The Big Book on Spinning Rod Basics, cont.
Chapter 2
Yamamoto Dropshot Model #SSC661M9H Spinning Rod
Today, many anglers are aware of Gary Yamamoto's legendary ability to design and build world-class soft bass baits. But most are unaware of Gary Yamamoto's unique ability to design and build world-class tournament fishing rods.
With the rising tide of dropshot fishing, Gary Yamamoto set out about five years ago to produce the definitive dropshot rod that he needed to dropshot with his soft plastic baits. That was about five years ago, took a lot of time and effort, but the end result in the first of Gary's three great spinning rods - the Yamamoto dropshot rod. There's probably nor a better one on the planet.
The Yamamoto Drop Shot rod model #SSC661M9H is a 6'6" spinning rod designed to dropshot. It's perfect for 6 lb test line and 4/15 braid. Although designed with dropshot in mind, this spinning rod can and will handle many tasks, a variety of lures and tactics best presented with 6 pound test spinning gear. So don't just think of it as a dropshot rod. Think of it as a 6 lb test spinning rod for multiple applications.
Yamamoto believes, "This is one of the best rods I have ever designed for bass anglers. So there is no need to limit this rod to just drop shot fishing."
The rod is designed for deeper water drop shot fishing, but on days when the drop shot bite is slow, Yamamoto will use this rod with other applications. "On Lake Erie and other northern waters, this rod works perfect with 1/8 to 3/8 tube jigs. Out West, the rod is great for the split shot style of fishing. Whereas drop shot targets fish hunkered down near bottom structure, split shot targets fish suspended higher above the same structure. So split shot and drop shot styles complement each other, and this rod does both," says Yamamoto.
Yamamoto configured different areas of the 100% graphite one-piece rod to accomplish certain key tasks:
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Fighting Power. The rod is surprisingly powerful, thanks to this lower rod blank. The important area between the reel seat and first guide has been strategically tuned to provide the rod power for unsurpassed fightability. "I've landed some pretty big bass on this rod with a good drag," says Gary. You can too.
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Hooksetting Power. The middle area of the blank is tuned with today's modern fish hook designs in mind. With many of today's premium hooks, including Yamamoto's Sugoi and Split Shot hooks, a quick jerk or snap set is not required with this rod. Yamamoto applies a sweep set, which activates the hooksetting flexure configured within the middle area of the blank. In addition, more guides than normally placed in the rod's middle area aid in an increase of hooking power.
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Feel and Feedback. The rod tip area is designed primarily for unsurpassed sensitive feel. The tip area is micro-tuned to help an angler sense accurate lure motion, interpret bottom feedback, and detect even the most subtle presence of a fish.
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Hypalon Grip. For comfort feel and sure grip, Yamamoto chose micro-cell rubber Hypalon for the handle. Not to be confused with EVA typically seen on less expensive rods, Hypalon is most commonly used on high quality saltwater rods for its durability and wet grip strength, which is superior to cork.
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Integrated Handle Design. The graphite reel hood is integrated with the Hypalon foregrip, which screws down to secure the reel tightly. The graphite reel seat is bonded closely to the rod blank, which transmits sensitivity from the 100% graphite blank to the graphite reel seat to your rod hand. "Modern integrated graphite handle designs like this and the sensitivity of line transmission in today's modern fishing lines like Sugoi fluorocarbon surpass the old need to have a finger on the line or on an exposed section of the rod blank," says Yamamoto.
Gary Yamamoto's Dropshot rod shown above rigged with a slender Mojo dropshot sinker and wacky-rigged with Yamamoto's 3" Senko (9B-series) on 6 lb Yamamoto Sugoi fluorocarbon line. This short Senko is unique in that it wriggles when pulled down by the sinker, creating the incredible illusion it is a swimming baitfish as it's pulled down through the water column by the dropshot sinker below it. Many hits come on the initial fall. The wiggling movement looks for all the world like a fast-swimming minnow, except it isn't moving forward - sort of like a minnow on a treadmill, swimming fast but staying in place as its pulled below. Envision how to apply this tactic as if you're using a jigging spoon, except it's a falling dropshot rig. To get a super-slow fall, clip off the tip of the slender sinker, making a lighter weight. The Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm (68L-series) shown in the center also works swell rigged the same way.
Wacky rig the 9B Senko (left) in its center of balance, which is a few ribs past the smooth band on its body. Rig the Shad Shape Worm (right) in the center - of its body - not counting the inch-long thin tail filament. To rig the Shad Shape Worm, the hook point should go in the flat side first, and exit the adjacent side. The flat side should face down when it's fished, and if you've rigged it correctly, the thin tail filament will whip and squirm spastically as it falls, pulled down by the dropshot sinker on the line below it.
Gary Yamamoto's Drop Shot Rod is second to none. It's actually a shame it's named the dropshot rod because it does so much more than just dropshot. The Yamamoto "dropshot rod" can handle a myriad of 6 lb test applications, not just dropshot. Shown above with a shakey jig, Yamamoto 5" Kut Tail Worm (7L-series), and 6 lb test Sugoi fluorocarbon leader tied onto 4/15 PowerPro braid. To maximum tail movement, rig the Kut Tail Worm with the tail flat sideways pointed to either side (doesn't matter), but not pointed up or down.
FLW Tour pro Shinichi Fukae used the Yamamoto Kut Tail Worm and Shad Shape Worm on shakey jigs to win $200,000 and first place at Beaver Lake, Arkansas in April 2006. Shin used spinning rods with 6 to 8 pound test fluorocarbon line.
Next: Chapter 3
Yamamoto Medium Light Model #SMC2701ML Spinning Rod