The biggest mistake most
fishermen make when fishing drop
baits occurs during step 2. Instead of
keeping the rod upright at a high angle,
for some reason, they often drop the
rod, thereby causing them to lose all
contact with the lure as it is falling.
Fishing drop baits is a very
slow, painstaking way to fish, but is
also a lot of fun, for it requires constant
attention. Often a grub fisherman
working a sloping bank says,
“Oh-oh I just had a fish hit it
twice!” He then rears back and sets
the hook, and there’s nothing there, of
course. What really happened was that
the first hit was the smallmouth inhaling
the grub, and the second hit was the
fish exhaling it. This can happen with
incredible speed.
The strike always varies from
day to day and fish to fish; some days
they will slam a drop bait like a spinner-
bait. Other days you never feel them at
all; just detect the slightest possible
movement on your line.
Fishing Continued...
MOON PHASES
FULL MOON TIMES & DATES:
JUNE 12th, 2014
11:13 P.M.
Strawberry Moon
July 12th, 2014
6:26 A.M.
Thunder Moon
August 10th, 2014
1:10 P.M.
Sturgeon Moon
September 8th, 2014
8:38 P.M.
Harvest Moon
October 8th, 2014
5:50 A.M.
Hunters Moon Moon
1.
With the boat in deep water, cast very close to
the bank. Keep the rod between 10 and 11 o’clock
and engage the reel handle as soon as the lure hits
the water.
2.
With the rod remaining very still at 10 - 11
o’clock, allow the lure to “drop” or sink on a tight
line. Watch your line as the lure falls. If you detect
any tell-tale bumps, ticks or unusual movements in
your line,
set the hook immediately! Always allow
your drag to slip when fishing light line
.
3.
If no strike occurs, once the lure touches down
and your line goes slack, i
mmediately
lower your
rod tip to 9 o’clock; take up the slack as you lower it.
4.
Slowly raise your rod tip back to 10 or 11
o’clock, drawing the jig off the bank and allowing it
to tumble down again, watch for strikes as the lure
falls, and
set the hook immediately if you feel a
strike
Four Steps to Follow
Discover Smith Mountain Lake
Summer 2014
18
