islandbass

I don't think the choice of mono matters but I could be wrong. I find it strange to in that going from 20 to 50# braid should have made wind knots and casting problems less of an issue. :-? I would be more inclined to believe your issue would be resolved by adjusting the reel's settings moreso than changing the mono backing.

I don't know about other strengths, but I use 6# test for drop shot and finesse. It is the best fc line I have ever tried. This line is awesome and it is the best fc line I have ever used.

Those are some nice spinners. How much do they weigh? I've never weighed them but I would say the smaller ones are probably just over or about 1/2 oz. with the treble. They are heavy enough to toss a country mile with a bait caster. The bigger musky class are probably closer to or between 3/4 - 7/8 oz as a best guess. My wife's uncle is also old school and he schooled me with his rooster tails 3-1. He caught 3 bass for every one I caught!

I chose other. I like to use my own. My "Patriot" Inline Spinner

I like proven facts. Does Berkley have anything published on their findings or is it confidential. G, You can read about this in the book titled, "Knowing Bass." The name of the author escapes me, but Bobby's comments about what the fish are capable of tasting are spot on with this book. If I am not mistaken, the author also refers to Berkley's findings, but don't quote me on that part. -Alex

My goal is to not have a particular style but rather to let the conditions dictate what I will be throwing vs what I want to throw. Hmmm, I guess by default that would be my style to strive for. At this time, drop shot and t-rig plastics seem to be what I have been throwing this season, but last year, I was a crankbait, any hard lure tossing buffoon. I was planning to get into jigs and pigs this season, but the effectiveness of the drop shot has put that on hold. :o

That is great info bobby! I learned all of this after reading The book Knowing Bass. I appreciate the refresher.

Size 2 for the most part for me and at times 1. My fishing doesn't dictate going any bigger. I would like the size 4s, but I have a harder time tying the palomar with the smaller hole because of my eyes.

Thanks alot! > You've got my bait monkey rattling his cage! ;D I sure hope to get to SW some time today. I'm still building the fence around my house though. I'll consider that bonus points deserving toward a new rod! Scratch one off the the honey-do list! ;D Being that I live a mere 2 hours from Loomis HQ, you'd think I'd have a rod or two from them. : IMX... GLX... Two three-letter word ending in X. I guess it's nearly as good as the other! Thanks again. 8-)

I was hoping my experience was unique but I see now it wasn't. The exact same thing happened with the first Norman I ever bought, on the recommendation of a friend. It didn't run true out of the box and I was very disappointed with that. To make things worse, I was not able to "correct" it and I had thrown away the receipt. Arrrgh! I will not buy another one. Sorry Norman! You'll not take another penny from me!

You guys have it so cheap!!! My State is slick. There is a freshwater and saltwater license. One is about $19 and the other $21. They tack on a fee or two and it comes about to about $48. Frickin' highway robbery if you ask me. This is resident. I don't even want to know what non residents would pay.

Wow! I thought I scored at SW, but you took the cake and the icing! Congrats! I think I need to go back to see if our local SW is doing the same. I ain't never fished an IMX...

Ours likes to hire a bunch of idiots in the fishing department. I know more about fishing than 80% of them and i've learned most everything from fourbizzle (and that's not saying much... jk buddy). But seriously, i just went in their today and was getting some line. I was listening to an employee try to tell a customer the difference between braid and mono. He told the poor guy that braid was awesome except that it stretches more than mono!!! After the employee left the customer I cleared things up a bit for him. I know that this is probably not the same for all SW, but it gets frustrating dealing with these idiots every week. Other than that, I got to agree that there selection isn't as good as the rest of the AMAZING pro shops we have out here, but for me it's 5 minutes away, so I can't complain too much. They do cary about 90% of the items I am looking for, and no matter what I go in there for, even if it's just for 1 thing, I'll end up spending an hour in there and come out with a lot more than 1 item. Brandon P.S. And they have some FINE looking girls workin there as well!!!! There is some truth to that in our store too, with the exception of the manager, who is knowledgeable and a friend. He also wants to order many other things but his hands are tied. I recall one time seeing a befuddled employee who didn't know jack from jill when posed with a fishing question. I interjected to the relief of the customer, and with my input "assisted" him into grabbing a Citica D and a Compre rod. It was his first time to use a casting set up and I even gave him some tips to ease the learning curve with his reel. He was sold on the rod and reel and walked away a very happy guy. My buddy was off that day but that employee would have blown that sale. :-? And when they have deals, they have steals. I bought a Compre (my trunk rod), an $89.00 rod for less than $55! The second best rod deal in my life ever!

