Westernbass Magazine - FREE Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - Spring 2014, Page 24

Westernbass Magazine - FREE Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - Spring 2014, Page 24

some prefer lighter or heavier and it is really up to preference and the reels you are using. When the smallmouth bite is on, I will have two or three rods

rigged up with a

drop shot to avoid

taking a long time to retie leaders when I get hung up.

BAIT AND HOOK SELECTION

A 4.5” inch Roboworm straight tail in a darker colors like Aaron’s Magic or Bold Bluegill are my first choice for drop shotting smallmouth. When the fishing is tougher, I will switch to a Berkley Twitchtail minnow in a perch or bluegill pattern, this baitfish imitator is just 3” long and works great for

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smallmouth. There

are other baits that

will work well and

it is dependent on

what you have the

most confidence in.

When it comes

to hook selection, I

prefer to Texas-rig

my Roboworms so I can cast it anywhere I want to and not have to worry about getting hung- up as often. A size 1 Gamakatsu G-Lock hook has been my first choice in drop shot hooks for over ten years. When I am using a smaller profile bait, I will nose hook it with a size 1 or 2 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hook.

RETRIEVE AND HOOKSET

Like any technique, the retrieve speed and cadence plays a big role in enticing smallmouth bass. There are certain days that they prefer a fast moving offering and other days where you literally have to drop it on their head to get bit. To adjust for this, I am constantly adjusting my retrieve from the super slow crawl to the constant reeling and shaking of my rod. As with anything else, let the fish tell you what they want that day. As you can see from the video, this particular day the smallmouth wanted a fast moving bait.

As the water cools, I find myself watching my depth finder more and more and begin to change to a more vertical approach. I often go up to a ½ or ¾ weight in order to get the bait down quicker and right into my screen after seeing a fish. In my experience, if the fish you see on your screen wants to eat, they will bite the lure as soon as it hits the bottom. It can become addictive and frustrating following fish around and watching your screen all day, but there are times when it is the only way to catch them.

Drop shotting for smallmouth is a technique that I am fond of, because I know it is often the best way to catch both quality and quantity of fish. The subtle action of a finesse soft plastic just above the bottom has special appeal to the smallmouth bass.

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