Casting the double drop for roamers by Brad Wiegmann

[Slab]

Don’t be jealous. One is good, but two is even better. Lots better for roamers.


No one knows this better than Truman Lake Crappie fishing guide Barry Morrow. “Right now is a great time for casting double drops for roamers. Crappie are starting to move from their wintertime haunts to pre-staging areas,” Morrow continued, “I like to think they are traveling down the highway to spawning areas.”


During this time Morrow is chasing roamers not really locked on to standing timber or brush piles using live sonar. “These crappie are easily spooked from being chased by weekend anglers or crappie tournament anglers and the best way to catch these crappie are casting a double drop for them. ,” said Morrow (MRO Crappie Academy, www.barrymro.com).


Morrow’s double drop rig has two lures. The top lure is tied 14- to 18-inches from the bottom lure.



“I have two different ways to rig up a double drop for roamers. The first, I use homemade hair jigs or hair jigs by Greg Davis, crappie G custom baits from Tullos, LA. in 1/16-, 1/32-, or 1/64-ounce with the heavier hair jig on the bottom and a lighter weight hair jig on top. Hair jigs have a lifelike action that often gets bites when soft plastic lures won’t get a strike,” Morrow went on, “The second way I rig a 1/32- or 1/64-ounce Crappie Pro Mo’ Glo Jighead (Lurenet.com - Crappie Pro) with a Bobby Garland Baby Shad (Bobby Garland(R) - Brands) in Bluegrass, Monkey Milk or Pearl/Chartreuse color pattern for the top lure. The bottom lure I will use a 1/16-ounce jighead rigged with a Beaver Bottom Baits in Frosty Mug or White Light’n in a contrasting color pattern.”



To cast the double drop out, Morrow uses a 6-foot, 6-inch Todd Huckabee rod rigged up with Berkley NanoFil 10-pound test fishing line with 6- or 8-pound test fluorocarbon fishing line. Normally Morrow will tie a loop knot on the top lure and a Palomar knot to the bottom lure.


“It’s all about open water fishing, chasing roamers out away from brush piles or standing timber,” Morrow continued, “first, I identify the species then the size of the crappie. If it’s a good sized one I will cast beyond the roaming crappie and reel it up above the crappie letting it drop slowly downward towards the crappie keeping it above the crappie. If I don’t get the crappie to bite I will normally give it a subtle twitch and that will almost always get a strike, however, everyday is different when it comes to what cadence or action they want.”


Normally, Morrow will set his live sonar range to 30 feet forward, but will wait till the crappie gets 15-to 20-feet away from his boat to cast. “The roamers are typically suspending in deep water, sitting still if they don’t spook off which is a whole different topic itself,” Morrow went on, “If they stay in one spot I know I can catch them by casting.”


To control his big fiberglass boat better Morrow utilizes Power-Pole Drift Paddles. The Drift Paddles are deployed acts like an anchor slowing the boat to a stop quickly allowing Morrow to hold away from the roamers, but still being able to cast to them.

[BuckeyeCrappie]

Good read, thanks for sharing

[DockShootinJack]

Always full of useful information

[Quailtail]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing this.

[SuperDave336]

Good read and good info. Thanks for sharing.

[Shakey Dave]

Good info, thanks for sharing.

David