19 replies to this topic

[paul mueller]

Hey guys, here is a video that i filmed on drop shotting with electronics for smallmouth bass. Click on 1080 HD for best picture. Enjoy:

[flash]

Great Video! Makes me wish I was fishing right now.
Looks like DH...was that Dale Hollow?

Also I'm just getting into drop shotting more, but are you tying the leader to the braid with a knot (like the J knot or a bloodknot) or are you using a swivel?
And I'm assuming the leader starts above the hook so the fish can't see the braid?

I usually just fish mainline Fluorocarbon Toray Upgrade Soloroam, or Sunline Shooter...but I'm considering trying braid this season.

Also roughly how far above the weight did you have your hook tied on?

[paul mueller]

The smallies were caught on candlewood lake in connecticut, I am using 10lb test power pro with a 10ft. 6lb. test gamma edge fluorocarbon leader tied with a double uni knot. I have been fishing gamma for 5 years and it is the most unbelievably strong line i have ever used. I just recently picked them up as a sponsor, it was a no brainer. The edge fluoro really shines as a leader with the braid, other fluoros weaken at the knot a lot quicker. The length of the leader between the hook a ds weight that i use is 6ft. That is relative to the water clarity i am fishing, sometimes i use even a longer leader. The smallmouth in this lake feed looking up and often suspend, so the long leader is a necessity.
Thanks for watching

[flash]

Thanks great stuff there. I'm a Loomis guy myself but have been tempted to try a longer 2 power DX Extreme rod for finesse fishing...pretty cool to see one in action. Have you used much Loomis? If so does the Dobyn hold it's own against Loomis?

Gamma cool...I've never tried them. I can tell you I've tried a multitude of fluoro's and 95% of them are absolute garbage. The three I've found that work well for me in order are Toray Superhard Upgrad Soloroam, Seaguar Abrazx, and Sunline Shooter. The downside is the Toray and Sunline Shooter come at a major price. But the Toray lasts forever and is super abrasion resistant. I think I will give the edge a try I'm always up for trying new stuff. Was that a regular spool of (main line) Gamma 6 lb cut to length or was it leader material that comes pre-cut (ie leaders) like many salt water and fly fisherman use?

Anyways you're using the double uni as your line to line knot? I've had good luck with the J knot but it can be bulky at times. I'll have to check out the double uni it was obviously working for you...as I could clearly see. You are really tuned in; great to watch someone on top of their game.

That lake is beautiful. Do you ever take people out fishing up there? I've been planning to take a trip to the Northeast or upper midwest somewhere. I had on my list Lake Ontario, Champlagne, Eerie, and some other lakes around there...but after watching that Candlewood Lake is making the short list for sure.

[paul mueller]

The majority of the rods I used to fish with were loomis, at least for technique specific presentations. My drop shot rod was a 6'10 loomis drop shot glx rod. When I switched to the Dobyns champion extreme DX702sf, I immediately fell in love with it. It is a little longer and just as light. The thing that really separates it from the loomis is that it is more balanced with the reel which improves the sensitivity. It also has more tip action which works the bait a lot nicer without sacrificing backbone. The loomis glx was a little stiff compared to the DX. This also helps play out a large fish with light line. I agree with you on a lot of fluoros being garbage, I have never used toray line, heard it was good but it is more money than gamma. The reason I have never tried it is because i have never had a problem with gamma. The line that I was using in the video is off a regular spool of 6lb. test gamma edge. The double uni knot has worked great for me, give it a try.
Thanks,
Paul Mueller

[OPENLAKE]

Very impressive video. Thanks and congrats!

[Crestliner2008]

Excellent video! Thanks!

[J Francho]

Nice video. I've tried to explain sight fishing on the graph to people, and most don't get what I mean. The video plainly shows how it's done.

One question about the long drop line, though. is really imperative that it be that long? I realize fish look up at the bait, and I see the exact same behavior on the graph on Ontario and Erie, but we rarely go over 3' long on the dropper, and more like 8-14" - just enough to keep your bait out of the reach of the gobies. Go to short, and you'll never have your bait in the zone long enough to get a bass to bite before a goby does. It just doesn't look like you're using that long a dropper in the video.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Interpreting and adjusting electronics is a topic many of us can stand to learn more about. Thanks for posting!

[andyfender]

The smallies were caught on candlewood lake in connecticut, I am using 10lb test power pro with a 10ft. 6lb. test gamma edge fluorocarbon leader tied with a double uni knot. I have been fishing gamma for 5 years and it is the most unbelievably strong line i have ever used. I just recently picked them up as a sponsor, it was a no brainer. The edge fluoro really shines as a leader with the braid, other fluoros weaken at the knot a lot quicker. The length of the leader between the hook a ds weight that i use is 6ft. That is relative to the water clarity i am fishing, sometimes i use even a longer leader. The smallmouth in this lake feed looking up and often suspend, so the long leader is a necessity.
Thanks for watching

Any reason you weren't using all FC?

[paul mueller]

I just started using braid for drop shotting not too long ago. Last August I won the FLW Forrest Wood Cup on the co-angler side. 80% of the fish I caught came on a drop shot rig with braid and a gamma edge fluorocarbon leader. We were fishing lake Ouachita and I only had one spinning rod on the boat with a shaky head tied on, I discovered during the event that the fish preferred a drop shot and stuck with that set up all three days. Theres no doubt in my mind that I was able to feel more with the braid. The water was clear so I used a long leader. I know I won that tournament because I was fishing braid and since then, I use it on all my drop shot rigs. If you are a straight fluoro guy like a lot of people are, try Gamma touch in either 5 or 7lb test depending on the clarity of water you are fishing, its made just for that.
Thanks for watching

[MaineBassMan]

That was a great video! This past summer I stumbled onto this technique while white perch fishing. It opened my eyes and it was a lot of fun. I applied this in a bass tournament on the same lake and ended up with a third place finish.

Just a side note though, for those of you on a budget you don't need the latest and greatest fish finder to use this technique, however it does help! I have an older lowrance fish finder and by turning up the ping speed I was able to get the same results and my transducer is mounted on the back of the boat. With that said I will be up grading my electronics this winter. I plan on getting one like in the video for mid-ship and another one to mount to my trolling motor in the bow, probably one with down imaging. This is a very cool way of fishing!!!

Thanks for the video!!

[paul mueller]

MaineBassMan is right, you don't need a high end fish finder to fish this way. Technology is so advanced that even the introductory fish finders have a lot of features in them and when you properly tune them you can really get a lot out of them. They are really sensitive and capable of doing all the things that you need to see your bait and the fish responding to your technique. Electronics are very effective when you have fish grouped up in tight schools and especially when they are reluctant to bite because you can see how the fish is responding to your presentation and tweak it until you find a certain rhythm that they prefer. Electronics are definitely one of the most important tools a bass fisherman has.

[Sfritr]

Great Video! Thanks for posting. Very well done and very informative. Thanks

[Aluma-Bass]

is your transducer mounted up front?