Cody Meyer brought some of his western spot-catching know how to Lanier to catch 14-3 for fourth place on day one. Photo by Rob Newell. Angler: Cody Meyer.

October 8, 2010 • Cody Meyer • Archives

I like to fish topwaters in the fall, but the bite often fizzles out as the sun comes up. That’s when I look for suspended bass in deeper water. Catching suspended bass is seldom easy, but a drop-shot rig is my favorite way to reach such fish. First, I cruise around the area where I suspect them to be, watching my graph, until I mark them. Then I lower a drop-shot rig that has a shad-type worm attached to it.

My preferred rig is a 12- to 18-inch piece of leader with an Owner No. 1 or No. 2 nose hook tied on with a Palomar knot and a 3/16-ounce weight on the bottom. Once the hook is tied on, it’s important to bring the tag end back through the hook eye. This causes the hook to stand out straight from the line so that the bait is presented properly.

The 4-inch Jackall Cross Tail Shad is my favorite drop-shot lure. I nose-hook it and fish it with 6- to 8-pound-test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon line. It’s a pretty subtle, delicate approach, but it works for me in the fall when bass are just sort of loafing and inactive.

— Ranger pro Cody Meyer of Grass Valley, Calif.