Nov 5, Big M area

[Royal Blue]

On 11/6/2021 at 4:46 PM, cheesemaster said:

Congratulations. That’s definitely a good day. Whenever you boat one 3.5 that’s worth going out for.

I was really surprised.  Almost every one we caught was short until that one.  

[Randy Moore]

when you say dragging the drop shot do you mean on the bottom or suspended in deeper water.  I've been having a very hard time finding any fish.  Boated one smallmouth yesterday on a gray grub in 10 feet of water  that was about a pound.  Have fished bluffs and points with a variety of baits with little success.  It seems I'm fishing too shallow.  Thanks for your report.  Glad you had a great day.

 

[Quillback]

1 minute ago, Randy Moore said:

when you say dragging the drop shot do you mean on the bottom or suspended in deeper water.  I've been having a very hard time finding any fish.  Boated one smallmouth yesterday on a gray grub in 10 feet of water  that was about a pound.  Have fished bluffs and points with a variety of baits with little success.  It seems I'm fishing too shallow.  Thanks for your report.  Glad you had a great day.

 

I cast it out, let it sink to the bottom, then using my rod, I'll drag it, with the rod parallel to the water.  If I lose bottom contact, I'll stop until the weight makes bottom contact.  Majority of my bites come that way, I'll get one every once in a while that will hit it on the drop, some times if I see fish under the boat I'll drag it until it is vertical and then see if they'll bite it then.  If I see them under the boat suspended I'll reel it up slowly through them.  All that being said, 90% of my bites are coming on the drag.

The fish really seem to like a worm too, Zoom Finesse worm, GY Thin Senko in green pumpkin have been the ones that have worked best for me.  

I don't know how much longer the drop shot is going to work, never has been a cold water bait for me.

[Randy Moore]

Thanks for the info.  Very surprised it works with the water this cold.  But you never know and it pays to experiment to find out what works.  I tried the whopper plopper today as well in and around timber both shallow and deep with no results.  Saw no surface activity at all.  Thanks again.  

[Champ188]

On 11/8/2021 at 5:19 PM, Randy Moore said:

Thanks for the info.  Very surprised it works with the water this cold.  But you never know and it pays to experiment to find out what works.  I tried the whopper plopper today as well in and around timber both shallow and deep with no results.  Saw no surface activity at all.  Thanks again.  

Just a suggestion but one I learned from a very good dropshot fisherman ... as the water cools, move to a more natural and shad-like presentation. The old Gulp minnow has worked well for me, but you can also drop-shot the smallest Keitech swimmer or even some of the Bobby Garland-style crappie plastics. Think of it as finesse spooning without the jerking up and down. 

[bferg]

On 11/8/2021 at 5:00 PM, Randy Moore said:

when you say dragging the drop shot do you mean on the bottom or suspended in deeper water.  I've been having a very hard time finding any fish.  Boated one smallmouth yesterday on a gray grub in 10 feet of water  that was about a pound.  Have fished bluffs and points with a variety of baits with little success.  It seems I'm fishing too shallow.  Thanks for your report.  Glad you had a great day.

 

FWIW: I was able to find shallow fish on Saturday- look for wind blown banks BUT (and this was key for me) it wasn't on points.  Main lake banks, first 1/3rd of creek arms on the crank bait.  Basically, once I abandoned the points and just committed to cranking any wind blown bank with mixed chunk rock, I started finding shallow fish.  WT was high 50's.  

[Champ188]

15 hours ago, bferg said:

FWIW: I was able to find shallow fish on Saturday- look for wind blown banks BUT (and this was key for me) it wasn't on points.  Main lake banks, first 1/3rd of creek arms on the crank bait.  Basically, once I abandoned the points and just committed to cranking any wind blown bank with mixed chunk rock, I started finding shallow fish.  WT was high 50's.  

Found the same last week in one of the river arms. Might have been the White. Or the Kings. Or the James. Heck, it might've been Long Creek. I'll probably remember next week whenever the forum isn't getting blown up by the boys fishing Johnny's million-dollar shindig this weekend. 😆😂

[Randy Moore]

The lake was a mess with Johnnie's tournament last week - I did try the drop shot rig using green pumpkin worms - had some hits (mostly tail pulls) but no takers.  Eventually tried a crank bait and caught a walleye.  It's been hit or miss recently.