Ultralight Dropshot for fun

I went out to the pond after work today to mess around with a technique called "Ultralight Drop Shotting".  It is a fun way to catch fish. This technique has gained immense popularity among anglers in recent years. This technique involves the use of ultra-light rods, reels, and lines, making it one of the most delicate forms of bass fishing. Ultimately, the dropshot allows the bait or lure to float above the bottom of the water (which is attached to the trailing sinker). This makes dropshotting an ideal technique for catching fish in shallow or deep water.

Some of the most popular baits to use in the Dropshot technique are:

1. Roboworm Straight Tail Worm: These soft plastic worms come in a variety of colors and are a favorite among bass anglers.

2. Berkley Gulp! Minnow: This soft plastic bait imitates a live minnow and is very effective at catching bass.

3. Jackall Crosstail Shad: These soft plastic shad baits have a realistic swimming action that can entice even the most stubborn bass.

4. Strike King Half Shell: These small, finesse-style soft plastic baits are designed to mimic a variety of forage species and are perfect for dropshotting.

5. Yamamoto Senko: This soft plastic stick bait is a favorite among bass anglers and can be rigged in a variety of ways, including dropshotting.

6. Zoom Trick Worm: These soft plastic worms are versatile and can be rigged in a variety of ways, including dropshotting.

7. Keitech Easy Shiner: These soft plastic swimbaits have a lifelike swimming action that can attract big bass.

8. Z-Man Finesse TRD: These soft plastic baits are designed to be fished on a dropshot rig and have a unique texture that can help fool even the most wary bass.

On this day, from the picture you can see I was using a Zoom Tiny Fluke. These little baits are deadly! If you rig them correctly and present them well, I can guarantee you will get strikes.

Ultra-light dropshotting also allows you to fish in clear water, where fish may be spooked by heavier tackle. This was a perfect choice considering the pond I was fishing it at was crystal clear in that day. The light line is also key as it allows you to mimic the natural baitfish and how it moves. Your cast and retrieval are crucial to getting strikes. With the right gear and techniques, ultra-light dropshot bass fishing can be an incredibly rewarding as you can see in the photo! Tight lines!

Morning time workout

We are staying on it over the weekends. I am also hitting it before work. Hoping to keep that motivation through the spring and summer. Doing the HIIT workouts in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day for me. There is no question about that. For me the morning is it, always has been, always will be.

The fishing days you live for...

Yesterday was one of a kind. It was the type of fishing day you wish for every time you go out on the water. There is so much more to fishing than baiting a hook and throwing it out there. For the serious angler the challenge is in finding where they are every time. It also means figuring out what they are biting on. The combination of these two things: location and pattern (what they are biting on) is essential to catching fish.

Some notes on the day:

-This lake has a ton of vegetation which dies or goes dormant and sinks to the bottom. The lake bottom is covered in grass! Lake is very shallow. Average is 2ft to 4.5ft.

-Water temp, between 50-60 degrees. We are in Pre-Spawn time frame. No spawning beds at all visible. 

-Moving baits where really working. Mepps Aglia dressed spinner was absolutely getting crushed by the bass. I was able to keep the lure close to the bottom, where I know the bass where at without getting it tied up in the bottom grass. I also caught a bass on a crankbait, but it kept getting caught at the bottom. I think the normal depth for that crankbait was 4-6 feet.

-More thoughts...finesse was not working. The bass were actually right in the center of the lake. Again, the lake is very shallow, and I anchored in the middle of the lake because there was a decent wind that would drift my boat otherwise. Once I found the bass camped in the middle of the lake, I literally casted all around the boat and caught over 30 bass!

Weekend warriors in February 2023

 

We are the weekend warriors right now. Trying to get this guy big and strong. He is just starting out the journey in the gym with me consistently this year. He's motivated. He's learning. He's figuring out the "right way" to do things. This new journey together has been fun for me. The focus, the drive, the want, is very personal. But, having a workout buddy has been a nice change of pace! Hope all of you are enjoying your weekend. Stay committed, Stay driven.

A cold one in January 2023, but a fun one

 

It was a very cold day yesterday. I know the air temps were in the high 30s while I was fishing, and the water temperature was in the 30s as well. Lil' Shaka and me already hit up the crappie two weeks ago, and the good news is they were biting on this day as well. I caught a total of 15 crappies.  

The water is so cold right now that I doubt their is much life, or much movement by anything in the water right now.  I did try some moving baits, and even some jerkbaits to see if there were any patterns using these techniques.  No Go! 

So, stuck with more of a traditional crappie rig with a bobber and a jig.  We like the Berkley Gulp Minnows with our jigs.  Any jig will basically work.  We use Strike King Mr. Crappie Jigs but many jigs will work.

The key during this time of year is to get the jig right in front of them. Let them take a look and "suck" the lure in! It is a very subtle bite at this time of year, and you basically keep reeling in to set the hook. There is really no "Big Bass" hookset, that is not how you hookset crappie! LOL.

Locating crappie takes skill. I was fishing from the bank of a specific pond. I know where the crappies camp during this time of year in this specific pond.  So that helps to find them obviously. I am very appreciative that I got a few hours to catch these little beauties. I was fortunate that they were biting.  Until next time!