There are several approaches when “dragging” that all work and are equally effective. The bait and weight can be hopped with the rod tip high, drug across the bottom with the rod in the 3 o’clock position and it can be deadsticked in the school when you find the sweet spot. The preferred way for us when we are searching for fish is dragging the weight across the bottom. The set up is crucial and knowing when to use which one fine tunes the technique.

We use a 7-foot, 6-inch St. Croix flipping stick with 17-pound Seaguar or Vicious Elite fluorocarbon line teamed with 6.4 reel for this application. We really like the new Invisaswivel fluorocarbon swivels, and found it works well with a 1/2 to 1-ounce Eco Pro Tungsten weight or a Jewel Rock and a lighter 15-pound leader most of the time. We like the “ROCK” when rocks are present. It is mandatory to have either a glass bead with lead or a harder metal one when using tungsten. The clicking can attract bass and knots should be checked often. 

The length of the leader varies, but a general rule is a long leader in cooler water and a shorter one in warmer water. Slowly moving the bait with a long leader leaves the bait in the strike zone longer while the same action on a shorter leader causes the bait to dart. We love a Zoom Lizard or Brush Hog on a long leader and a Baby Brush Hog or a small worm on the shorter leader. The action is enhanced in current and most bites are just a dead feeling on the line. They can be a hard hit when bass are aggressive. We also use scent most of the time, and really like BANG garlic or the new Power Team Hog Tonic for rigging. The verdict is still out on scents, but we believe it won’t hurt and can fire a school up if they are neutral.

The new InvisaSwivel is the ticket for a couple of reasons. It gives the angler more feel to the bait without the line twist and because it is fluorocarbon it is invisible to the fish. Fish will sometimes hit the brass swivel. We like its durability, even in rocks and no sharp edges are cut when fishing gravel like sometimes can occur with brass swivels. Line size determines what size InvisaSwivel is used. It's subtle but effective alternative to brass swivels.

As fish move out to deep water, we follow the creek channels or drains to the main river channel and if structure is present there, it can be the mother lode. As summer progresses, fish will find rock piles, brush and drops more to their liking. We have found that the shady side of points and drops can be killer this time of year. Knowing the position of the sun in conjunction with current is an added plus. Getting the right “line” is crucial most of the time. When current is present, we like to drag the bait with it, and we like to cross-section points when current is slack. Diagonal casts to the point down the sides out to the tip are a good place to start. This keeps the bait on the edge longer and allows the school to key in on the bait.

We like to sweep the hookset when possible and have found a long sweep works must better than a quick jerk for the rig.