LunkerLust

On windy days I head to a lily pad lake for some pitchin'. The pads usually slow me down enough to get in the day. If it's really windy, I'll head for the coves that happen to be fairly calm. I mostly fish out of a canoe so it can be maddening.

Thanks guys. I haven't tried Candlewood mainly because I fish mostly from a canoe, and it's usually tough going in the lakes that have the water skiers and jet skies. Almost got swamped in Besek lake this year, Highland last year and Bantam a couple of years ago.

With gas around $4 now, I'd like my trips to at least have the potential of catching a quality fish.

It's not just a vertical method for me. I also like to flip it out around 20-30 ft, from the boat and work it back until it's vertical. I'll fish water from 4-20 ft deep this way. I occasionally shore fish with the drop shot down to a foot or so.

I like the Owner SSW #2 straight shank, very sharp.

If you don't drop shot fish that much, keep the rod that you like for the other methods that you fish most often. I've used rods from medium to ultra lites for drop shotting and caught fish with all. I think that the baits and line are more important.

I have never taken a bass, catch and release only. For people that do I would say PLEASE take only smaller bass, 2 lbs or less, to make up a meal. From what I've read, all southern bass above 5 lbs are egg laying females, that translates to northern bass over about 3 lbs are the main egg layers as well. To insure the life and quality of your lakes, catch and release the larger bass that you get, have your banguet on a limit of smaller bass, along with trout, crappie and catfish.

I like Owner offset wide gap hooks. I use 4/0 for brush hogs, 3/0 for tubes, and 2/0 for trick worms. They're strong, they're sharp, and the price is right.

I have tried them, this year, and so far so good. No problems with bait movement and they do seem to reduce line twist a little. I like them for a different reason. I sometimes drop shot from shore and also in a couple of lakes that have alot of rocks and or rip rap. I get a number of break offs when the weights get caught in the rocks. With the Spinshot hooks, I tie a palomar knot with my either 6# or 8# line to the top hole but I tie the weight to the bottom one using 4# line with just an overhand knot. If I get stuck I'll lose the weight, but I get the hook and bait back, at least.

I would highly recommend getting an inexpensive fish finder. I bought a Fish Easy for less than $100 and it has saved me a lot of time by not fishing in unproductive water. If you catch one in 10' of water, you can circle the lake in the 8'-12' zone and maybe get a few more. It also sounds like your lakes would be ideal for doing some drop shotting, clear water and fishing pressure. Make sure that the bait is a foot or so above the weeds and muck. Drop shot fishing helps to overcome some of the crummy weather conditions mentioned above.

fish307, never heard of that one, but yes the 300yd spool is what I was looking for. Thanks

I was just online looking for the Yozuri 6# and couldn't find it. Some places had 8# mist green or 6# clear, close but no cigar. If memory serves, doesn't Roadwarrior like the Yozuri 6# ? Your source please. I just read that the 8# has a breaking strength of 12 lbs and for the 6# it's 11.9 lbs, I thought that I'd like to try the slightly thinner line for drop shotting.

The Owner 4/0 wide gap hook has the same size gap as the Gammmie 5/0 and is 1/2" shorter, it seems to fit the Ikas perfectly. I used to miss alot of hookups before with other brands and sizes.

I like the smaller size of the tungsten weights, but I think the prices are much too high. However, if I thought that I would never lose any, I would use them for everything. I do use some, but only in lakes with few snags and no pickerel.

Too add something to my post above, I put an Owner 4/0 next to a Gammie 5/0 wide gap and the gap is the same, but the Owner is about 1/2' shorter. I think the shorter hooks will better catch the jaw and not further in.