is to cut off the tag end of line that was damaged as you slid the shot to-n-fro. Now you have a shot than can be adjusted any way(distance) you want it but won't damage the main line. 8)

Dan

[sdesign]

Hey Dan,

Yeah... i've read about that stitching technique - but that's NOT what I'm doing... lol... that's way too slow even for me.

I bought some new gear to try and move my splitshotting technique over to a baitcaster, but haven't had the chance to really test it yet given I've mostly been fishing the Delta.

The Daiwa Pixy is supposed to cast super light stuff really well. This is the reel I purchased for the task... we'll see if I ever get to use it with the Delta calling to me so often now.

[JapanReels]

Try STRIPER fishing with that PIXY!!! LOL. I would pay money just to see the look on your face when you slam into the 20+ pounders with that little thing.

[sdesign]

JR, dude.. I have my Calcutta TE DC ready for the Stripers ...

The Pixy is a cool little reel though - hope to get to use it someday soon!

[JapanReels]

Hey, that would be kinda fun though. If you ever go to San Luis during the hot months, spool up that lil pixy with 6lb test line and go throw some small crankbaits or swimbaits and see what happens. I usually go out with 6-10lb test line and have a blast. I just like to hear my reel sing so I try to go light tackle. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz REEL zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz REEL zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[sdesign]

ooohh... for that, I'd use my Conquest 51 !!!!