Fishing The Power Drop Shot – Lake Mohave

Drop-shot rigs consist of a hook tied above a sinker that is placed at
the end of the line so that the lure suspends off the bottom.
Conventional tackle consists of light action spinning gear and 4-8
pound line, and the tactic is usually deployed vertically in deep
water.

Kiriyama says “Drop-Shotting is about presenting
a soft plastic lure in a manner that is different from Texas rigging or
Carolina rigging.” When conditions allow, Kiriyama, (who logged 10 Top
10 finishes in his first 37 events on tour), says “You may get more
bites with lighter line and smaller baits, but when there is heavier
cover, a power version is required.

This is a technique
we have employed with success all last year, and now we are going to
share it with you here in the Northeast. This technique works great in
all the lakes, rivers, and impoundment’s here in the Northeast. It is a
great way to put together a real quality stringer.

The
drop shot’s configuration with the weight beneath the lure, makes it
ideal for pitching into heavy cover. The reason, is that the sinker
goes through cover better and falls right to the bottom.

You
can fish faster and cover more water! We fish it just like other
anglers fish a Texas rig, but like Kiriyama, we believe it is more
effective! This is a great tactic for places like the Potomac River or
Lakes such as Kerr or Gaston, where the fish are highly pressured and
are used to seeing anglers flip Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. This
gives the highly pressured fish a completely different look. The rig
has some other advantages also. There is less line wear at the hook
knot because the sinker isn’t beating against it, and the hook isn’t
dragging the bottom where the line and knot can be damaged. You can
also detect the bites a lot easier, because the sensation goes through
the line without passing through a sinker that deadens the sensitivity.
In lower Delaware we have a Bald Cypress swamp in one of the lakes, and
there are also similar areas in the Nanticoke River. Most anglers flip
these trees with Texas rigged worms in the 4 inch size or with a small
lizard in the spring. We like the power drop shot rig in these areas
the best. It attracts bass that are lying near the bottom or are
suspended in cover down at the roots.

You can fish this
rig either horizontally or vertically. In the heavy currents in the
Sassafras River on the Upper Chesapeake Bay, we drag it from the calm
water into the faster moving current, and catch largemouth holding near
the edges waiting for an easy meal. You can also use this rig
successfully in deep cover. This will work well in the standing timber
in Table Rock Lake when fished on a Fluorocarbon line in 10-16 pound
test. We have used 30 pound test when the fish were aggressive, and
gone down to 10 pound when the bite is tougher. This is a clear to
stained water technique though, and works much better in these
conditions. There are areas here in the Northeast that have extremely
clear water at times, and it excels in those areas. We use this around
deep points also with great success. Waters such as Spruce Run and
Greenwood in New Jersey and New York are great areas to use the Power
Drop shot. We use it anywhere you would normally use a Carolina or
Texas rig.

When we flip the Power Drop shot rig we use
6 and 6 1/2 inch Yamamoto Cut Tail worms. We have tried a variety of
other baits with this rig, but the straight tail and Cut-Tail worms
have produced the best results. When you are flipping it in fairly
light cover, you can go with a lighter sinker of 1/16 of an ounce, and
as the cover gets thicker, we go as high as 3/8 of an ounce. Since the
start of 2003, we have been using nothing but the Tungsten weights for
all our baits. We believe this is especially important with the Power
Drop Shot also, as the Tungsten is heavier than lead, allowing for a
smaller profile, which penetrates the cover better, and allows for a
better feel of the bottom.

We generally rig the baits
with a 2/0 to a 3/0 Gamakatsu or X-Point hook, but we will go as high
as a 5/0 on some of the bigger worms at times. The general rule when
using this rig for flipping is simple; The distance between the hook
and the weight, is no more than 3-6 inches longer than the bait itself.

The rig is simple to use, no fancy tricks are needed.
Just drop the bait around cover and let it sit. No other action is
necessary because of the way the bait suspends off the line. The
natural current of the water imparts all the action you need. We use
this on bedding bass also, since we have no closed season here in
Delaware during the tournaments. The technique is just like any other
type of flipping we do. We drop it in near the cover, let it sit a few
seconds if the bass are being finicky, and then lift it up and pitch it
to the next target.

Try Power Drop Shotting this year
in your local waters when everyone else is throwing a Texas or Carolina
rig, and you will get a big surprise!