Bassmaster Elite in St Lawrence River.

[digthemup]

The River being my favorite place to fish made it the major reason why I made the time to watch the Elites show their techniques and arsenal of baits when they came up this year. Now, let me make a personal disclosure, I don't really care to drop shot, since it is way slow for my taste, and even jig fishing, I need to control my tempo of retrieve as well with jerk bait if slow retrieving. I was hoping to learn a couple of things or even get to learn about some new products to add to my bait arsenals, but I was disappointed by the amount of drop shotting done to the point that I kept switching over to NASCAR practice and other programs cause I was tired of watching these guys standing at their bows waiting for a bite without any activity.
I am old enough to remember all the baits, rods, and plastics that the old guys like Hank Parker, Roland Martin, K V D, Jimmy Houston, Ike, Larry Nixon, etc... would pitch while fishing the tour and methods they were using in the prevailing conditions, which it helped us learn something we may be doing incorrect or what new action the new lures imitate. I know that they are using different soft baits, but in the time I stopped to watch, I didn't see anyone using any other method except drop shot. I know that they use hardbaits since I have seen them use them on other tournaments specially South.
It leaves me to wonder how do they get all those sponsors to cover for the prices, since I am sure that I am not the only one getting bored watching them??

[Hchamberlin1]

Drop shot is the name of the game up there. Couple guys throwing flies, maybe a crig but you won’t be competitive trying to deep crank or jerk bait those fish. If it worked someone would have it dialed.

[digthemup]

Drop shot is the name of the game up there. Couple guys throwing flies, maybe a c-rig but you won’t be competitive trying to deep crank or jerk bait those fish. If it worked someone would have it dialed.

I suppose that their prerogative is to catch fish to maximize your weights, however, when your techniques are no better than the old top and bottom rig, or somebody in an old wooden boat dunking minnows or worms with their kids on a fun day of fishing, in my opinion, it is not worth wasting my time watching.

When you take the skills of any sport and you lower it down in the name to be competitive, that sport is heading for a major downfall, since lack of audience will bring down advertising and revenues.

[bigfoot17]

When there’s is money and sponsorships on the line, those anglers are goin to go with what works best in the body of water they’re fishing no matter what. Whether they like it or not and I’m sure a lot of them don’t care for it but it’s the name of the game up there. Not that you can’t catch them on your hardbaits and such but when they are looking to ‘top’ out, they know what they got to do. Plus I don’t think a ‘specific technique’ tournament of such is gonna hurt this sport in such a way.

[digthemup]

When there’s is money and sponsorships on the line, those anglers are goin to go with what works best in the body of water they’re fishing no matter what. Whether they like it or not and I’m sure a lot of them don’t care for it but it’s the name of the game up there. Not that you can’t catch them on your hardbaits and such but when they are looking to ‘top’ out, they know what they got to do. Plus I don’t think a ‘specific technique’ tournament of such is gonna hurt this sport in such a way.

Reckon I must be one of the few that believes viewership is important to support the advertisement and sponsorship money coming in, but I am not talking about the lack of action in viewing the pros will hurt bass fishing. I haven't done tourneys in quite a while, but I never did them for the money just the love of fishing and competition, since money comes and goes yet the love of anything you ever do will stay with you till the Lord calls you home.

[A Wood]

So I will play devil's advocate on this one. So far everyone posting is from the north. Ya dropshotting is slow but obviously effective. How many people have caught a 4 lb or a 5 lb smallie. I've only caught a few 5lb smallies in my life. Now imagine a 4lb+ average for almost 1/2 the field over 3 days. That is impressive.....

[AustinV]

Dropshot is definitely #1 every time we've gone up there. No matter the time of the year. Hair jigs, drop shot, and ned rig accounted for most it looked like. They catch fish and have a great landing ratio. Jerkbaits are so much fun up there, but I probably lose over half of the fish I get hooked that are over 5lbs on a jerk bait there. They just go nuts jumping and there's nothing you can do but watch them wave goodbye. I did hear Zaldain got on a good chatterbait bite on some spawning flats on Lake O.

[digthemup]

Dropshot is definitely #1 every time we've gone up there. No matter the time of the year. Hair jigs, drop shot, and ned rig accounted for most it looked like. They catch fish and have a great landing ratio. Jerkbaits are so much fun up there, but I probably lose over half of the fish I get hooked that are over 5lbs on a jerk bait there. They just go nuts jumping and there's nothing you can do but watch them wave goodbye. I did hear Zaldain got on a good chatterbait bite on some spawning flats on Lake O.

