Flip-shot
Them
Well
it's been a long stretch of days on the water for me. 12 days
straight and still counting fish mostly the South Delta but also
the Stockton Whites Disapointment area. The males are up in force
everywhere and the females are right behind trhem. I haven't yet
got that big bite but have caught several in the 5-6 pounds class.
Pitchin'
lizards, Beavers and Dead Ringers are getting a lot of attention,
but my favorite has been Power Shotin/Flipshotting everything
from BallBreakers to Boom Boom Tubes and Dead Ringers, especially
when these little fronts come through. The Bonus this year there
are just a ton of incidental catches of Crappie to about 2 1/2
pounds
Most
people believe that the drop-shot rig is only for finesse fishing,
but there is more than one way to “get ‘er done”,
as the case may be. The Power Drop-Shot style is fast becoming
the way to bigger and better bags on many of the tournament trails.
Drop-shot rigs consist of a hook tied above a sinker that is placed
at the end of the line so that the lure suspends off the bottom.
As
we know drop shotting technique works great in all the lakes,
rivers, and impoundment's here in the West. It is a great way
to put together a real quality stringer. The drop shot's configuration
with the weight beneath the lure, makes it ideal for pitching
into heavy cover. The reason, is that the sinker goes through
cover better and falls right to the bottom. You can fish faster
and cover more water! Fish it just like other anglers fish a Texas
rig, but beware the results may blow you away! This is a great
tactic for places like the Delta, where the fish are highly pressured
and are used to seeing anglers flip Texas rigs. This gives the
highly pressured fish a completely different look. The rig has
some other advantages also. There is less line wear at the hook
knot because the sinker isn't beating against it, and the hook
isn't dragging the bottom where the line and knot can be damaged.
As
you get more comfortable You can also detect the bites a lot easier,
because the sensation goes through the line without passing through
a sinker that deadens the sensitivity. Most anglers flip these
trees and tulle peat tulle point with Texas rigged worms in the
4 inch size or with a small lizard in the spring. I am finding
these flip-shot rigs solid bets in these areas. When fishing these
rig you can attract bass that are lying near the bottom or are
suspended in cover down at the roots by shaking that favorite
offering right on there nose. You can fish this rig either horizontally
or vertically. In the heavy currents drag it from the calm water
into the faster moving current, and catch largemouth holding near
the edges waiting for an easy meal. You can also use this rig
successfully in deep cover. This will work well in the standing
timber in Brush. I’m fishing this rig on everything from
14-pound Vanish for more open presentations the 50 pound Power
Pro back where the big un lie.
When
flipping the Power Drop shot rig I use a Variety of Reaction innovation
baits and Zoom Worms. I have tried a variety of other baits with
this rig, but the straight tail and Cut-Tail worms have produced
the best results. When you are flipping it in fairly light cover,
you can go with a lighter sinker of 1/8 of an ounce, and as the
cover gets thicker, we go as high as 3/4 of an ounce.
Most
of the time I rig the baits with a 2/0 to a 3/0 Gamakatsu off
set round bend hooks, but I will go as high as a 5/0 on some of
the bigger worms at times. The general rule when using this rig
for flipping is simple; The distance between the hook and the
weight, is no more than 2-5 inches longer than the bait itself.
The rig is simple to use, no fancy tricks are needed. Just drop
the bait around cover and let it sit. Most of the time no other
action is necessary because of the way the bait suspends off the
line, in muddy water I will shake it like a bit and let er sit.
The technique is just like any other type of flipping. I drop
it in near the cover, let it sit a few seconds if the bass are
being finicky, and then lift it up and pitch it to the next target.
Try Flip Shotting this year in your local waters when everyone
else is throwing a Texas rig. Well it may be raining Now but it’s
time to make it 13 straight days on the water got to run! Enjoy!
Equipment
used
Kistler
Rods 7’11 Helium Flippin’ stick and 7 MH Helium
Berkley
Vanish Line
Power
Pro Braid
Dan
Mathisen
FishDelta.com
- All Species, All Delta
The
Ultimate Resource For California Delta Fishing
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