Drop Shot Fishing on Gun Lake
Gun Lake · Michigan · Midwest
Gun Lake sits in Barry County in southwest Michigan, a natural glacial basin running roughly 2,680 acres with clean, relatively clear water and a diverse structural profile — sand flats, hard-bottom points, weedy bays, and mid-lake rock piles. The fishery holds both largemouth and smallmouth bass, with largemouth dominating the shallower weed-edge cover and smallmouth stacking on the harder offshore structure. Fishing pressure runs moderate to high from Memorial Day through Labor Day, given the lake's accessibility from Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
The drop shot suspends a soft plastic bait above the bottom on a fixed line, keeping it in the strike zone longer than any other rig. Originally a West Coast technique, it now dominates clear-water and finesse situations nationwide. Works vertically over structure or on a long cast.
Drop Shot Setup for Gun Lake
| Rod | 7' medium-light to medium spinning rod, fast action |
| Reel | 2500–3000 size spinning reel, 6.2:1 or higher |
| Line | 6–8 lb fluorocarbon main line or 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluoro leader |
| Weight | 1/8–3/8 oz tungsten drop shot weight (heavier in current or deep water) |
| Hook | #1 or #2 Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap, 6–18 inches above weight |
Seasonal Tactics on Gun Lake
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth move onto protected sand and muck flats in 4–8 ft as water temps climb through the low 50s into the upper 50s; shallow jerkbaits and paddle-tail swimbaits on the inside weed edge produce before the spawn push. Smallmouth stage on gravel points in 10–15 ft and respond well to tube jigs and drop shots ahead of their own spawn in late May.
Drop Shot: Target staging fish on points and drop-offs in 8–20 feet. Nose-hook a 6" Roboworm or Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm.
Lake: Post-spawn largemouth retreat to the deep weed edge at 10–14 ft, where sparse cabbage and coontail edges hold fish through August; a Texas-rigged Zoom Magnum Trick Worm or a 3/8 oz swim jig covers both the inside and outside break. Smallmouth school on mid-lake humps and rock transitions in 18–28 ft and feed actively on Ned rigs and drop shots during low-light windows.
Drop Shot: Go deep — 20–40 feet on main lake structure. Shake in place with minimal movement. Shad colors dominate.
Lake: As surface temps drop below 60 degrees in October, baitfish schools compress and both species chase shad on main-lake points and sandy flat transitions; a No-Wake spook or a 3/4 oz blade bait covers the reaction bite while a football jig on the 20 ft gravel transitions picks up the bigger smallmouth. Weed edges collapse by early November, pushing largemouth onto bare hard-bottom secondary points in 8–12 ft.
Drop Shot: Follow baitfish to secondary points and pockets. Faster retrieve works as fish get more aggressive.
Lake: Ice fishing is the dominant winter pursuit on Gun Lake, but open-water anglers targeting the late-fall/early-winter window find largemouth suspended tight to dock pilings and standing timber in 10–14 ft; a blade bait or a 1/4 oz finesse jig fished very slowly on 8 lb fluorocarbon is the most consistent cold-water presentation.
Drop Shot: Slowest presentation of the year. Dead-stick a 4" finesse worm at the bottom. Let it sit 10–15 seconds between shakes.
Best Conditions
Clear to stained water, pressured fish, cold fronts, post-spawn suspended bass, deep structure in summer
Use a Palomar knot and leave the tag end pointing up to keep the hook riding correctly. Most anglers tie it wrong.
More Techniques for Gun Lake
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