Drop Shot:

Fishing a drop shot can be the trick that brings home the money. Rigging the baits can be done several different ways. With the small baits and hooks normally used, "head hooking" is all that is needed. Simply run the hook point through the head of the plastic, about 1/4-inch behind the tip of the bait. Hooking the bait in this manner allows maximum action to be imparted to the bait. With the larger baits, and when fishing in heavy cover situations, the bait can be rigged weedless.

Cast the rig out, stripping line as needed, letting it sink to the bottom. When the weight hits bottom, raise your rod until you feel the weight of the sinker (about the 11:00 position). Then, lower the rod to create a slight bow in the line (about the 9:30 position). Once you have a slack line, start shaking the rod tip.

Because you are working the bait on a slack line, bites feel different than when fishing a standard worm rig. When a fish grabs your bait on a drop-shot rig, you typically feel a tightening sensation; the rod will start to get heavy. Do not set the hook in the normal fashion - just reel as fast as you can. If you set the hook like you would on a Texas-rig, you are likely to pull the hook out of the fish’s mouth.

Carolina rig:

Our finesse worms work great as a search-type bait. The heavy sinker helps maintain bottom contact. As the sinker bounces along the bottom, the suspending worm, placed as much as three feet from the sinker, darts and settles like a baitfish. The length of the leader is determined by water clarity - in muddy water, use a shorter leader and use a longer leader in clear water. The hookset isn't a snap-set. Instead, use a hard pull-set.

A 7 1/2 foot flipping stick works best. Use 14-17 pound test line and 10 pound test on the leader. Retrieve at a medium speed along ledges, sandbars, flats, long points and other structure.

Sticks:

By far, the most popular way to fish this bait, is just throw it out, let it fall, sit there awhile, then bring it back in. The key is allowing the bait to slowly fall down the edges of the grass lines.

It can be rigged texas style with no weight, Carolina rigged, and wacky style. For wacky rigging, try a heavy gauge 3/0 widegap hook, running the point thru the lure just off center. The hook will be exposed and the worm is weightless except the hook. As the bait falls, it twitches and sways in a spasmic manner. I think this gives off more vibration than a conventional rigged worm as it falls. With this setup, you are able to keep the bait in the target zone longer. Great for working grass lines. A wacky rigged sinking minnow will fall straight down the grass edge, where a texas rigged will move toward the boat. The wacky rig is a killer technique around docks. The weight of the rig makes it easy to skip the sinking minnow under the dock, and the straight vertical presentation is unbeatable.

Moon:

Fishing tends to be better, sometimes great, on the three days before and after a full moon and the new moon. Sometimes there will be an especially strong bite on the days before or after, and sometimes for the entire period. However, weather fronts can completely cancel out the expected advantage of a good moon. That is, stable weather is probably a stronger advantage, but when there is stable weather AND a good moon it can be awesome fishing.

Doodling a worm:

Is best used on suspended bass in clear, deep lakes, but can be used on any lake that has clear to stained water.

Use either baitcasting or spinning gear on a 6-foot, medium-light action rod. Usually, spinning gear is preferred when using 6-8 pound test for deep fishing, and baitcasting for 10-pound and up when flipping. Place a small, glass bead between the worm and a brass sinker. Use 3 to 4 1/2 inch worms on 1/0 hooks. Paddle tail worms are best suited in the spring whereas straight tailed worms work best in the fall and winter. Use a 3/16-ounce weight when working the bottom on deep structure, a 5/32-ounce weight on suspended bass.

Let the bait fall to the preferred depth, then shake your rod tip. You've got their attention now, so just wait - at least 30 seconds. Then shake again for a couple seconds, stop and pull slowly about six inches. Then drop slowly back down again and repeat the process. The first thing to change if they're not biting is to slow down. In depths of forty feet or more, the bite feels like a slight tug.

Shaky head rig:

To rig the shaky worm, enter the hook point into the head, push it out the side, and then roll it over so that the hook point enters the main body and protrudes through the top. You can leave the hook in the belly, but better yet, push it through and skin-hook the barb on the topside of the worm.

Jig sizes should be as light as possible. Sizes 1/8 to 1/4 ounce are preferred. Use ball head or worm head jigs with at least a 2/0 or 3/0 size hook when fishing the longer worms and push it flush against the jig head. The weighted nose keeps the worm close to the bottom and the spastic action helps call bass to it.

If there's a best time to fish the Shaky rig, it would be during the post-spawn period when bass are roaming around in a funk, or during summer cold fronts that can shut down the aggressive bite. Some say shaky worms are best in clear water but don’t be afraid to try it in stained water. Anglers also have found it's an excellent rig for duping bedding bass or catching winter bass holding on rocky bluffs.