ANYONE BOTTOM FISH FOR GILLS

[cal okeefe]

sometimes when the fishing gets tough and a float or a roadrunner isnt working i go to the bottom.. just a small splitshot or two and a waxworm or a small piece of nightcrawler.. caught alot of big gills using this method...

[Troy Dorman]

Bottom fishing is my choice 90% of the time but I'm also not targeting bluegill, I'm targeting shellcrackers. Shellcrackers are on bottom and you won't catch very many from a suspended cork. However, we routinely catch large bluegills while fishing the bottom. Like I said, I throw out four poles and let them all sit on bottom and I've got a freezer full of fish.

[Jeff Soto]

Cal- Aside from fishing tiny jigs tipped with waxworms or crickets, this is how I catch a lot of large panfish on or next to the bottom.  I use basically a drop shot rig, but instead of having the hook tied directly to my 2 lb test line, I will use a long 8 inch dropper loop above the sinker- about 18 inches or so.  After tying a big 9-10 inch loop, I will cut off one of the lines of the loop so I just have the one piece of line coming off my main line, and I tie on a Gamakatsu fly tying hook C12U #10.  I use a large split shot of about a 1/8 oz as a weight on the bottom of your line.  Split shots are great because if you hang up on the bottom, usually you can just do a steady pull and the hung up sinker will slide off the end of your line, and you'll get your expensive hooks back, and all you need to do is pinch on another sinker.  I use crickets, earthworms, waxworms, mealworms, and if it was legal here where I fish, I would use live minnows.  I fish this rig on a slow moving troll or drift, primarily from a float tube, or sometimes a boat, and I use this rig in 10 to 50 FOW.  I do not just cast it out and wait.  I keep it moving along the bottom to cover more area.  Try this method-  It really works great!

[cal okeefe]

thanks for the info.. i will also try the split shot on the bottom .. sounds like it will save me some hooks

[JBplusThuy]

Could I bother you for a drawing or photo of what that looks like, Jeff?

[Jeff Soto]

Here is a quick drawing of basically how it is put together.  If you fish in an area with weeds ans snags, you can go up to 4 lb test, but much higher than that and you will not catch as many large panfish.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Thats nice Jeff! I like the loop cut to make a dropper.

I've also used regular egg sinkers in place of the split shot.

You just use a length of light wire, like copper wire or an unfolded paper clip. Bend this in half like a cotter pin and poke it through the sinkers center hole. Then you spread the wire "legs" a bit, as they stick of the sinker. Tie your line to the wires top loop and it's ready to use.

If the sinker snags up, a steady, heavy pull on the line will pull the wire legs out of the sinker and you are free!

[JBplusThuy]

Thanks, Jeff, that's great! I'm looking forward to trying that out from my tube in the spring.

Thanks also to David, I have some egg sinkers sitting around somewhere that I'll try this with.

Jonathan

[Ryan McCaw]

Good advice Jeff. I have been using the drop shot for bluegill for years and it works great. Most bluegill species, other than redear, move up to eat so you almost have to have it up in the water column to get their attention. And the feel you have on the offering is incredible. I just cannot fish with bobbers anymore because of the lack of tactile input.

[jason grimm]

i love it, its all i do. i cant catch nothing on a float no more, but no float and its in there throat. lol! my method is the same as everybody on here and my few pics on my profile will show you evidence on this behalf, i cast out in open water as im tied to shore and let it fall over some bottom vegetation, and let the rod rest over my boat by the time it reaches bottom theve already picked it up. :)

[Timbaux65]

going to do that in a lil while. fishing hasnt been too great. weather changes have killed consistency.

i personally use a telescopic cane pole..Master Crappie Grabber, and use a split shot, as you said and drop it down.

I personally dont like using live bait but sometimes thats all that works.

[Tomas Daniel]

i bottom fish 90% or better of my time. i believe i do it a little different though...i use a slip cork. a standard 1 1/2" foam cork with a metal collar in each end. i let it slide free above 1 or 2 splitshot and a #5 abordeen with pink worms, crickets or red worms. its my go to never fail rig.