Drop Shot Fishing on Patoka Lake
Patoka Lake · Indiana · Midwest
Patoka Lake sits in the knobby, forested hills of southern Indiana — an impoundment of the Patoka River completed in 1978 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake's character is defined by extensive standing and fallen timber, irregular creek channel arms, and stained-to-slightly-clear water that shifts with seasonal runoff. Largemouth bass dominate the catches, with a notable spotted bass population that's underutilized by most visiting anglers.
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 Patoka 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 Patoka Lake
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth push into the backs of timbered creek arms from late March through April, staging on secondary channel bends in 6–12 ft before moving to shallow flat pockets. Flipping dark-colored jigs or Texas-rigged creature baits to isolated wood in 2–4 ft produces big fish during the spawn itself.
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 fish scatter to main-lake timber edges and submerged channel ledges in 18–28 ft as the thermocline sets. Deep-diving crankbaits and Carolina-rigged finesse plastics along channel swings hold quality bass through the hottest weeks, while spotted bass tend to suspend near channel drops that most largemouth anglers skip entirely.
Drop Shot: Go deep — 20–40 feet on main lake structure. Shake in place with minimal movement. Shad colors dominate.
Lake: Shad migrations pull bass shallow again starting in September, with schooling activity common near tributary mouths and points that funnel baitfish. A Spro Bronzeye Pop 60 or a walking topwater like a Heddon Super Spook Jr. at dawn can produce numbers before fish slide back to 10–15 ft mid-morning.
Drop Shot: Follow baitfish to secondary points and pockets. Faster retrieve works as fish get more aggressive.
Lake: Cold-water bass stack tightly on the deepest available timber adjacent to primary channel bends, often suspending 25–35 ft down. A finesse approach — drop-shotting a 4-inch Roboworm straight shad or dead-sticking a Megabass Vision 110 Jr. on fluorocarbon — outlasts power-fishing in water below 48 degrees.
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 Patoka Lake
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