After a recent tournament it has become apparent that I needed to brush up on my Drop Shot techniques after being away from tournament small mouth fish for a couple of years.

Most places I have lived has some local ponds that are teaming with small bass and I find these areas great for developing confidence with new methods or freshening up on old.

With that in mind this morning I tied up a drop shot rig with a Kamizaki circle hook and picked out a light action Streamside Predator rod and headed to a local pond.

It wasn't long before I was landing bass after bass with this rig and all the while developing a feel for the bites and testing actions and hooking rigs... Both wacky and nose rigged for this venture.

After a good hour and more than twenty small bass I know can't wait to get on some bigger water and chase some big fall smallmouths.

Take advantage of these places near you to sharpen your skills and build confidence with a bait or technique and next time on the water you will have a lot more fun and catch more fish.