AustinV

Isn't it interesting how you fervently you recall the thrill of a large smallie trashing your bait while doing its dance on the water?, that my friend to me is priceless whether or not I get to land the fish.
Chatterbait, C-rig, and various jigs with deer hair or plastics work well for me.

[digthemup]

So I will play devil's advocate on this one. So far everyone posting is from the north. Ya dropshotting is slow but obviously effective. How many people have caught a 4 lb or a 5 lb smallie. I've only caught a few 5lb smallies in my life. Now imagine a 4lb+ average for almost 1/2 the field over 3 days. That is impressive.....

With the highest of respect, I have caught plenty 5+ pound smallies, however, I have fished The River since 1974, so I have taken my bumps from them and learned their ways in the process.
I trust the process.

[bigfoot17]

That’s why at the end of the day when there’s money on the line and someone’s trying to make a name for themselves they’re gonna go by what is the ‘best bet’ at catching and landing fish. Hey, who doesn’t like a good bite on a reaction style bait, I for one do but if it comes down to competing on that body of water, drop shot is tough to beat.

I take a look at my buddy who spends two separate 15 day trips up there every year for the past 8 years or so. He hates dropshotting. He primarily throws jerkbaits up there on the river and does very well, even landing some 5+lb smallies. My brother talks to me about it all the time saying that he thinks our buddy could do pretty well in a tourney up there doing what he does but I just think at the end of the day that finesse fishing is going to take most of the money home every time.

[digthemup]

Bigfoot,
I agree that in competition any thing goes as long as it doesn't break the rules, and a reaction bites make for thrills of a life time, since those are some of my greatest experiences.
My point is, they should not try to pass it as entertainment, since watching someone on the bow of a boat waiting for a bite on a drop shot is about as interesting as watching paint dry.
I was watching MLF Sunday on Lake O' the Cherokees, and it was a completely different experience with the information given on techniques and lures used.

BTW, most of the fish that I saw the Elite catching were mostly out on Lk Ontario as far as Amherst Island in the Canadian side, which makes for a very looooong run (25+mi) out of Clayton, NY.
I have been on that lake coming out of Millen Bay many yrs ago on my than 18' bass boat where it started calm, and by afternoon the winds changed from the SW up around 10-15mph making it a white knuckles slow ride back up into the river with a long stop at the Cape for a break.

[bigfoot17]

I know it’s boring to watch, absolutely agree 100%. As far as the anglers go, they have themselves in mind when it comes tournament time and they’ll do whatever it takes to place as high as possible. I’m sure they hate doing it too.

[digthemup]

I know it’s boring to watch, absolutely agree 100%. As far as the anglers go, they have themselves in mind when it comes tournament time and they’ll do whatever it takes to place as high as possible. I’m sure they hate doing it too.

Bigfoot,

Completely agree, and I am sure they would think otherwise, since they are busy looking at the 4 large finders and paying attention to the jigging cadence of their drop shot.

Mind you, that is how my grandpa basically taught me how to fish with an old metal rod he had from God know when, which I still have in my collection, using the old top and bottom rig with worms or minnows, and for depth finder we had the trusty line knotted up at each foot, if I were blessed enough that we rented a 14' row boat.

[Aj14]

I've been going up to St. Lawrence for the last 8 years.
I like smallmouth but it is completely different from largemouth.
I flip and try to break the rod in half setting the hook.
Smallmouth is sissy fishing. But you gotta do what you gotta do.
I feel like I should have a pocketbook over my shoulder when I'm dropshotting!

[digthemup]

I've been going up to St. Lawrence for the last 8 years.
I like smallmouth but it is completely different from largemouth.
I flip and try to break the rod in half setting the hook.
Smallmouth is sissy fishing. But you gotta do what you gotta do.
I feel like I should have a pocketbook over my shoulder when I'm dropshotting!

