Dropshot 'n with Garry Garland
Garry
Garland has been an innovator of light tackle and finesse bass
fishing ever since he helped his brother Bobby Garland invent the
original Gitzit tube during the seventies. The Garlands also are
credited with the invention of the spider grub. Lately, Garry has
become quite interested in dropshotting. He's gotten a lot of
insight into the technique from his longtime Lake Mohave fishing
partner and Freshwater Fishing Hall of Famer, Don Iovino, also
known as the "Godfather of Finesse."
 Deep Water. To drop shot in deep water,
fish from vertically straight down (90 degrees) or as much as a
60 degree angle from the boat. When the weight hits bottom,
simply keep a semi-tight line and DO NOTHING for the first two or
three minutes. Even though it seems to you that you are doing
nothing, your lure is still side-shifting around down there on
its tether and attracting fish towards it. You may often just get
bit on the initial drop while you do nothing for two or three
minutes. After that initial time, then gently walk your weight
and lure back to the boat, stopping at three to four foot
intervals and waiting again. This slow-moving method is
especially effective in cold water when the fish's metabolism is
low. In warmer water do all the same procedures, but then move
the bait and weight a bit more quickly once you begin retrieving
it back in three to four foot deliberate draws of the rod.
Grass Beds. For
"dragging" through thick underwater grass beds, the
lure should be twelve to eighteen inches above the weight. As you
drag, the weight itself may get glopped or temporarily stopped in
the weed tops, but the lure should not. A slow deliberate nudge
on the rod tip will keep the weight moving . The action of the
bait occurs naturally as the weight drags through the different
degrees and densities of the tops of the vegetation. As the
contour of the tops of the weeds climb or plummet, the weight
should also, and the bait should mostly stay that 12 to 18 inches
above the contour of the weed bed.
Bass Beds. If you see a nice big
bass on a bed, where and when legal, drop shot the weight into
the bed and keep a semi-tight line. Then lower the rod tip four
inches and raise the rod tip four inches. Continue to do this
procedure while not moving the weight...only slackening and
tightening the line to make the bait move but not move the
weight. Do this procedure for ten minutes. Above all, HAVE
PATIENCE. If the bass has not moved off the bed in this time, it
is probably catchable. So reel in, change colors and keep
repeating this presentation until the bass ultimately hits, which
it will most likely do given enough time.
Baits to Use. The two lures we
have most experimented with are our a hand poured 4" worm
and our new 3" long Gitzit tube bait which has about a
3/8" tube diameter. Not only is this new size of Gitzit the
perfect size for dropshotting, but I expect it to be the ideal
size for smallmouth bass in general.
 While using the new 3"
tube on a Drop Shot, hook the tube straight through about
1/4" back on the head - as if you would hook a live minnow
through the lips - so that the tube hangs perfectly straight on
the round bend of the hook. The new 4" handpour worm is
hooked the same way and also right in the center for the Wacky
Worm effect. Take the 4" worm and bend it in half with your
fingers so both ends touch. Then just hook exactly through the
center where it is folded. The best hook I have found for both
these baits is a #4 Owner J hook.
We have also used larger 1/0 or 2/0 Owner J hooks with our
bigger 3 3/4" Original and 5" Magnum Gitzits. Use these
bigger baits and slightly heavier weights/lines for more active
fish or to dropshot in stained water.
Good fishin' with the best regards from Garry Garland, Canyon
Plastics
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