Hi Folks,
Those of you who read my writing and ramblings regularly probably suspect that I may be, just possibly, a traditionalist. And I can confirm that for you, no problem. I stick to American cars, don’t like fusion food, like to vacation here in the USA, and I stick to tried-and-true fishing methods and techniques. But recently I have been doing some serious reassessment. At least about fishing.
I know you have heard me say many times that “when I was a boy” we only had one fishing rod that was used for anything aquatic. Bluegill, catfish, northern pike, perch, whatever – one rod and reel sufficed. Not now. G. Loomis has almost 700 casting and spinning rods now in their line. And I used to think I only needed one………!
So today my rod and reel count is more like 50+. And I do know (as Dixie likes to tell me) that I probably really don’t need this many fishing outfits. But you know what? They make me happy.
Anyway, here I am with all these outfits and it dawned on me that even though I have all this gear, I usually stick to a few tried and true fishing methods. I fish crankbaits which you pretty much throw and retrieve, jigs which can be bounced or jerked or whatever, spinners which are typically cast and retrieve, top waters which we can “walk” or jerk or flutter, etc., and the good ole’ hook and worm (or minnow, or leech, or…) which usually is accompanied by a sinker and often a bobber.
A few months ago I got a note from my pal Gunther Van Ginneken in Belgium. Seems that the DNR over there and in the Netherlands decided to ban crankbaits and several other artificial baits / methods for the winter season. G-man, always an inventive fisherman, decided to try drop-shotting for b-i-g perch, pike, and zander (walleye).
Well, safe to say the results were nothing less than amazing. G-man was catching huge zander, trophy yellow perch (we’re talking 2-3 lb fish), and big pike using this technical method. Not only was drop shotting working well, it was producing lots of these fish each outing.
Now I have to admit, I have never really tried drop shotting. I figured it was only good for largemouth and only then when fishing was slow and tough. G-man’s success was a big, eye opening surprise. He sent pictures of fabulous trophy fish caught using this method alone. And he sent them often.
My mind began to wander. Had I missed out on a technique that most fish have never seen and therefore will most assuredly induce them to bite? Had my “when I was a boy” stubbornness kept me from enjoying some fast fishing action with some potential trophy fish? Possibly.
I made a note to explore drop shotting maybe next trip on the water, but it eventually got pushed aside. But in the last couple of weeks drop shotting has become a hot topic again. My buddy who fished walleye in Canada told me how marvelous we had done so far this year. Big fish and lots of them. Not just walleye, but northern pike and smallies as well. His “secret”? Yep, drop shotting.
Then about a week ago I got a call from our friend Kevin Reeder. Seems he and daughter Sky had been fishing on Lake Huron for smallies. He wanted to tell me how great the guide was and how many really big smallies they caught every day – like 50+ each day. He raved about the guide, the fishing, and oh, by the way, did we sell drop shot rods?
You guessed it. Kevin and Sky’s success was almost entirely attributable to drop shotting. And now he had to have a G. Loomis drop shot rod for Sky’s birthday. We took care of getting Sky that drop shot rod. It arrived just in time for her birthday. But now I was really ready to try this new (to me) technique. And to fan the drop shotting flames even more, this week I have had several conversations with friends and customers who raved about drop shotting.
So here I sit at my computer telling you about all this. Can’t fish from my desk, so I’ll end the story. But before I do you need to know that I asked Brian Dolne to write an article on the technical (how to) aspects of drop shot rigging for this newsletter. He gives you all the technical info on drop shot fishing and how to set everything up. As for me, I’m grabbing the boat and headed for the local Fish & Wildlife lake to give this drop shot fishing a try in some of my best spots. And I’m betting we’ll have fish on the table tonight!
This week we have some outstanding deals for both fishermen and hunters. You really need to check out the smoking hot deal we have on a Wildgame Innovations camera and on the Shimano Sonora Spinning reel. Both are in limited supply to make sure to give them a look!
Thanks to all of our great friends and customers who have supported us and passed our name on to their friends. We know we are only here by making sure your needs are our first and only priority. Please let me know if we ever fail to meet and exceed your expectations.
Tight lines,
Tom Ashby
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