Drop Shot Fishing Ozark Lakes

Drop Shot Basics for Ozark Lakes



The drop shot presentation for bass fishing has really become popular during the last couple years. When drop shot fishing for bass began to gain popularity there was a lot of fishing articles being written on the subject. Now that this technique has been used for a couple of seasons there are even more variations of it being discussed.

Table Rock Lake fishing guide Don House has agreed to share his thoughts on the subject. Don uses the drop shot presentation while guiding clients on Table Rock Lake. He reports it can be a productive technique for catching summer time bass on the deep-clear waters of Ozark lakes.

Tackle used for drop shot fishing is generally a medium to medium-light spinning rod matched with an appropriate size reel. Don recommends a high quality graphite rod in a 6 ½ foot medium-light action. He says, “You need a light, fast-action tip along with a strong lower section just above the handle.” The light action tip will help to feel those light bites that are common with this style of fishing. Don also prefers a high-speed spinning reel to match with the rod. A gear ratio of 6:1 or higher is ideal to pick up line quickly when presenting a lure deep in the water. Don likes fluorocarbon line in six and eight-pound test paired with the spinning reel due to the increased sensitivity on this line.

The three most important parts of the drop shot rig are a barrel swivel, a #2 premium drop shot hook and a four-foot length leader of fluorocarbon line. The barrel swivel is attached between the main line and the leader. In the middle of the leader Don attaches a #2 drop shot hook. The polymer knot is the best knot to use for this application because it leaves a tag end to attach a sinker (1/4 – 3/8 ounce is ideal). Don tells me after tying the hook he runs the tag end back through the eye to make it stand out away from the leader and helps to keep the point in the up position.

High quality electronics are a must for this type of fishing. Electronics with a high-resolution screen with at least a 480 x 480 pixel count will allow the angler to watch their bait drop down the water column from five to 100 feet deep. The new color units allow anglers to tell where the fish are located by the color bars but color units are not necessary to be effective.

On Table Rock Lake and similar deep-clear impoundments the fish tend to suspend over deep water. They will suspend over many types of structure and cover including long gravel points, brush piles and deeply submerged standing timber. When schools of shad are present in these areas conditions are even better for holding fish near this cover and structure. The bass will stay just under the school or right in the middle of the shad while feeding.

The bass will suspend from 25 – 60 feet deep. The best way to find a starting point is locate the depth of the thermo cline using electronics. The thermo cline will show on the graph display and take up the whole screen but be just about 5 – 10 feet thick (depth). The thermo cline is where the warmer water with higher oxygen content meets the cooler water that is lower in oxygen.

Once the thermo cline is located the angler should search for cover and/or structure near the depth the thermo cline is located. Don says “I have found the bigger fish to be located just under the thermo cline and the smaller fish will be right above it”.

Once the fish are located Don says anglers will experience three types of bites. The slow pull down type occurs when the fish grab the bait and pull the bait straight down. An angler may also experience a “tap-tap” bite. This bite is from fish that take the bait very slowly to eat it. This type of bite makes catching the fish the hardest because they have to be given time to eat the bait. The last common type of bite it the collapsing line bite. This occurs when the fish move up to take the bait and continue to swim up after hitting the lure. If ever the weight of the lure can’t be felt it is a good indication that a fish has the lure and anglers should immediately pick up the slack line and set the hook.

Don recommends the following types of lures. Don says the small plastic drop shot worms in 2 – 4 inches are best. The best colors to use in the clear water are watermelon green, green pumpkin, brown/purple (commonly called Peanut Butter and Jelly).

Don adds a little personal touch to his presentation by tying his own drop shot flies. He takes drop shot hooks and ties on some feathers and flash ribbons to mimic shad in the water column.

When conditions really get tough Don suggests live night crawlers. He hooks them on drop shot hooks just through the head. This allows the worm to free float in the water to add to the appeal of the live bait look.

As with any type of fishing, this article gives the angler a good starting point. However, he/she should continue to experiment while drop shot fishing to find the most effective ways to catch fish in any particular impoundment.

Don House can be reached at http://www.bransonfishingguideservice.com/

Copyright Marc Rogers, 2008