Drop Shot Fishing on Tellico Lake
Tellico Lake · Tennessee · Southeast
Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tellico Lake is a 16,000-acre TVA impoundment known for its pristine, clear waters and significant depth. It offers a unique blend of rocky bluffs, long tapering points, and submerged timber, providing habitat for a healthy population of largemouth and smallmouth bass, with spotted bass also present.
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 Tellico 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 Tellico Lake
Lake: In spring, bass migrate to shallow rocky banks and coves for spawning, making spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and soft plastics effective around visible cover like docks and laydowns.
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: Summer patterns revolve around deep main lake ledges, submerged timber, and thermocline breaks, where bass are targeted with deep crankbaits, football jigs, and drop shots.
Drop Shot: Go deep — 20–40 feet on main lake structure. Shake in place with minimal movement. Shad colors dominate.
Lake: Fall sees bass following migrating shad into creeks and shallower pockets, creating schooling opportunities for topwaters, lipless crankbaits, and swimbaits.
Drop Shot: Follow baitfish to secondary points and pockets. Faster retrieve works as fish get more aggressive.
Lake: During winter, bass hold on deep bluff walls, channel swings, and brush piles, requiring slow presentations with vertical jigs, Alabama rigs, and suspending jerkbaits in the clearer, colder water.
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 Tellico Lake
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