There are a many good techniques for catching crappies in fall. However, Tim Huffman feels that when things get tough and fish sink into thick, deep cover, a drop shot rig taught to him by Gerald Overstreet can get a bait to the fish.

Gerald Overstreet, a tournament fisherman and guide, says fishing is and has always been about getting a bait to the fish, no matter which technique is used, no matter if you live in the South or North. His drop shot tactic is one way to catch hard-to-reach crappies.

Current

“The drop shot is a great rig in fall,” says Overstreet. “When fishing a river, there is often a little current, and it’s sometimes difficult to get a bait to them and keep it there. Going vertical is the best way to drop down to the crappies. The rig will work anywhere, but it works great in current.”

The first step is to find the fish with electronics. Look at the cover and where the fish are positioned. Mark the spot and move in to drop a bait to the fish.

“I am going straight down with the bait, so I drop down at the trolling motor, because that’s where I’m watching on the electronics,” continues Overstreet. “I want precise presentation, and that’s the best way to do it. I use a shorter rod, so I know where my bait is positioned.

“This spot we’ve been fishing today is a brush pile. The drop shot gets straight down in it like nothing else will. We drop the bait down to just above the depth of the fish, even if it’s in the middle of the brush.”

Rigging right

Overstreet’s rig consists of a weight on bottom that matches the depth and current. The key is to have the weight just heavy enough to keep the line vertical. His river rig often includes a 3/4-ounce sinker for current and when he is fishing deep. He will go to a 1-ounce weight when needed. If a weight is too light, it will be swept into the limbs and hang up a lot. Going down to 1/2- or 1/4-ounce is best when fishing calm waters.

A three-way swivel connects to the main line and two leaders. One leader has a hook and the other has the weight. The distance between the sinker on bottom to the swivel is determined by the fish. For example, when fish are hugging bottom, the separation can be set to 1 foot. If the fish are 3 feet off bottom, the distance can be 4 feet. Fish suspended up in brush can have a short sinker distance to allow for good control in the limbs.

“My leader going to the hook will be short—usually 4 or 5 inches. But in thick brush, I’ll shorten it to two inches because I don’t want the minnow to swim around and hang everything up. A tree with all small limbs will really cause a lot of hang-ups. An old tree with just the main branches remaining allows a longer, 5-inch leader.”

Presenting the bait

“Crappies don’t want a bait moving around a lot,” says Overstreet. “Drop the bait down and hold it still. The fish will slowly move to the minnow. They swim up to the bait and just ease off with it. A fisherman may have nothing more than a feeling that the pole is getting a little heavy.”

Overstreet uses a 7.5-foot B‘n’M Crappie Wizard pole because it has good feel. The shorter length gives good control of the bait. A sensitive tip helps detect bites, and the strong backbone allows the strength to quickly pull crappies away from the brush. Ten-pound-test line usually is a good all-around choice in brush.

Fishing will likely be in mid-depths and deeper water in late summer. Crappies move up to mid-depths and shallow water as the water cools. By late fall, crappies reverse and start moving out toward deeper water again.

“My partner and I stand on the front of the boat, fishing on each side of the trolling motor. It’s an easy technique. But a fisherman has to pay attention and feel for the light bites.

“One of the keys to not spooking fish is to lower the bait slowly. Don’t disengage the bail and let the weight drop to the bottom. A fast fall means it will bang into limbs and hit hard on bottom. It will kick up mud. I like to release the bail and let the line fall through my fingers to control the fall. I’ll ease it in on them to avoid spooking.

“Always present straight up and down for the fewest hang-ups. Leave the bait still and wait for the fish to come to it. The bite is sometimes nothing more than the line getting a little heavy.”

Fall tips

“The drop shot is a good way to get to fish that are hanging tight to cover during changing weather conditions.

“Open water fishing is usually good in the fall. Spider rigging is good and so is LiveScope pitching. So, you can use other techniques, but switch to drop shot tactics when the bite is tough or fish are hugging to cover.

“Bait choice varies with each fisherman. When I’m pitching or otherwise moving a bait, I like a Road Runner tipped with a minnow. However, since a drop shot rig will be left still with little or no action, I’m usually fishing a straight minnow. Sometimes, I might show them different baits and let them pick which ones they like best.”

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