What was once considered a technique used only for finicky bass and clear water has evolved into a great way to catch largemouths, smallmouths and spotted bass. Drop-shotting isn’t just a way to finesse little bass into the boat anymore. Sam Swett, a Team Fujifilm angler from Covington, La., takes his drop-shotting to another level. Although he does utilize standard drop-shots and the small baits and light weights that have become a staple among FLW Tour pros, Swett also utilizes big lures and a thumb-sized chunk of lead.
“I’ll use a weight as heavy as 1 ounce when I want to bust through thick mats of hydrilla and hyacinths,” he said. “Instead of nose-hooking the bait like I do when I’m drop-shotting in open water, I’ll Texas-rig it so that the bait stays weedless. I also use large soft plastics such as 4-inch YUM Craw Bugs and 4-inch Garrett Megatubes, and I’ll put an Excalibur rattle inside the body of the bait.
“Another great lure for this technique is a soft-plastic jerkbait, and I’ve even rigged wacky worms on a hook with a wire weed guard. Those larger baits can catch some pretty big bass where a normal drop-shot lure usually only catches smaller fish.”
The technique is ideal for those times when bass are suspended under dense vegetation but won’t chase a fast-falling bait such as a heavy jig or a Texas-rigged worm pegged to a half or 3/4-ounce bullet weight. Swett breaks out his heavy-shot rigs when he sees bass boil on his jig or if he suspects the fish are merely swatting at his lure without actually eating it. That tells him the bass are suspended, and it tells him that they can be caught with a slight modification in his tactics.
“I want that bait to be suspended right under the bottom of the vegetation but far enough below the roots that the fish can see it,” he said. “Ideally, I want the water to be 3 or 4 feet deep, and I’ll rig my bait about 2 feet up off the bottom. When the bass are suspended, it’s important to put the lure right in front of them, and this technique is perfect for that.”
There doesn’t seem to be a specific time or condition where heavy-shotting works best, but Swett utilizes it most when the sun is high and the bass are likely to be under dense mats of vegetation. It also shines when fishing pressure is heavy and other anglers refuse to probe thick cover.
Swett lobs his heavy-shot rig high into the air so that it gathers enough velocity to punch through dense vegetation. Once the sinker touches bottom, he tightens his line just enough to stay in contact with his bait. Then, Swett simply shakes his rod to bring the bait to life, leaving it in one spot for as long as 10 seconds before picking it up and repeating the process in another spot.
“It’s hard to get a good shaking action with such a large bait, but the technique can be ideal when the conditions are right,” he said.
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