| Most people believe that the drop-shot rig is only for | | | | You can fish this rig either horizontally or vertically. In |
| finesse fishing, but there is more than one way to skin | | | | the heavy currents in the Sassafras River on the |
| a cat! (or Fish), as the case may be. The new Power | | | | Upper Chesapeake Bay, we drag it from the calm |
| Drop-Shot style started by Kotaro Kiriyama, is fast | | | | water into the faster moving current, and catch |
| becoming the way to bigger and better bags on many | | | | largemouth holding near the edges waiting for an easy |
| of the tournament trails. | | | | meal. You can also use this rig successfully in deep |
| Drop-shot rigs consist of a hook tied above a sinker | | | | cover. This will work well in the standing timber in Table |
| that is placed at the end of the line so that the lure | | | | Rock Lake when fished on a Fluorocarbon line in 10-16 |
| suspends off the bottom. Conventional tackle consists | | | | pound test. We have used 30 pound test when the |
| of light action spinning gear and 4-8 pound line, and the | | | | fish were aggressive, and gone down to 10 pound |
| tactic is usually deployed vertically in deep water. | | | | when the bite is tougher. This is a clear to stained |
| Kiriyama says "Drop-Shotting is about presenting a | | | | water technique though, and works much better in |
| soft plastic lure in a manner that is different from | | | | these conditions. There are areas here in the |
| Texas rigging or Carolina rigging." When conditions | | | | Northeast that have extremely clear water at times, |
| allow, Kiriyama, (who logged 10 Top 10 finishes in his | | | | and it excels in those areas. We use this around deep |
| first 37 events on tour), says "You may get more bites | | | | points also with great success. Waters such as |
| with lighter line and smaller baits, but when there is | | | | Spruce Run and Greenwood in New Jersey and New |
| heavier cover, a power version is required. | | | | York are great areas to use the Power Drop shot. |
| This is a technique we have employed with success | | | | We use it anywhere you would normally use a |
| all last year, and now we are going to share it with you | | | | Carolina or Texas rig. |
| here in the Northeast. This technique works great in all | | | | When we flip the Power Drop shot rig we use 6 and |
| the lakes, rivers, and impoundment's here in the | | | | 6 1/2 inch Yamamoto Cut Tail worms. We have tried |
| Northeast. It is a great way to put together a real | | | | a variety of other baits with this rig, but the straight tail |
| quality stringer. | | | | and Cut-Tail worms have produced the best results. |
| The drop shot's configuration with the weight beneath | | | | When you are flipping it in fairly light cover, you can go |
| the lure, makes it ideal for pitching into heavy cover. | | | | with a lighter sinker of 1/16 of an ounce, and as the |
| The reason, is that the sinker goes through cover | | | | cover gets thicker, we go as high as 3/8 of an ounce. |
| better and falls right to the bottom. | | | | Since the start of 2003, we have been using nothing |
| You can fish faster and cover more water! We fish it | | | | but the Tungsten weights for all our baits. We believe |
| just like other anglers fish a Texas rig, but like Kiriyama, | | | | this is especially important with the Power Drop Shot |
| we believe it is more effective! This is a great tactic | | | | also, as the Tungsten is heavier than lead, allowing for |
| for places like the Potomac River or Lakes such as | | | | a smaller profile, which penetrates the cover better, |
| Kerr or Gaston, where the fish are highly pressured | | | | and allows for a better feel of the bottom. |
| and are used to seeing anglers flip Texas rigs and | | | | We generally rig the baits with a 2/0 to a 3/0 |
| Carolina rigs. This gives the highly pressured fish a | | | | Gamakatsu or X-Point hook, but we will go as high as |
| completely different look. The rig has some other | | | | a 5/0 on some of the bigger worms at times. The |
| advantages also. There is less line wear at the hook | | | | general rule when using this rig for flipping is simple; The |
| knot because the sinker isn't beating against it, and the | | | | distance between the hook and the weight, is no more |
| hook isn't dragging the bottom where the line and knot | | | | than 3-6 inches longer than the bait itself. |
| can be damaged. You can also detect the bites a lot | | | | The rig is simple to use, no fancy tricks are needed. |
| easier, because the sensation goes through the line | | | | Just drop the bait around cover and let it sit. No other |
| without passing through a sinker that deadens the | | | | action is necessary because of the way the bait |
| sensitivity. In lower Delaware we have a Bald Cypress | | | | suspends off the line. The natural current of the water |
| swamp in one of the lakes, and there are also similar | | | | imparts all the action you need. We use this on bedding |
| areas in the Nanticoke River. Most anglers flip these | | | | bass also, since we have no closed season here in |
| trees with Texas rigged worms in the 4 inch size or | | | | Delaware during the tournaments. The technique is just |
| with a small lizard in the spring. We like the power drop | | | | like any other type of flipping we do. We drop it in near |
| shot rig in these areas the best. It attracts bass that | | | | the cover, let it sit a few seconds if the bass are being |
| are lying near the bottom or are suspended in cover | | | | finicky, and then lift it up and pitch it to the next target. |
| down at the roots. | | | | |