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Something
New
How
many times have we all gone to our favorite body of water and
used the same lures we have used for the past 20 years. It
doesn’t matter what species of fish you’re after. Most
anglers will say, “They still work”, I always catch fish
on this lure. This is my bread and butter bait. I feel
confident with this bait. When all else fails, I go to old
reliable. I have some of my own. “You know what," they
do still work. Are you catching the quantity of fish that you
used to? Is the size of the fish getting smaller? I believe
the fish are becoming smarter. This is especially true for the
large fish that have been around for a while in a body of
water that is fished heavily. They see the same thing day
after day. The Big Hawgs, (over 10 pounds) become more aware
of As
with any bait, the presentation is the key. The plastic worm
is my bread and butter bait. It will always catch fish. Once
again, it is the presentation that is the key. You need to
figure out what is working. Sometimes you need to Texas rig
your worm and fish it very slowly. Other times the
presentations needs to be fast. This is the same with the
Carolina rig. About
a year ago there was a new technique introduced into the
United States form Japan. The technique is called “Down
Shooting”. You may ask, what is that? It is a very simple
and effective technique for fishing the plastic worm. “Down
shooting” has become very popular in Southern California and
on the tournament trial. I heard about the technique and like
most people was reluctant to give it a try. The old Texas and
Carolina rig was working just fine. I was catching fish the
way I always have. Every tournament that I participated in, I
keep hearing the heavier limits were being taken on the
“Down Shot” rig. I had the pleasure of watching a fellow
tournament angler land a 11.75 pound bucket mouth 20 feet away
from me on the “Down Shot” rig. It took me 3 tournaments
before I give in and give it a shot. The next practice round
both my son and partner Eric; gave it a try. I was amazed at
the results. Not only did we catch a good quantity of fish,
but also quality. The first time we had over 20 fish to 6.25
pounds. Lake Casitas is a very well known lake for big bass
and experiences a lot of fishing pressures. The more we fished
the “Down Shot” rig, the more confidence I became with the
technique. We put a lot of quality fish in the boat. The next
tournament we participated in, we used the “Down Shot”
rig. It was great, our catch rate increased by 65% over the
Texas and Carolina rig. Our big fish was over 6 pounds. The
wining team and top 3 big fish where all taken on the “Down
Shot” rig. The
“Down Shot” rig is very simple. It consist of a small wide
gap worm hook attached to The
presentation is very simple. Make a cast the same as a Texas
or Carolina rig. Let the sinker-hit bottom. Shake the “Down
Shot “ rig up and down, pull the worm to towards you slowly.
Lift your rod tip about 2 to 4 inches at a time. Use a steady
shake. This is about the same motion as shaken a Texas rigged.
What you will find is that the fish will either hammer the
bait or you will just fell the line just load up. When you get
bit, set the hook at once. If you fill your line load up set
the hook. I can’t tell you how many times I had a fish on
and thought it was a stick or a rock. The more you use the
“Down Shot “ rig , the more feel you will develop. When
using the longer worm, you will find that some fish bite the
worm in half. You will miss a few This
is a great technique. Give it a try and you will be amazed at
the results. Give it some time and don’t give up to soon. As
with every technique, you can add a little of your own special
touch to suite your own stile of fishing. The “Down Shot” rig works great in Southern California.
I would like to hear back on how it has worked for you. Send
me a picture or two of your trophy. Good luck!!! |
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the main line with a palomar knot (hook facing up) and a bell
sinker attached to the tail end under the hook. The size of
the hook depends on the size of the plastic worm that you are
using. For 3’’ to 4’’ worm I prefer a #1 Owner Rig N
Hook or a #1 Gamakatsu wide gap. For the 5’’ to 7’’
worm I prefer the #1/0 Owner Rig N Hook or a #1/0 Gamakatsu
wide gap. Make sure you do not use to large of a hook for it
will hinder to movement of the worm. The weight of the bell
sinker depends on the depth your fishing. For water depth up
to 20 feet I prefer a 3/16 to 1/4 ounce and from 25 to 40 feet
I prefer a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce. Set your bait up off the bottom
4’’ to 6’’ in
the sticks and rocky areas. If you are fishing in the weeds
set your bait just above the weed height. Shake your worm
right through the weeds. My worm of choice for the “Down
Shot” rig is the 4’’ and 6’’ Deadly Duo Plastic
Worm. You can use both the straight or curly tail. The Deadly
Duo brand is very soft and has great action when shaken. Try
your own favorite worm.
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