AJ

If you like largies, you should try Lake o' the Isle or the back waters of Chippewa, Goose, or French Creek. If you think that smallies are sissy, I suggest you go after the northerns, but don't try to pick them up by the mouth like a largie unless you are into pain. Apart from a muskie, up at The River you will not get a better fight when you get'em in the large size. My son is throwing a DT16 in perch and decides to switch to a DT20 in sexy shad, however, in about 3 casts, I heard ' Dang, I am hung up', which I thought it kinda peculiar since we were fishing a deep drop off a flat in the Picton channel. I got on the TM hoping to get it loose by going to the apposite side, but not happening til after he gave it some very serious pulls on that 17# line, the lure started to move giving him the fight of his lifetime with tail walk and all. We landed it to get the lure he had eaten up, and he measured it, 43", though we never weighed it cause I want to get the big sliming thing out of the boat. The next day, he noticed the ceramic insert was gone on his Veritas baitcaster.

Keep your hooks sharp and tight lines.

[Aj14]

AJ

If you like largies, you should try Lake o' the Isle or the back waters of Chippewa, Goose, or French Creek. If you think that smallies are sissy, I suggest you go after the northerns, but don't try to pick them up by the mouth like a largie unless you are into pain. Apart from a muskie, up at The River you will not get a better fight when you get'em in the large size. My son is throwing a DT16 in perch and decides to switch to a DT20 in sexy shad, however, in about 3 casts, I heard ' Dang, I am hung up', which I thought it kinda peculiar since we were fishing a deep drop off a flat in the Picton channel. I got on the TM hoping to get it loose by going to the apposite side, but not happening til after he gave it some very serious pulls on that 17# line, the lure started to move giving him the fight of his lifetime with tail walk and all. We landed it to get the lure he had eaten up, and he measured it, 43", though we never weighed it cause I want to get the big sliming thing out of the boat. The next day, he noticed the ceramic insert was gone on his Veritas baitcaster.

Keep your hooks sharp and tight lines.

No, I do like smallie fishing and I'm not driving so many hours to catch largies, and I know you got many!
I wasn't really good at the St. Lawrence the first couple of years and was disappointed in myself. Now after I've learned to use that stupid drop shot, ned rig and hairjig I'm a lot better.

[digthemup]

No, I do like smallie fishing and I'm not driving so many hours to catch largies, and I know you got many!
I wasn't really good at the St. Lawrence the first couple of years and was disappointed in myself. Now after I've learned to use that stupid drop shot, ned rig and hairjig I'm a lot better.

AJ
To me now fishing is more of a fun thing, so running my bass rig for fun whenever I find a nice patch of undisturbed water is part of the fun. I am sure you have seen it that between Clayton and A Bay areas there is a lot of traffic, so getting a little WOT time is not easy to find.
I don't know if you use chatterbait, spinnerbait in various sizes, C- rig, tubes in various sizes, jigs in both hair and plastic, for going deep ( 15'++) they work well for me. Crankbait in certain situations both flats and deep of points and flats, suspending jerk baits over deep weeds, and don't forget T-rigged worms in larger sizes with different weights.
Normally, I set up 5 to 7 rods on deck with a couple more ready in the locker, so I try to give them lots of different looks before I decide to move on. The biggest issue I have up there is pike any time I use any hardbait, spinnerbait, chatterbait, and jigs, but as I said before, the big ones will give you a lot of fun as long as you don't mind loosing a few lures to them.

[Jesse-C]

A question for you guys up there. I live in Kansas and would like to try throwing some black hair jigs here but some of the ones I've bought don't seem nearly as bulky as the ones I see these guys throwing.
Can you guys recommend a local place to order some from?

[digthemup]

A question for you guys up there. I live in Kansas and would like to try throwing some black hair jigs here but some of the ones I've bought don't seem nearly as bulky as the ones I see these guys throwing.
Can you guys recommend a local place to order some from?

Jesse,
I hope that some of the other folks on the forum will reply in helping you out, since all the deer hair jigs that I have are from my own deer yrs ago that I tied and dyed.

[Meleagris1]

A question for you guys up there. I live in Kansas and would like to try throwing some black hair jigs here but some of the ones I've bought don't seem nearly as bulky as the ones I see these guys throwing.
Can you guys recommend a local place to order some from?

Lots of different "hair" jigs and they all have their application. There is maribou, synthetic, various animal hairs and they all behave different. Maribou is more of a warm water jig although it works all year. Sounds like you have more "winter time" hair jigs. You can get maribou jigs most places including tacklewarehouse - although they may need a couple weeks to restock.

Regarding the drop shot - there are a lot of other things you can hook a big smallmouth on but the HUGE advantage to a dropshot is the significantly higher landing %. Not easy getting those big brown fish in the boat.