Drop-Shottin' for Pannies...

[Matt Johnson]

There is an excellent article in the recent In-Fisherman about drop shottin for panfish -- crappies, sunfish and perch. A lot of great info in there and it caters to the summertime angler. When panfish tend to relate to deeper patterns due to the hot summer months, drop-shottin can be a very effective technique. It allows you to present the bait in a more natural, resistance free manner than can mean more and bigger fish during the dog days of summer.

The article also mentions the use of a search rig, much like the search rigs we use during the winter. Jigging spoons with a dropper rig that is finished off with a small jig or hook of some sort. A very interesting and worthwhile read in my opinion...

The options out there for panfish anglers are increasing every season, and new and improved techniques are constantly being developed. The aggressive panfish angler (all year round) is becoming to take hold... and I like it

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[CrappieJohn]

There are times when the crappies are right in the wood that drop-shotting is a very effective tool. I use the pinch on splitshot for weight, rig the bait to just clear the wood and wait them out. If they go back into the wood they don't seem to hang up so much with this technique.

Use very, very light-weight aberdeen hooks!

I needed to add that this method of fishing can be done with a float, but I have far better luck by doing a tight line and prefer to stay right over the top of the fish/wood getting the reach with a longer rod. If you begin to move this get-up to the side or if you begin to drift, you will maybe not be a happy camper if you are in deep wood with the bait.

If you are in open water or if you are looking at wood that is like a tree with large branches (not like the tiny limb tips and smaller twigs) you can drop down below the top of the wood and fish without too much snagging hassel. It is in this presence of this larger wood that a float and casting can be used, but staying "just" one the bottom with the weight is imperative and hard to do while casting over an uneven bottom.