The ones in my area are as close to a BPS we will ever get. They will have a fair selection of baits ranging from Robos, Senkos, Zoom, Rapalas, Cotton Cordells, a limited selection of line, rods and reels. Nothing magical, but not too shabby.

My arsenal is far from complete. For Bass: 7' Lamiglas Certified Pro ML action, Drop Shot Special Rod/Size 20 Rapala 6Sxi spinning reel - Drop Shot/Finesse rig 6'6" Lamiglas Competitor 4 power (med action) casting rod - Top Water, Cranks, T-rigs, my "all around casting rod" 6'10" Shimano Crucial MH casting rod - Jigs & T-rigs Trunk Rods: 6'6" Medium Action Shimano Clarus Casting Rod 6'6" Medium Heavy Shimano Compre Spinning Rod With the exceptions of my Drop Shot and UL rigs, I don't keep my reels permanently assigned to any rod and vice versa except. I have at my disposal: Shimano Cardiff 301A, Curado BSF 201, Curado 201 DHSV, Abu Garcia 5 Star Round, Pflueger Trion Casting, Shimano Symetre 2500, Rapala 4Sxi (size 30), Daiwa 1500 Sweepfire. I have other rods that are not worth mentioning or for salmon. And just for fun: 7' Okuma Celilo UL Action rod/Abu Garcia Cardinal 101a - Ultra-light set up. This is a blast to fish with!

