Drop Shot System for Dead Stick Fishing for Striped Bass

VMC Ike Approved Hook

Dead Stick Fishing-Freshwater Striper Lures

Think a bit outside the box to catch Big Striped Bass in Lakes during the winter!  I was very close to having the best winter Dead Stick Fishing-Freshwater Striper Lures, but this story has been told and time to move on!  Let’s look at a great Black Bass technique and modify it for Dead Stick Fishing Winter Striped Bass!  Here is what you will need!

1. VMC Ike Approved Flippin Hook (Size 3/0 and 2)  Buy Here!
2. Drop Shot Clips-Size 3-95 lb  Buy Here!
3. Zoom Flukes 3″-4″-5″  Buy Here!
4. Bass Casting Weights (1/2oz, 3/4oz, 1oz, 1.5oz, 2oz)  Buy Here!
5. Dual Lock Snaps Size 1  Buy Here!

Dead Stick Fishing System-Drop Shot Advantages

1. Easy to Change the Weight of your Dead Stick Flukes.
2. If you get snagged, you only lose a Bass Casting Weight.
3. You can fish small 3 inch flukes on a 2oz weight.
4. You hook always matches up with your fluke and looks natural. No big lead jig head with a small fluke.
5. Rig as many hooks as you want.  

This system is very easy to rig and it will catch fish.  No more searching for 2oz Jig Heads with small hooks!  Keep some Bass Casting Weights in your pocket and adjust according to wind and water depth.  When it is time to move to another spot, reel up, pop the weight off and hook your snap on an eye-guide and rock on!

Striped Bass fishing in Texas is very popular and we were one of the first manufacturers to develop a Striper Jig Head for Dead Stick Fishing.  The number one problem with a standard Striper Jig Head is a big thick lead collar and barb to secure your soft plastics!  The soft plastic fluke or swimbait will split and you will get your “pants pulled down” while Dead Stick Fishing!  See the photo below!

Thick Collar Jig Heads are not a good choice for Dead Stick Fishing Striped Bass. Your “pants will get pulled down!”

Dead Stick Fishing-Freshwater Striper Lures, Jig Heads

If you are searching for a Dead Stick Fishing Jig Head, you want a 90-degree bend black platinum hook to start with.  Silver Hooks will cost you fish!  You want some kind of soft plastic keeper, like a corkscrew or J keeper!  The Dead Stick Jig Head should ride quietly in the water!  You want the jig head to stay level and not move at all.  Remember the boat and wind will provide all the action your fluke needs.  You will miss a lot of strikes so make sure you have a bait-keeper and or super glue!  We do not recommend super glue!  I feel the glue odor hangs on to the soft plastics.  

Dead Stick Fishing Jig Heads with a corkscrew bait keeper.

Dead Stick Fishing-Freshwater Striper Lures, Tube Jig Heads

Tube Jigs are very productive Dead Stick Fishing Striper Lures!  The problem is finding a 3/4oz and 1oz Tube Jig Head.  This jig head is made for Bass Anglers and 1/2oz is as heavy as they like.  West Coast Anglers fish in deep lakes and I have found heavy tube jig heads at Sportsman’s Warehouse!  Buy 4 inch Tube Baits and dip the skirt tail in chartreuse spike it!  We will discuss scent and soft plastics on another tab!

Tube Jigs are a great Striper Dead Stick Lure!

We don’t think telling Freshwater Striper Anglers that flukes are a great lure for Dead Stick Fishing, but this section of the blog may give you some more ideas!  Winter Dead Sticking Texas Lakes can get very tough and some additional soft plastic ideas can turn a bad day into a great trip!  The number one soft plastic Dead Stick Fishing Tip is; Match the size of baitfish Striper are feeding on!  Match the Hatch Striper Anglers!

Dead Stick Fishing-Freshwater Striper Lures, Flukes

There are a million styles of soft plastic flukes on the market so Striper Anglers should not have a hard time finding a brand that catches fish!  The two main styles of flukes are a split body and solid body!  Some anglers have to have a solid body and others like the split design!  If you want to avoid loading up the tackle box with 4-inch and 5-inch flukes, try a solid body design.  You can cut one-inch off of the five-inch flues to modify your bait size.  The split body won’t allow a good hook connection with one-inch removed.  You will also have a choice on a split tail or a single tail.  We feel either will catch Striper all winter long! Most Striper anglers will use 3-inch, 4-inch, and 5-inch flukes!  The two most common colors are silk chartreuse and pearl, but don’t forget pink!  Buy Here!

Pink Ice 5-inch Flukes will catch Big Striper all year long!

Dead Stick Fishing-Freshwater Striper Lures, Tube Baits

Tube Baits are a very underutilized Dead Stick Fishing Lure for winter striper!  When fishing gets difficult and you can’t get fish to bite, try a 4-inch Tube Bait!  You need one color, pearl, and some chartreuse spike-it!  Please rig the tube on a 3/4oz or 1oz tube jig, then dip the skirt in chartreuse spike it!  Spike-It is very difficult to get off your hands and clothes!  Tube Baits can save your Dead Stick Fishing trip anglers so make sure you have some in the tackle box!  4-inch Tube Baits, Buy Here!

Try a 4-inch Pearl Tube this winter to Dead Stick Striper.

Dead Stick Fishing-Freshwater Striper Lures, Senkos

This is the sleeper bait for Striper Anglers!  The Senko flat out catches fish!  They are soft and move very well on a dead stick hook or jig head and Striper EAT them up!  We use the 4-inch model in two colors, chartreuse, and pearl.  When Striper shut down and won’t eat in the winter, spoon feed them Senkos!  Buy Here!

Dead Stick Fishing is great with 4-inch Senkos

Dead Stick Fishing-Freshwater Striper Lures, Scent

Nothing fancy here!  If you want to change the color of your soft plastic use Spike-It worm dye.  This adds garlic and a chartreuse color that Striper Anglers love!  If you like to spray on your scent, then Gulp has a great product!  If you like to add a toothpaste type gel, my home state buddies at ProCure have a great product!  Add scent to your soft plastics winter, spring, summer, or fall!

1. Berkley Gulp Alive
2. Spike-It Garlic Dye
3. ProCure Gel

Pro-Cure Herring Gel for Dead Stick Fishing

Dead Stick Fishing-Learn From a Pro

If you want to learn how to Dead Stick for Striper on North Texas Lakes, please click the guide links below!  These guys fish all winter long and can show you how to catch Big Striper Dead Sticking!

Lake Tawakoni Fishing Guide Mickey Casey
Lake Tawakoni Fishing Guide Cliff Thornton
Lake Tawakoni Fishing Guide Andrew Taylor

Lake Texoma Fishing Guide Coy Devoll
Lake Texoma Fishing Guide John Blasingame
Lake Texoma Fishing Guide Steve Buckley