No Need For Bobbers!

There is no rule that states that kids need to start their bluegill
fishing careers using a bobber! This is especially true when fishing
from a boat in water deeper than 5 feet.

In fact, on Pewaukee Lake my young clients often get their start
using a technique that spawned in the bass fishing world…the drop shot!

The only difference in a bluegill set up is using a #10 live bait
hook and a 1/16-3/16oz split shot weight on the bottom of the set up.

In this piece I’d like to cover 5 main reasons why using a drop shot is better than using a bobber rig on Pewaukee Lake:

BIGGER IS BETTER:
A glaring benefit to using the drop shot technique on Pewaukee is that
you can target the much larger bluegills that spend most of their time
in deeper water after the spawn. Statistical survey studies conducted by
the DNR in 2011-12 on Pewaukee showed the average length of the
bluegills to be in the 5″ range! Using the drop shot the past 2 seasons
we’ve routinely had the kids measure their fish caught on the
drop shot and placed any bluegill 7″ or bigger in the livewell. During
multiple 3-hour trips during a given week, we average nearly 20 fish 7″
or bigger!

FAKE THEM OUT: Using the drop shot on Pewaukee the bait of choice for us is often Berkley Gulp! Alive 1 1/2″ White Jigging Grubs.
The reason we’re so specific using this bait for bluegills on Pewaukee
is that the past 2 seasons, throughout the month of June, there is a
large larvae hatch that occurs. The surface will be littered with these
larvae and the bluegills positioned over deeper water will gorge on
these nutrient rich morsels as they become water-logged and decend
through the water column. When rigged on a drop shot, bluegills cannot
help but engulf this jigging grub presentation that matches this
phenomenon with vigor and aggression. When THAT bite is felt by children
filled anxious anticipation, smiles and laughter ensue as an epic
battle on light tackle are soon to follow! Apart from “matching the
hatch” with artificials, kids just beginning in the sport are less
squeamish, frustrated, and hesitant when it comes to baiting their own
hooks with artificial jigging grubs versus live wiggly worms! You can
also catch multiple fish off of one artificial grub where as live bait
is a constant exercise in baiting hooks. Time spent actually fishing and
catching versus baiting hooks with expensive live bait is irreplaceable! Sold on artificial bait yet?!

WORRY FREE WHEN WINDY:
Pewaukee is the largest of the Lake Country lakes, and when winds
exceeding 10 mph are present, regardless of direction, the precision
that bobber fishing requires is severely negated! A child might make the
perfect bobber cast, but their presentation over a suspended or deep
school of big bluegills results in wind that carries their bobber across
the water and out of the strikezone. Kids spend most of their time,
casting and reeling in lines WITHOUT fish. That’s certainly not as
exciting as putting the boat over the fish seen on the electronics and
simply deploying a drop shot straight over the side of the boat down to
aggressive fish!

SIMPLY LESS TANGLES:
When casting a fixed bobber rig which generally has a split shot sinker
between the bobber and the hook is doesn’t matter if it’s windy or
calm, the physics behind the flight of that bobber rig with a sinker in
the middle causes the presentation to spin in flight. This often results
in the hook helicoptering about and becoming hooked back on the main
line making that cast an ineffective presentation. Time is wasted
reeling back in and untangling. A drop shot is simply deployed over the
side of the boat on top of the fish.

BETTER BATTLES:
For young anglers setting the hook and reeling in the fish are the main
components necessary for a fun time on the water. The simple fact is
that when fishing with a bobber in your setup for bluegills on Pewaukee
the bobber simply “deadens” the feel of the battle between the angler
and the fish. Even the onset to the catch is different….namely with a
bobber, the child needs to “see the bite” whereas with a drop shot they
get to feel it! The difference is exhibited in the following short
videos as you get to see genuine young anglers reaction from fishing a
drop shot for bluegills over deep water on Pewaukee Lake!

If you’d like to learn more about fishing for bluegills using a drop shot on Pewaukee, contact me today!