I need advice on how to fish texas rig/ jig and drop shot.

[kjwright8]

So this is the first summer that I have really taken fishing super serious. Now I normally fish from shore so i know im limited, but generally the two techniques I have been using the most are drop shot and texas rig.
With Drop shot i generally cast out reel in the slack and then slowly pull the rod to my side until there is enough slack then reel down. i repeat until its close to shore and im pretty sure this isnt the right way.

Second I have had some success on texas rig, but Im also pretty sure I dont fish it right. generally I use some sort of craw bait and I just cast out and retrieve slowly.

Id appreciate any advice i can get for drop shot, texas rig, and even jigs.

for sake of conversation i use the following baits:
Drop Shot: Various roboworms or small tubes.
Texas Rig: ive found the most succes on a Zoom SuperHawg, but lately Ive tried the Berkely havoc craws, aswell as the new Rattlin Crawdads by Gene Larew. I also have Multiple senko baits in various colors.
And Jigs: I have a black with red, brown pumkin, and a Yellow and black one.

Id like any suggestions for fishing techniques, what type of soft plastic I should use, and whether or not on the Jigs I should put trailers. And most importatnly what conditions should I look for?

I dont expect a whole lot of answers just some info here or there would be great.
Thanks

[GhettoBasster]

There is really no correct way to fish these techniques. Each body of water is different and even then what works great one day may not work so well the next. You have to find out what the fish want. Seasons and temperature also make a difference on what presentation is effective. There are some generalities like "the colder the water, the slower the presentation", but there are always exceptions. If you aren't getting bites, try changing up your bait and speed. Sometimes deadsticking a dropshot is what's hot, other times it's wiggling you're bait so it's jumping around like a toddler on Redbull. Nothing beats time on the water and finding what works for you. Ask locals at each lake and see what colors and presentations work for them. There are also lots of instructional youtube videos on bass fishing. You can take what you learn from them and adapt the techniques for your particular water. That being said, I usually work things slow for LMB. And I must make a disclaimer that I am very far from an expert and have a lot to learn myself.

[matt duarte]

For dropshotting Ill cast out and when it hits the bottom I hold the rod tip up and bounce it in different patterns keeping the weight on the bottom and just bouncing the worm.....Texas rig I like robos. Or grubs and I drag a few inches then pop it up and change it up depending where or what I'm fishing...find some clear water a pool or bucket and test it out in there so u can see what its doing

[GhettoBasster]

Another thing bass like to hit is plastic worms on the way down. When you cast the worm out, let it flutter down with your line verk slack. The tips of the worm will wiggle up and down as the worm descends. I get a lot of hits then. This applied to the dropshot, wacky rigs and T-rigs.

[kjwright8]

Thanks for the tips guys. Ill proably start going to puddingstone once a week as its right by cal poly. And one of my friends has a buddy whose like q local pro who agreed to help me work on presentation and what not with drop shot. Guess ill try techniques out in the pool as well.
Any recommendations on how much weight to use on both drop shot and texas rig?
Also my guess is the only way ill tell if im hit on the drop is slight line movement, but then how do you distinguish between bait falling and a fish?

Thanks again.

[flyhigh123]

also, for the drop shot, what kind of a hook are you using? Size? Line?

These can help. I just learned the DS this year as well.

[kjwright8]

Been using a size 4 mosquito hook with 8lb mono. I will be switchibg to 6lb fluorocarbon. Also weifht wise i crimp on 3 split shots but have thr actual drop shot weights aswell.

[flyhigh123]

I use a size 1 or 1/0 gamtsu wide gap hook for the roboworms on the DS. Also the weight is a drop shot weight, but that doesnt matter as much. Possible the size 4 hook is small? are you missing any hits?

[matt duarte]

I use size 4 gamakatsu hook with 12lb line on ds and Texas rigs... I used to use light line and broke off soo Many times now ill only use 12 lb

[DarkShadow]

The fact that you can receive a million responses all ranging from "work it fast" to "work it slow," gives you an indication that it may be better to read up on each subject, and then take what you learned and apply to to the body of water that you're fishing.

Case in point:

A lot of people think that over working jigs is the best way to fish them, but I have to ask, "what crawdad thinks it's a good idea to be swimming around knowing full well a bass can see them jumping around the bottom?"

I've always learned that with bottom contact techniques, fishing slower then slowest is the way to go.

But, you're better off reading articles that are all over the Interwebs rather than trying to seek a unified answer on a technique that has too many variations.

[kjwright8]

Yeah I get what you are saying Dark. Was not expecting to get a uniform answer just more research on top of what I've read online. Do you think 12lb pline fluorocarbon line would be fine or should i go lighter?