I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have grown fond of the Drop Shot technique in my short, four-season fishing journey. I have been using it for just over a season's time. At the very least, I can share with you what I have learned through trial, error, and experience, which isn't much. IB's Note Compilation of the Drop Shot Technique Here Basic Drop Shot Diagram Rod and Reel Type You don't need a Drop Shot specific rod. A medium-light to medium-action rod from 6'6" on up to 7' should work for you for now. If you find drop shotting to your liking, you can then opt to go with a Drop Shot specific rod of your choice. As a rule of thumb, a longer rod will enable you to have more line control and leverage; two big pluses in drop shotting. I prefer spinning reels (a size 20 or 2500 reel is an excellent choice) because they require less work to give the bait a better (IMHO) descent than a baitcast reel. Sorry baitcast reel users, but the way a spinning drops the bait smokes a baitcast reel any and every day for drop shotting. To those who use baitcast reels exclusively, please note I said for drop shotting. There will not be a need to strip line off just to make the bait fall. With that said, casting reels can also be used. I just prefer a spinning reel. You may use whatever reel you want. Even a Barbie pole can get it done for drop shotting! However, I would opt for heavier line and a BC reel if I were to drop shot heavy cover. Drop Shot Weight and Type A 3/16 - 1/4 oz weight is a good starting weight. Going any lighter might make it harder for you to read what is going on until you get experience. As for the shape, I like to use either the teardrop or cylindrical shape. I have not experimented with other shapes. Windier conditions and stronger currents might make you want to choose a heavier weight, but let's not worry about that for now. Line Because you are drop shotting, lighter line is preferred if the cover you are fishing allows it. Go up in # strength if the cover dictates this. I like and use 6# fluorocarbon, particularly Seaguar's Invizx. This line kicks fanny. No doubt about it. The plus in going with fluorocarbon in a higher # test if needed is despite having a slightly thicker line diameter; the angler retains the benefit of fluorocarbon's trait of near invisibility as advertisers so claim. Whichever line you choose, I think the fluorocarbon line of your choice will be fine. Baits Keep an open mind here. Many baits of a variety of shapes can be used. The general rule of thumb is a tendency to use smaller baits since we are "finesse" fishing (translates to downsizing in general). The typical length of a drop shot bait usually ranges from 3" - 4.5" but this is NOT set in stone. Roboworm, Senkos, Sniper Snubs and Bolts (these two are locally made baits), Reaction Innovations Flirts, and heck, even Baby Brush Hogs and Tubes can be used. Think out of the box. I have used longer worms too. This season, the 4.5 Roboworm (in Aaron's Magic) and Sniper Snubs in Watermelon and Dark Brown have been so effective that to date I have not seen a need to try something else or other colors. It might be different for bass in other waters. If you wish to know, so far the most effective baits for me have been, the snubs and roboworms. Here is a picture of a smallie I caught on a longer Roboworm hoping for a bigger smallie. The darn Roboworm is nearly as long as the smallie! Hooks/Knot I prefer to use size 1 or 2 (mostly size 2) Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hooks, or Owner Mosquito hooks. I attach the hook to the line with a Palomar knot and after it is tied, I insert the extra line (tag end) through the hook's eye before attaching the weight. I have heard good things about size 4 Gamakatsu hooks, but I have not yet had a chance to try them yet. Leader Length (Distance from the hook to the weight) The best way to figure this out is to experiment. I have had success with leaders being as short 4-6" to nearly but not quite 2'. Because drop shotting is not limited to a purely vertical presentation, a longer leader is a good idea if you wish to work it somewhat like a Texas or Carolina rig. The longer leader length (which I define here as the distance between the weight and your hook, perhaps 18" as a ballpark figure) will enable you to keep the bait off the ground with the shallow angle that will result from a long cast. For a more vertical presentation, a shorter distance from the hook to the bait can work. Imparting Life to the Lure Despite the initial perception of working this lure, it is not all about jiggling and wiggling the bait. An angler can indeed work the bait this way, but I can tell you from personal experience, that wiggling and jiggling has accounted for the fewest number of catches. So what should one do in addition to the wiggling/jiggling tactic? Keep the weight on the bottom for the most part and leave enough slack to let the bait sink on its own weight. Then, when you think the bait is near the bottom lift/twitch the rod just enough to move the bait a little (without moving or minimizing the movement of the weight on the bottom) and repeat. In effect, what you are doing is working a semi-slack line and this is what is imparting action to the bait. No hits? Repeat if you wish, or add a little dead sticking to the mix or, drag your bait to the next spot. All are good choices. The dragging of the weight from one spot to the next also imparts life and action to the lure and can help to draw a strike. In addition, working with the slack and dead sticking have been far more effective for me compared to wiggling and jiggling the bait to death Not sure what the bait will do? Find some shallow water and drop down your bait. The depth should be one where you can see all the way to the bottom. Once the weight is on the bottom, let your bait fall by lowering your rod. Before the lure hits the bottom, raise the rod's tip enough to bring the lure up, and do your best to keep the weight in place. Watching this will give you an idea of what will likely be happening when you are not able to see the bait with your own eyes. Visualizing what the bait is doing when I can't see it helps me to focus on what I am trying to do, and that is catching fish. The Strike or Hit This can vary depending on the activity level of the fish, the quality of your set up to a certain extent, and the line you are using. More sensitive rods do a better job of transmitting what is going on to you. I have had the blessing of drop shotting with my Berkley Cherrywood Rod, which is decent and not too shabby, but comparing it to my Lamiglas Certified Pro Drop Shot rod is something else. Here is my analogy. If the Cherrywood provides stereo sound to me while watching a DVD movie, the Lamiglas gives me the sound in THX, for the full cinema experience. The latter rod is not necessary to enjoy drop shotting, but it makes it a lot easier to feel and detect the subtle strikes. The line you use also can influence the feel of the strike. My experience working with both mono and fluorocarbon is that the latter always seemed to give me a better picture. We all know now that although FC line can have as much or more stretch than a comparable monofilament line, it is likely that its density still enables it to beautifully transmit information from the end of our line, to the rod and to our hands. The hit or strike can feel like: 1) A mushy tug or tick, which could translate to a complete inhalation of your bait or the fish attacking the lure from the hook's side. 2) A nibble or nibbling, that transmits vibrations through the line to you. Sometimes you can see or feel the line vibrate through your semi-slack line. More sensitive rods tell you this much better and more clearly. I believe when the hit is like this (my best guess anyway as I visualize the strike), it is possible that the fish might have taken the lure from the side opposite the hook and the nibbling/vibrations you feel is the fish taking in the bait into its mouth, eventually getting to the hook. 3) Bam! It's on! The Hook Set For one and three, just reeling up the slack and adding enough tension to make the line taught is sufficient for most cases to drive the light wire hook home. For case two, you have to wait until the fish gets to the hook and then do as mentioned above. If you don't, you will pull the lure from the fish's mouth. Since it didn't get to the hook, there is no way the fish can get hooked. I have written this based on the experience I gained from drop shotting. Take it for what it's worth, an opinion at best. -ib

