DROP-SHOTTING GRASS
When Candle drop-shots submerged grass, he replaces the jig with a 1/2- to 3/4-ounce slinky-style sinker because it snakes through vegetation without fouling. He rigs the drop-shot hook to remain just above the vegetation when the sinker is on the bottom.
"My graph gives me a good indication of how tall the weeds are," Candle says. "My first cast lets me feel the grass and tells me if I need to adjust the length of the dropline."
When Candle fishes grass, he works a drop-shot rig the way most bass fishermen do. Instead of fishing it like a jig, as he does when he places a jig beneath the drop-shot hook, he shakes his rod tip while the weight rests or drags on the bottom.
"The key is to leave a little slack in the line when you shake the rod," Candle says. "Walleyes have never seen a bait dancing around in one place with so much action. They like it."
*Mark Hicks is an avid angler and veteran outdoor writer from Millfield, Ohio.
