Benefit of dropper chains???

[rodrunner]

ok..I've been reading about all you fellas using droppers off your jigs what is the purpose of using a dropper chain and moving your bait 3 inches from your jig. Really doesn't make sense to me.

[Stump Puller]

Ya I'd like to know too. Do you a single hook, or a treble?

[ice dawg]

I use some spoons with a dropper chain. I also tie a small single or treble hook on about a three to six inch momo dropper below a small jigging spoon like a swedish pimple or something. It seems like the fish come in to the flash from the spoon and become interested in the bait on the dropper hook and hit it. I have a few of these rigs and they work very well at times.

[iceenut]

I thought that they create more action...looks like bait chasin bait,I have tried different jigging techniques in the kids aquarium,try it ,and watch how you can really finesse the lure and bait.

[jflood]

I have tried different jigging techniques in the kids aquarium,

I have never thought of doing that practice makes perfect

[rodrunner]

I understand that the lure (hints the word) brings the fish in but what does it matter if your bait is 1/2 inch from the jig or 3 inches??thanks for the input..

[winchester 88]

I have tried different jigging techniques in the kids aquarium,

I have never thought of doing that practice makes perfect

Another good place to check the action of your jigs is in the bathtub ...to save yourself a lot of grief though do it when the wife is out shopping or something....they just can't understand...

Winchester 88

[polarfisher]

i use the 29 gl aquarium all the time to make shure the jigs look natural and act like their supposed to. im a major perfectionest so it needs to be and act percfect so i know its not what in doin wrong its the fish being fickle and not wanting to bite

[Chucker]

The spoon drops quickly, and then the dropper (especially if mono) slowly drops after it when the spoon settles.  The secondary slow drop of the dropper acts as a trigger.

[rodrunner]

Well chucker, now that makes a little sense.So you use mono instead of a chain.How long of a dropper?

[hippiemick]

The very lite chain causes a very inticeing flutter in the bait as it twitches , rises and falls with the jiging action. It's something you don't get as much of with a hook directly on a jig. Somedays it's the ticket. It's just one more thing to add to your bag of tricks.   

[icejunky]

although hard to explain it's easy to see when your fishing a dropper rig, at times when the fish wont take larger baits like a buckdshot spoon, but you want that flash and wait to bring the fish in, so you revome the trebel and add the dropper, this gives you both a large and small profile bait, thus increasing your chaces with both those fish that want a smaller presentation and those that want more...

The droppers allow you to easy finese larger baits that your would not usually be able to add subtle changes to, the short dropper is easily twiched or bounces without changing the movement on the spoon itself

I use both chains and mono droppers, and find both work really well.....when prepairing for a trip I always make sure I have my larger lures set-up one and one...for example I would carry a normal buckshot spoon, as well as one that I had added a dropper to....this way I can change presentation easilty

[adkbrookie]

i have used a five gallon bucket for testing out jigging action.

[njsimonson]

Having a dropper is alleged to trigger a feeding response in fish that are negative, or just "lookers."  If you've ever watch a bunch of smallies try to ransack your lure lodged in another smallie's mouth in the summer, you know this phenomenon (sometimes, if it is a crank, you'll get 2 fish on one lure). 

One fish feeding means food, which means it is time for other fish to take a cue and eat or miss out on a meal.  It also means that particles of food will break off the bigger piece of food the active feeder is eating.  For example, chunks of a crawdad or minnow that are dislodged from the whole after it is taken by the predator, are often eaten by other fish nearby - opportunists.
In this instance, the jigging spoon, or baited jig, or whatever is the primary "attraction" lure and serves as the "active fish" while the dropper baited with waxies or maggots is that food particle dislodged in the commotion, triggering the less active fish to bite. 

Hope this theory helps.  I find I can absolutely CLOBBER picky perch in midwinter when nothing else works - by using a hookless Chubby Darter and a 2-3 inch chain dropper baited with grubs like waxies or maggies.  Looks like an excited, active, EATING fish, who let a crumb slip down, and that draws them in.  Give it a 6-10" rip and fall...then a long pause.  Good luck...only a few weeks to go! 

[IceholeFisherman]

I have tried different jigging techniques in the kids aquarium,

I have never thought of doing that practice makes perfect

Another good place to check the action of your jigs is in the bathtub ...to save yourself a lot of grief though do it when the wife is out shopping or something....they just can't understand...

Winchester 88

Jigs in the bathtub? I usually stick to my battleships. Hope you take the treble hook off first! OUCH!!!

[winchester 88]

Jigs in the bathtub? I usually stick to my battleships. Hope you take the treble hook off first! OUCH!!!
[No problem, just don't jig em too close to "structure" ]

Winchester 88

[IcenEyes]

I think that the dropper offers lest resistance when the fish takes it in it's mouth. When fishing with spoons or Rapala's i use the dropper. I have watched both Crappie and Perch spit the hook as soon as they feel the lure.

