Bass Digest/January, 2014
BASSAHOLIC's
Drop Shotting for Suspended Bass in Grass Mats ...
TOP TIPS
The Summer rains have been plentiful this season, with many of the local dams already at capacity and bodes well for vegetation growth. As the summer temps increase, bass will often take refuge under the shade of these grass mats or any other surface vegetation on offer and suspend just below these canopy’s.
Dropshotting has come along way since it was originally introduced and has become one of the most versatile bass rigs I know of, as it can be adapted to suit different conditions in many ways. One of my favourite ways of targeting these suspended bass under grass mats is by adapting the rig slightly to ensure the bait remains suspended below the surface and has brought me lots of success using it. The rig itself is quite simple with a few changes made to a conventional dropshot rig which I will explain next.
The main difference between the conventional drop shot rig and one I use for suspended bass is that the hook is allowed to travel freely between the sinker and swivel as opposed to being tied in a fixed position with a polamar knot. I also prefer using neutrally buoyant or floating baits for this application as this ensures that the bait stays suspended at the top underneath the grass mat where the bass are holding as opposed to speeding past them as it dives after the sinker on the fall. Conventionally a drop shot rig is fished on light line (8lb to 10lb) and considered a finesse tactic with a spinning rod. However when fishing grass mats, I prefer to use a much heavier line (15lb to 20lb) with a normal medium heavy action bait casting rod, due to the fact that I am fishing the holes in the grass mats and the chances of me landing a fish on lighter line is much more slim.
The length of the leader will depend on the depth that you are fishing which is normally in shallow water of around 2 to 6 feet. Anything deeper than that will make setting the hook as well as casting a leader that long quite difficult. The next thing I change from the conventional rig is the type of sinkers and hooks I use.
For the hooks I prefer normal wide gap hooks in as
light a wire as I can get away with as this allows me to rig the bait weedless as well as get a good hookset on the light wire due to the hook travelling freely on the main line. As for the sinkers, I prefer using ones which can be permanently fixed to the main line so that the hook does not pull loose when fighting a fish.
So be sure to try this simple yet effective method and let us know of your successes. Happy Bassing!
BASSAHOLIC's