Many bass fishing anglers view the drop shot as a finesse only technique and will only throw this setup in deep clear water situations. Most anglers will shy away from fishing this rig in heavy cover, fearing a big bass will break off easily.
While this is a legitimate concern, only throwing this setup in deep open water situations can be a big mistake. Than how do you prevent losing a bass that is wrapped up in some heavy cover? There is a simple solution to this problem. It’s called the bubba shot rig or also known as the power shot.
In this post, we will unravel everything you need to know about the bubba shot rig including: rigging, baits, how to fish and use the bubba shot and some tips and tricks so that you can add this power drop shot technique to your fishing arsenal.
What is the Bubba Shot/Power Shot?
The bubba shot is essentially a heavy-duty version of the popular drop shot technique. It evolves heavier gear, with Texas-rigged baits making them weedless and is designed to be fished in heavier cover such as stumps, laydowns, docks, grass and other types cover/structure.
A while back, bass fishing anglers on the California Delta were having a hard time getting bass to react to their Texas-rigged soft plastics. From there the bubba shot was born or at least refined and made popular. Since then the bubba shot has become a popular power fishing technique that is used all over the country with great results.
Bubba Shot Fishing Setup
Just like any bass fishing rig each angler seems to do it a bit different. However, here is a standard bubba shot setup. Feel free to make this rig your own by modifying and adapting it to your fishing conditions and personal preference.
- Spinning Rod & Reel: 7+ ft rod paired with a high speed bait caster
- Line: 14-20lb Fluorocarbon or heavy braided line
- Weight: 3/8 ½ oz
- Hook: 2/0 – 4/0 (ReBarb or EWG)
- Leader: 12-14 inches (should be adjusted depending on where the fish are holding)
- Baits: 6-8” worm or creature style bait are most common, but any soft plastic will work
How to Rig the Bubba Shot
Rigging a bubba shot is pretty straight forward and is just like tying on a drop shot, except you’ll be using heavier line and a baitcaster instead of a spinning rod. One of the other key components that makes this rig work is a stout hook.
The bubba shot is best fished with heavy 3/0 or 4/0 ReBarb or a EWG style hook and a Texas-rigged soft plastic worm like a Roboworm. This setup will allow you to fish right into the weeds and heavy structure that you wouldn’t have been able to with a regular drop shot fishing setup.
Bubba shot Rigging Steps
- Begin by tying a Palomar Knot or knot of your choice with a long tag end. Double 12 to 30 inches of line based on how high you want the bait to sit off the bottom and pass the end of the loop through the eye of the hook.
- Next, tie an overhand knot with the hook hanging from the bottom of the looped formed.
- While holding the knot, pass the end of the loop over the hook. Slide loop above the eye of the hook.
- Wet your lines and pull on both the line and tag end to tighten down the knot onto the eye of the hook. Now feed the tag end back through the eye from above. (This will allow your bait to be straight)
- Now, attach a small weight to the end of the tag end and adjust the leader length as needed.
- Texas-rig your soft plastic bait to your hook
You can also check out this video below to see how Glenn May
from Bassresource.com like to rig and fish the bubba shot rig.
Best Bubba Shot Baits
Another key component to the bubba shot is the soft plastic baits. As I have mentioned before you’ll want to make sure your baits is rigged weedless, so that it doesn’t get hung up in that heavy cover. Also, with this technique an upgraded size drop shot bait will be the most effective in most situations.
However, when it comes to selecting a bubba shot bait, pretty much anything is on the table. Here are some popular bubba shot baits that you considering trying out:
- Roboworm(6”)
- Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver
- Baby Brush Gog
- Rage Bug
- Googan Bandito Bug
- Gener Larew 8’ TattleTail Worm
Why Fish a Bubba Shot?
The bubba shot can be a killer bass fishing technique, but why not use a standard Texas-rig or jig when fishing in heavy cover? On most lakes, bass see a ton of shaky heads, jigs, Texas-rigged styled baits the bubba shot gives them a different look and will flat out get bit.
In addition to giving the bass a different type of presentation, this power drop shot technique also allows you to keep your bait in the strike zone longer giving you the ability to shake the bait right where the bass are holding. You get all of the benefits of fishing a drop shot but also have the ability to pull big bass out of heavy structure.
How and Where Fish the Bubba Shot
The bubba shot is designed to be fished in heavy cover situations. It’s a really popular way to flip into docks, weeds, grass and other type of structures, but it can also be used in open water situations as well. Here are some key areas to target with the bubba shot:
Areas to Target
- Docks
- Weeds
- Grass
- Humps
- Trees
- Open Water
How to fish the Bubba Shot
Fishing the bubba shot is very similar to pitching a jig or a Texas-rig. To fish this rig pitch it out to the weeds and let it drop down in there where those big bass are holding. Once the bait hits the bottom let it sit there for a few seconds and give it a few subtle shakes with your rod tip or dead stick it and let current/wind do the work.
After a bit if you haven’t had any takers, reel your rig back in and pitch it to a new spot and try it again. That’s pretty much all there is to fishing the bubba shot for bass. This rig is all about having patience and picking apart key structure that holds bass.
Below are some bubba shot fishing video tutorials that will give you some additional tips on how to rig and fish this power drop shot technique.
Bubba Shot Fishing Resources
- Drop Shot in Heavy Cover (Bubba Shot Tutorial)
- Gary Dobyn View on the Bubba Shot Rig
- How to Fish the Power Shot for Bass
Other Bass Fishing Rigs and Techniques
Final Thoughts
When it comes to presenting baits to bass sitting in heavy cover with something different the bubba shot is an absolute great option. T
When it comes to targeting bass in heavy cover a bubba shot rig is a great option that will give the bass something a little bit different. This power drop shotting technique will allow to get the action and benefits of a drop shot rig but also allow you to fish it in heavy cover and structure. Hopefully, I’ve given you some great information about power drop shotting and that it will help you keep you at the top of your fishing game.