[Indiana_Lou]

One more thought on the chain dropper. Though you may be fishing for perch, crappie or some other "non-toothy" critter, the chain gives you some added protection if a walleye or pike decides to hit it. Unless you are using some pretty stiff monofilament you'll probably get bit off.   Lou

[IceFish4]

Does someone have a picture they could post for this type of set-up?  I'm well versed in the ways of ice fishing with a live-baited tip-up and jigging with a swedish pimple or live (or dead) bait.  But, I can't seem to wrap my brain around this talk of chains and mono and droppers for a jig rig.

[jacksmelt71]

jeff just take your fav. pimple. remove the treble. replace w/ a swivel. tie on about 5in. of 6lb. mono,then a octopuss hook on the other end for the size of fish your after. i like a sz.6 for whitefish, togue. and trout. whats nice esp. for whites is you can wait till' they inhale the bait completely therefore lessening the chance of losing them. ive seen times the togue wouldnt hit a trap w/ a smelt on it but would take a small chunk of smelt on this rig instead. in the smaller sizes works great for smelts and panfish too! good luck!

[IceFish4]

BINGO!!!  The light just went off in my tiny, pea brain.  I've got it now.  I was trying to imagine a panfish swallowing a lure, 6" of line and a hook before getting caught by the hook.  It's all clear to me now.  Boy is my face red!

[njsimonson]

just take your fav. pimple. remove the treble. replace w/ a swivel. tie on about 5in. of 6lb. mono

You can also purchase chain droppers from Nilsmaster products with attractor hooks in tiny sizes (12-16, I think) or just plain gold hooks in tiny sizes, or mono-droppers from Northland, complete with clips and hooks. 

[thewalleyewhisperer]

As others have said - the action imparted on the bait by adding that chain or line (I prefer using mono but both work well) is important, but I believe the added size and flash of the "body" of the lure in combination with a small, easily eaten morsel is the real key to why this set-up works.  Another BIG reason I love this set-up is, when you punch alot of holes while searching and you don't clean each one (why would you when you don't have to),  the added weight of the body of the lure allows you to slide it thru the slush quickly.  Plus you can get a "bite-size" piece of food back down the hole quickly to that school of active fish. 

[TJG]

pics

[BUCKSKI]

pics

(Image removed from quote.)

Yes my old friends, those are the bigger ones, other companies make that style of lure HT and someonelese??
So is ys can't find from hali look to other sources, they seem to sell out in our stores for some reason?


The thing with droppers is this , the spoon does the attracting, the dropper does the catching.

Yes the chains do hold up to toothy critters, last year I caught a 36 inch pike on simcoe jigging for perch.

[OffthehookGillMan18]

I am thinking of making some dropper rigs for perch on Green Bay this year.  Any recommendations as to what spoons and colors work the best?  Any information is appreciated.

[WANNAKETCHUM]

I also tie a dropper line about 6" or so long about a foot or so above the heavier jig I'm using and tie on a small wet fly. This has worked well on finicky fish and a lot of times results in "doubles" being caught when I'm Perch fishing. Last winter I was fishing a small lake near home and caught two large Pickerel..(several hours apart) but both were on the fly and not on the Hali I was using. They were both hooked right in the front of the mouth in that soft lip area or I probably wouldn't have landed them on the 2lb. line I was using. It's like they just sipped the fly in and not inhaled it like they usually do with live bait or a larger jig. The flies I use aren't anything special...Coachman wets, Small wooly Buggers etc. Anything with a Peacock herl body works well also....WK

[njsimonson]

Any recommendations as to what spoons and colors work the best

Gold in tannic (iron-tinted or reddish brown) waters.
Silver in clear waters.
Then of course you can't go wrong with perch and firetiger patterns anywhere little perch roam. 
Also note the forage in your lake, and let your creativity draw up the patterns for sculpins, minnows and young-of-the-year fish. 
Put some pics on this thread when you finish, sounds like a fun project.

I like to take Northland Buckshots and put Hali droppers on them.  You get the rattle, the flash, and the tiny hook.  Bam!  Deadly on perch. 

[ice dawg]

I have used a small hook or ice jig tied a few inches below a Castmaster or other type of spoon for many years. I think it was the Lindner brothers that came up with the idea years ago and called it a search lure. It is very deadly at times for Perch and Crappie.

[BUCKSKI]

The slimmer spoons get down quicker and mark on the flashers easy and quick.
Spoons with more bends or shape draw more fish in but take time to get below you.

My #1 spoon is something you would see guys throwing for salmon. Lots of shape.
I really like the silver best, but I have about 20 hali style lures. My favs are perch color, yellow, yellow and black, gold, red, Blue and silver and lastly straight green/chat.

If ya can find the smaller buckshots with the rattles, get em and rig for walters.

Getting to the ice flies, I usaullt tie one up my line about 1-2 feet from the lower hook. Same principle, the bottom lure (larger) attracts and when you lower your tip the top catches.
My flies are nyphm style with dubbing bodies and some lead around the shanks.