Most people think the shooting platform is just for delicacy fishing, but there is more than one way to skin a cat! (or Fish), as the case may be. The new Power Drop-Shot style pioneered by Kotaro Kiriyama, is quickly becoming the path to bigger and better bags on many of the tournament trails.

Drop-shot rigs consist of a hook attached to a plumb bob that is placed at the end of the line so that the lure hangs from the bottom. Conventional rig consists of a light-action swivel rig and a 4-8 pound line, and the tactic is generally implemented vertically in deep water.

Kiriyama says that “Drop-Shotting consists of presenting a soft plastic lure in a different way than Texas or Carolina rigs.” When conditions allow, Kiriyama, (who posted 10 top-10 finishes in his first 37 events on the tour), says “You can get more bites with a lighter line and smaller baits, but when there’s heavier coverage , a powerful version is required.

This is a technique that we have used successfully throughout the past year and now we are going to share it with you here in the Northeast. This technique works great on all the lakes, rivers, and reservoirs here in the Northeast. It’s a great way to put together a real quality stringer.

The drop shot configuration with the weight under the lure makes it ideal for casting from cover. The reason is that the plumb bob goes through the deck better and falls to the bottom.

You can fish faster and cover more water! We fish it just like other anglers fish off a Texas rig, but like Kiriyama, we think it’s more effective! This is a great tactic for places like the Potomac River or lakes like Kerr or Gaston where the fish are under heavy pressure and are used to seeing anglers flip Texas and Carolina tackle. This gives the highly pressed fish a completely different look. The platform also has other advantages. There is less wear on the line on the hook knot because the bob does not strike against it and the hook does not drag the bottom where the line and knot can be damaged. You can also detect the bites much more easily, because the sensation crosses the line without going through a plumb line that dampens the sensitivity. In lower Delaware we have a bald cypress swamp on one of the lakes, and there are similar areas on the Nanticoke River as well. Most anglers turn these trees over with Texas rigged worms in the 4-inch size or with a small lizard in the spring. We like the power drop firing platform best in these areas. It attracts seabass that are near the bottom or that are suspended in a cover at the roots.

You can fish this rig both horizontally and vertically. In the strong currents of the Sassafras River in the Upper Chesapeake Bay, we dragged it from the calm water into the faster moving current and caught largemouths near the edges waiting for an easy meal. You can also use this platform successfully in deep coverage. This will work well on standing wood in Table Rock Lake when fishing on a fluorocarbon line in a 10-16 pound test. We have used the 30 pound test when the fish were aggressive, and dropped to 10 pounds when the bite is strongest. However, this is a clear to stained water technique and works much better under these conditions. There are areas here in the Northeast that have extremely clear water at times, and it excels in those areas. We use this in deep spots as well with great success. Waters like Spruce Run and Greenwood in New Jersey and New York are great areas to use the Power Drop shot. We use it anywhere you would normally use a Carolina or Texas rig.

When we flipped the Power Drop firing platform we used 6 and 6 1/2 inch Yamamoto Cut Tail worms. We have tested a variety of other baits with this rig, but the Straight Tail and Cut-Tail worms have produced the best results. When you’re flipping it on a fairly light deck you can use a lighter 1/16 ounce plumb bob, and as the deck gets thicker we get to 3/8 ounce. Since early 2003, we have not used anything other than tungsten weights for all of our baits. We think this is especially important with the Power Drop Shot as well, as tungsten is heavier than lead, allowing for a smaller profile, penetrating the deck better, and allowing for a better bottom feel.

We usually set the baits with a Gamakatsu or X-Point hook from 2/0 to 3/0, but sometimes we will hit a 5/0 on some of the larger worms. The general rule of thumb when using this equipment for turning is simple; The distance between the hook and the weight is no more than 3 to 6 inches longer than the bait itself.

The platform is easy to use, no fancy tricks needed. Just drop the bait around the deck and let it sit. No further action is necessary due to the way the bait is suspended off the line. The natural flow of the water imparts all the action you need. We also use this on the seabass, as we do not have a closed season here in Delaware during tournaments. The technique is like any other type of cartwheel we do. We drop it close to the deck, let it sit for a few seconds if the bass is being picky, and then we pick it up and launch it to the next target.

Try Power Drop Shotting this year in your local waters when everyone else is throwing a Texas or Carolina rig, and you’re in for a big surprise!