I've looked in the Loomis Catalog and for their DS rods, but here is what they have to say about their DS rods: http://products.gloomis.com/gl/products/family.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302032506&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181201&bmUID=1192049171070 It is similar to the Lami site in that the "heavier" rod is designed to handle heavier cover and greater depths. Good luck on your final decision. 8-)

Ha! Good one! ;D Have you considered the Loomis DS rods? Also, I know one of the Crucial DS rods was actually designed for drop shotting in heavier cover. Spinning only on that one though.

The 702 X is a new rod and I have not yet had a chance to fish with it. I do know that my "regular" one is just right. It can easily handle a 5# bass. I tend to forget that the action of a rod describes how it flexes under load and is not necessarily a function of the backbone it possesses. I guess what I am trying to say is that they can have the same action and the other can still have more backbone. let me know if you decide to get either one!

Those little bites are probably those small fish going for your offering. Step up in bait size to hopefully minimize their onslaught of mini bites. As for colors, try earth worm brown, dark brown and if the water has some green tint to it, watermelon. Red and its variants and even bubble gum pink might also be productive. Despite the murkiness, give the drop shot a try with 6-8# line. The lighter line should aid in giving the lures a more enticing action and hopefully induce more bites. Good luck. Being a so cal guy, try to find yourself some sniper snubs and bolts. They are smallie killers.

Awesome rod makers with perhaps one of the most underrated rods, but look at the Lamiglas Certified Pro Line. They have two Drop Shot rods. My model is the XPS 702. http://www.lamiglas.com/prod_indiv.php?groupid=17 Just to let you know that no store I know sells their rods at MSRP, unlike loomis rods, vendors can sell them for less. As an example the $112 Competitor Rods usually sell for about $65 This rod's sensitivity (my Drop Shot Special) is astounding. Since you like Dobyns rods, I think you might love a Lami in your arsenal. I don't work for them, but I wish I did!

I too am curious to get to the bottom of this. Mono in good shape should not snap like that unless it is from a bad batch or there is unseen wear on the line. In my short fishing time of about 4 years, I have never had mono snap on me unless I purposely broke it (ie, breaking off a snag). Ironically, because braid has little stretch, it is more apt to snap from the shock of a huge snapping cast or eye crossing hookset over mono. You just might be surprised. Hope you can provide more details as to what is going on just before the line snaps. Thanks!

Stick with what you have. You haven't "outgrown" your gear until you start discover what techniques suit your style. After you gain that experience, you will know what you want and what to look for when your tastes for more specific function rods increases. You didn't specify the actions of the rods, but I can guess that the first is probably has a medium heavy action. This should be decent for most single hook applications like t-rig soft plastics and jigs. I am willing to bet the second is a spinning set up and by the traits you specified, it is probably a medium action rod. This would make it a fair "all around" rod that could work for topwaters, crankbaits and other treble hooked lures and drop shot/finesse in a pinch. Since there are a number of different models in the lightning rod series, I can't make a good guess on the third rod without its traits. Anyway, the first two rods can cover much of the lures for bass fishing outside of super heavy cover scenarios. I say stick with what you have until you graduate. You do not want to acquire your own Like I said, you don't "need" anything else, but if you "want" other gear, that's a different deal altogether! ;D

I've used and would recommend the first 3. I have not yet fished with the deep down HJ. Contrary to the experiences of those here, all of my bass caught on a rattle trap type bait were caught on a Rattlin' Rapala. As a matter of fact, The original Bill lewis Rattle Trap hasn't worked for me yet, but I want it to!! : I would agree that they might take a little more effort to get to work compared to others, but it is the only trap the bass in my area find most appealing.

You think that's bad? I got duped twice by opening the thread again, forgetting that I already got bamboozled! ;D -ib, the double-duped