Dropshotting St. Clair in the spring

[Firefighter Jeff]

  Hey guys, lets hear your expertise on drop shotting St. Clair.  I'm looking to increase my arsenal and could use some tips when fishing early season.  I've read and heard of guys using this technique but haven't tried it much at all on St. Clair.  I have used it in the fall on different waters and feel I'm getting the hang of it.  I just have a feeling it's used differently on St. Clair.  I had some success a few springs ago on St. Clair, using a 5 inch finesse worm on a short drop, but that was when the water was fairly clear and the fish were on beds north of the mile roads.  What about open water?

1.  Do you target specific structure (rock piles) and try to hold there and cast??  Or do you do just drag it along with the wind like dragging tubes?

2.  Seems like a lot of guys will wacky rig senco or stickbaits.  What size and color do you suggest??

3.  Other baits you might suggest??

4. What distance do you prefer from weight to bait??

5. What size and shape of weight do you suggest?

        Thanks in advance guys.  Hope I have the patience to stick with the DS and learn some.   

[Dan]

Gulp leech five inch. Using electronics to target fish so that while I may be using other baits I can pick it up in a moment to catch that bass on the screen.

[Manxfishing]

By no means do I think I'm a expert on DS
But last year on LSC I caught fish DS'ing in the spring

I use it shallow are deep till I find were the fish are
Cast out, let it sit for a while then a shake and move the bait a few feet all the way back
Do real well inor around the weeds or on the break lines

Ive tried Senko's and catch fish on them. But I like the Goby's or DS worms better

Better colors for me are GP & Watermelon with gold or dark colors

I like 12 to 18"

Weights i like 1/4" round ball, I get a better feel with the ball
And depending on the wind, you can fish it shallow and deep

I like to set the hook
Hook wise, I use a 1/0 and feel you could go bigger with the goby's but it works with the DS worms as well

[TimH]

I drop shot and "drag shot" at many different areas around LSC.  I will drop shot near the shipping channel when my finder detects decent structure and fish.  I drag shot just about everywhere else.  I use a 1/4 oz weight with a 2/0 drop shot hook.  I normally use a purple with blue flack senko rigged wacky style, or Poor Boy Erie Darter.  I cast just as i would if I were dragging a tube, and then slowly reel the bait back towards the boat while popping the rod from time to time.
I have had very good luck doing this south of the yacht club in 10 - 12 FOW.  If you can find the area by the GP Yacht Club that has larger rocks and boulders, you will do well with this.

[LennyB]

I use a couple different combinations and have very good success with both.

If the fish are finicky I use a Jann's Razor Worm in green pumpkin which is similar to a Robo Worm (basically a 4" straight finesse worm). I use a 1/0 Gamakatsu straight shank worm hook and a 3/8 drop shot weight.

If the fish are aggressive I use a Yum Dinger (senko style bait) in 5" green pumpkin with a 3/0 offset EWG Gamakatsu hook and a 3/8 drop shot weight. 

[fiker]

I too am no expert, but have had good success with:

Xtreme drop shot tubes.  especially the Canadian Mist color, but also G3 and Slither.

The last couple of years wacky rigged 4" dingers have done well also.  Mardi Gras and Melon Pie. 

On these I use an Owner 1/0 or 2/0 mosquito hook.  Usually with a dropper length of about a foot to 18". 

Mostly I slowly drag the bait back.  When drifting I try to maintain a 45 degree angle between the line and the water. 

Sometimes they want something bigger.  Then I either use a round bend worm hook, or an EWG hook when I want to be weedless.  The bigger hooks allow me to use 4" tubes, beavers and creature baits.  All work well.

[TCook]

Personally I dont think its more effective over other techniques that time of year on St Clair unless your working a bed or dropping on a fish you see on your graph. Do what you already do out there and cover water with traps/cranks/jerks until you run in to schools and if you feel the need to slow down throw the tube. Only 24 days to go...

[Got Fish??]

I beleave that if it catches fish use it. I all so beleave that you use the simplest way possible. Drag a tub, ether dropshot , led jighead or Carolina rig . Cover flats with rock piles and other structure.When you find fish, throw a marker clean up and drift again.  Fish  breaks in to deep water If I had one choice, whitch  rig would I use? Led  jighead and extremes tackles triple threat and canadian mist tubes.

[Manxfishing]

Personally I dont think its more effective over other techniques that time of year on St Clair unless your working a bed or dropping on a fish you see on your graph. Do what you already do out there and cover water with traps/cranks/jerks until you run in to schools and if you feel the need to slow down throw the tube. Only 24 days to go...

I myself do cover water with the DS
Calm day or a light breeze I'll clean up.
My thought is some days the finesse bite is the ticket, And other days moving baits is what they what

It's one of the reason we all tie multi. rods

[Firefighter Jeff]

  Thanks for the responses guys.  I just want to add another "tool" to my box. Not sure if it would or wouldn't be better than what I am doing now. Dragging a tube, or a DS is a nice change of pace from all the cast and retrieves.

   Anyone else??

[motocross269]

Personally I dont think its more effective over other techniques that time of year on St Clair unless your working a bed or dropping on a fish you see on your graph. Do what you already do out there and cover water with traps/cranks/jerks until you run in to schools and if you feel the need to slow down throw the tube. Only 24 days to go...

From my experience I agree with Tim......I use Drop Shot more later on in the year in deeper water and the river....

Basically in the spring you are blind bed fishing...I want to cover as much water as possible until I make contact...(Alot depends on the wind also)

[Waterfoul]

I consider myself a pretty good drop shotter.... we'll talk when I get home from Missouri Jeff!

[djkimmel]

The pros fairly consistently recommend using the drop shot in the spring on a much shorter line from hook to weight. I think it is a good alternative when the tube or other bottom bait is gathering too much weeds or bottom snot.

[Manxfishing]

The pros fairly consistently recommend using the drop shot in the spring on a much shorter line from hook to weight. I think it is a good alternative when the tube or other bottom bait is gathering too much weeds or bottom snot.

You know, I read as much as I can
And then I trie a few things out and figure out what works for me

While the DS is for seperation from the bottom. And the weeds are shorter in the spring
The longer lead works that you can fish it tight, drop the rod tip and let the bait sink agian
More or less you can just work a target zone without moving the weight with the rod tip
Allot of the strikes are on the slack line fall.

[tubechucker]

I drag shot mostly on st. clair and have been using it for the past few seasons.  It has become a go to technique for me anytime of the year.  I tend to find myself using small baits mostly so I am using size 1 or size 2 drop shot hooks mostly.  One thing I do find is I get most bites when drifting when the bait is on a slack line so I will fish it a lot open spooled with my finger controlling the slack.

I am by no means an expert  with the drop shot but I do notice it does get more bites than almost any other presentation for me during the season

[Firefighter Jeff]

  Greatstuff guys.  Thanks,  gives me something to think about.